Made-to-order Brisbane label Katalyst is driven by detail-orientated design

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES CASWELL FOR KATALYST

WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT

“It’s a fusion of classic, tailored and structured shapes with experimental textile manipulations.”

Brisbane-based designer Kate Evans, founder of the label Katalyst, understands working in the fashion industry is no easy feat. When trying to make a living doing what you love, it’s easy to forget why you started – for Kate, it was a passion for textiles and creating innovative wardrobe staples.

After graduating from fashion design and dabbling in her own designs, Kate realised “how competitive this industry is and how much money and years of experience it takes to be the face of a huge fashion label”. So she took a step back, choosing to create small drops of limited-run pieces alongside an evergreen made-to-order collection, called the Core Range.

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“I’ve always loved making things with my hands and that tactility and hands-on approach is a huge part of my practice today,” Kate says. Katalyst’s Core Range is comprised of high-quality, refined unisex staples, while the label’s one-off pieces are pure joy, unexpected and playful. Below, Kate speaks on Katalyst’s beginnings.

Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?

I’ve been sewing and designing since I was little and moved to Brisbane to study Fashion Design at the Queensland University of Technology, finishing in 2015.

After graduating, I worked with textiles, in retail and on the brand intermittently for a few years but started seriously focusing on it in 2018. It’s definitely been a gradual growth with learning and applying that knowledge as I go.

I’ve always loved making things with my hands and that tactility and hands-on approach is a huge part of my practice today. Valuing what you have and avoiding waste has always been important to me – after working in and learning about our industry, it has only heightened my awareness and made me more passionate about the environmental and social impact my brand has.

This comes through in my design process by using the materials I have on hand, whether that be offcuts or deadstock fabrics… [I love making] something new and interesting and celebrating that material.

How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.

It began during uni when we had the opportunity to stock in a student-run pop-up store. I was creating small collections of two to three styles each year for that and doing commissions here and there over the following years. In 2018, I committed to making small collections and doing freelance design work full-time.

These collections were great testing grounds for new styles and allowed me to develop my brand aesthetic with full looks, but I found that building up to making so many garments… [was] such a huge undertaking for a small brand. I now prefer to release small intermittent drops more frequently.

I also have my Core Range, a collection of evergreen styles that have been tried and tested over the years, available to order with custom fitting all year round in a range of fabrics. This allows me to be more flexible, respond to changes in demand for size and fabrics more quickly and avoid the waste of overproduction.

What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?

I started the label going through uni with the romanticised idea of a creative director in mind… Coming out of uni and dabbling in running the business, I realised quickly how competitive this industry is and how much money and years of experience it takes to be the face of a huge fashion label… The main thing that I wanted was to enjoy the designing and making and see the garments through from conception to release.

The thing I discovered along the way was the important role that the wearer has in my design process. I love learning about fit and passing that knowledge on to my customers. Sustainability and conscious consumption have always been a part of what I want to communicate through Katalyst, and having a dialogue with customers hopefully encourages them to think about why they want something…

Where did the name come from?

I liked the idea that a catalyst is a key component of change or igniting something. It felt like a nice fit for a practice that brings together materials and skills to create something new. I’m also drawn to the notion that it may ignite something in a person who sees or wears a piece I’ve made…

How would you describe Katalyst to someone who’s never seen it before?

It’s a fusion of classic, tailored and structured shapes with experimental textile manipulations – versatile pieces that can exist within any wardrobe with innovative use of fabrics.

What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?

I am proud that I am still going along with steady growth and that I continue to find joy in what I am doing. It’s a hard industry to work in, particularly as a one-person operation. I’m proud that I’ve been able to have a voice and share my work, to have multiple stockists and to still be making it all myself.

One of the things I am most proud of is learning to value my own time and have confidence in the things I produce. Along with luck and organisation, I think that’s one of the biggest keys to success in this industry.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

That 80 per cent of running a label is marketing yourself, communications and admin. And that being technically good at the design and making side aren’t the only ingredients to make you successful and sustain your brand.

I wish I knew how gradual growth can be if you produce everything yourself, and that always beginning with your own lens and what you value is the most rewarding.

Who do you think is most exciting in the Australian fashion scene right now?

I really love what Song for the Mute does. The way they explore texture and use textiles to elevate daywear is definitely a big inspiration to me. I also admire the way they take a conceptual approach to the display and communication of their garments.

That is something that I explore in my work, encouraging the viewer to notice new details in a piece and appreciate the craftsmanship by displaying it out of the expected context of the human body. I also think there are so many small labels operating independently, being creative with materials and finding a way to produce and function on a small scale – just to name a few, Renu by Nhu, Peiyi and HB Archive are some that I admire.

What about the Australian fashion scene needs to change?

There definitely needs to be more restrictions and transparency requirements for fashion labels, particularly for large fast fashion companies. I would love to see more awareness, education and celebration of the lifecycle of garments and government action demanding a light to be shone on less ethical behaviour.

Dream Australian collaborators?

I would love to collaborate with a textile recycling company like Upparel – they are doing great things for reclaiming discarded materials and educating people about textile waste. I love being inspired by materials and allowing their existing features to help inform the design.

Who is in your wardrobe right now?

I have lots of secondhand pieces I’ve collected over the years, and many things I have made mixed in with Base Range, Bulley Bulley, Be Right Back, Camper and my favourite jewellery by Bobby Corica, Maxx Bubb and Laura Armstrong.

How can we buy one of your pieces?

You can shop my ready-to-ship or make an order for a Core Range piece on my website. You can also shop in-store in Meanjin/Brisbane at Practice Studio or Open House or in Naarm/Melbourne at Sucker. I have a lot of limited-run pieces out there so you might find different colourways and styles unique to each shopping location.

Browse the Katalyst collection here.