Meet Diaspora, the Australian label offering upcycled, ‘ugly-good’ pieces
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING BY DIASPORA
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I just want the pieces to make people feel at home in their exhaustive emotions, frustrations and thoughts.”
“Compelling people to wear kinda ‘hideous’ things is also really fun,” says Steph Liakos, the artist behind Eora-based fashion label, Diaspora. Named after their three-part high school art piece, Diaspora is Steph’s emotional and creative release, a design project with loose structure, few rules and a wondrous excess of colour and texture.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
The Diaspora aesthetic is vibrant, layered and a little “hideous” – but in the best way. Below, Steph speaks on self-expression, culture and their favourite Australian creatives.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
View this post on Instagram
I’m an Aquarius and up until this year, I was very much a self-taught sewer and self-guided artist. I felt very strongly about not going to an institution, instead teaching myself techniques and formulating my own methods. But this year, I’ve decided to branch out by enrolling in a costume design class. In class, we’ve been making 18th-century corsetry and gowns. Learning patternmaking is a challenging experience!
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
I still contemplate calling it a ‘label’, as I’m still conceptualising exactly what it is (and prefer not to feel boxed into things). I remember initially taking up film photography in my own time in 2017/2018. I started styling shoots and from there, it grew into making pieces for those shoots then later using collage to edit… all these aspects kind of tied in together.
View this post on Instagram
Everything was about an idea or a phrase, or a storyline I was trying to show. I was experimenting a lot as I had so much creative energy and pieces were flowing out of me from random ideas and experiences. One of the challenges is that I run with any ideas [that come to me]… I have no formula or standard process for how I make or design something. It can be difficult when you don’t feel very creative or focused.
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?
At the time, I hadn’t thought about the possibility of selling these pieces. It was purely just a form of release and emulation of thoughts for me. Sometimes I grapple with what I’m trying to communicate with it, but the more I’ve released the pressure, the more I just want the pieces to make people feel at home in their exhaustive emotions, frustrations and thoughts. I want them to feel empowered to express. Personally, I want to be continuously learning and pushing boundaries… compelling people to wear kinda ‘hideous’ things is also really fun.
Where did the name come from?
View this post on Instagram
It was the name of my high school major artwork. I had made three large, mixed media wall hangings that were a collection of clothing, photographs and written notes from my grandparent’s homes. I went to Greek school for five years and learnt the letters, but not what the words meant.
So I used the letters to write how I felt, which was a strong disconnect from my family and culture at that time. My sister suggested naming the work Diaspora, meaning ‘the dispersion of people from their original homeland’. I resonated with that, both culturally and environmentally.
How would you describe Diaspora to someone who’s never seen it before?
View this post on Instagram
[An] awkward and ugly-good aesthetic, loaded statements, messy-but-thoughtful collage, fluid.
What are you most proud of in your work?
I’m proud of not caring whether my work will be understood and believing that the more I express myself, the better it will be!
What do you wish you knew when you started?
View this post on Instagram
It’s okay to feel uninspired and no one is putting pressure on you. You can say no to things!
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian/NZ fashion right now?
All my friends who are creating! Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp, Joseph Loves You, Bossy, Jules Bramley, Indigo, Julia Baldini, Clover Cutler, Fragile Minds, Dallas Hurts and Lichen. I’m also loving costuming/styling direction from Gharps, Verity Mackey, Cat, Elle, Bridgette and Rachel. My favourite fashion-related digital artist at the moment is Curtis.
What about the Australian/NZ fashion industry needs to change?
View this post on Instagram
Normalise slow, slow production and invest in quality pieces (something I wish to work on too).
Dream Australian/NZ collaborators?
Maroske Peech, Stella Vendetta and Soft Centre. Outside of Australia (I might as well manifest here), I’d love to make a print for TYT Stockings, a stage outfit for Tiberius B or a red carpet look for Amandla Stenberg…
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
View this post on Instagram
I get a lot of pieces from Sydney/Eora-based consignment store Swop. I recently scored a beautiful Rosanna Contadini bag. I also seem to collect clothes from my friends Diz and Benn. I love Benn’s thrifted comical slogan T-shirts and Diz’s autumnal-toned Y2K pieces. They both have very iconic styles.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
I’m stocked at Rtts Land in Haymarket, Terminal Six and the Shop Kathleen website at the moment.
Anything else to add?
View this post on Instagram
Just wanna thank my community and friends for always supporting me! Wouldn’t be where I am without the amazing people in my life!
For more Diaspora, head here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
