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Handmade knits and curated vintage: Meet Melbourne-based label Lola Studios

WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE

“As my little brand grows and evolves, I hope to make all my pieces with high-quality fibres that last a lifetime.”

Covid was an undeniably challenging time, but it gave some creatives a valuable period to hone their craft and launch a thriving side hustle. For Marcy Banares, being out of work for a year meant she had ample time to hyper-focus on “many little creative projects”, in particular, knitting and crocheting. She quickly became fixated, spending hours creating an array of knitted clothing and accessories.


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A longtime vintage fashion lover, she was already selling handpicked secondhand pieces on Depop when she started getting an influx of requests to sell her handmade knitwear. Fast forward to today, and Marcy’s label Lola Studios, which stocks an array of handmade knits and curated vintage, is thriving. Aside from Depop, she sells her pieces at Melbourne markets and has a selection of knitwear stocked at Fugu Wears. Below, she shares what the journey has been like so far.

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

Heya, my name’s Marcy! I’m located in Naarm, but I’m originally from Sydney. I moved to Naarm in 2019 for a fresh start. Little did I know that Covid was going to hit. I was out of work for about a year. In this year, I hyper-focused on many little creative projects to keep me going, two being crocheting and knitting.

I was obsessed. I was hooked. I would crochet and knit for hours, working on bags, tops, vests, sweaters and bucket hats. It really became a hyper-fixation for me and that’s when my passion for knitting and crocheting began.

Like many people out of work, I would turn to social media to consume the plethora of content. I came across Instagram handmade knit accounts like @linmick, @dordy.studio, @loupystudio, @addyknits, @sulkknitwear and @reagan__flora, to name a few. [They are] all very unique accounts that inspired me to start posting my designs and [I] got really positive feedback from my loved ones. Many asked if there was a way to purchase my handmade pieces and this is where Depop comes into the picture!

I was already selling hand-picked, pre-loved vintage on Depop and thought why not sell some of my handmade pieces there? I started by listing a couple of pieces on my Depop, the most popular being my distressed knit tanks, gradient knit sweaters, mohair bowtie bonnets and mohair legwarmers. Through Depop I found that the foot traffic was great and my following started to grow and selling my handmade pieces became a weekly thing.

Though I do love sharing my pieces with the online community I am also dedicated to making handmade pieces to share with the Naarm community IRL through markets like Fitzroy Markets, Stay Soft Markets, Camberwell Markets and Second Life Markets. I get to meet all my customers in real life and see all the cool outfits that Naarm has to offer.

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?

When I first began making handmade pieces, I started with basic projects of making a knit sweater or a bucket hat. As it was my first rodeo, I stuck to using budget-friendly fibres that were made from polyester and acrylic. I found that, though these materials are more affordable, unfortunately, they don’t age well and are more harmful to the planet. Researching these materials, I discovered that synthetic fibres are a by-product of petroleum, which makes them non-biodegradable and a long-term threat to the ecosystem.

For my projects now, I’m doing my best to be more environmentally conscious about the fibres I use, sticking to mohair, wool and alpaca wool from local small businesses, my favourite shop being Wondoflex Yarn Craft Centre in Malvern. They’ve been around for 80 years and provide an array of beautiful yarn both local and imported.

If I’m not sourcing my yarn at Wondoflex, I’m sussing out my local op shops and seeing if they’ve got vintage yarns donated. It’s a bit hit-and-miss – sometimes you hit the jackpot and those days are the best! As my little brand grows and evolves, I hope to make all my pieces with high-quality fibres that last a lifetime.

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

I would describe my label as fun, unique and a little something to spice up your wardrobe! If you love handmade, unique pieces with a little spice of character, you’ll love my designs. My pieces have texture, bowties and gradient colourways [and] all are made with love and will last a lifetime.

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

I’m proud of seeing the love and support that my work is getting. A collection of my work is now stocked in a vintage store called Fugu Wears located on Smith Street, Fitzroy! When I first moved to Melbourne, I would habitually go to Fitzroy with my headphones, a moody playlist and coffee in hand and get lost in all the unique vintage it had to offer… I would always walk away with the most unique vintage pieces and I remember thinking that one day my work would somehow be within the racks of those cool stores.

Little did I know that the owner of Fugu Wears would contact me and love my work! When this opportunity presented itself, I gasped and I am so thankful to have my work be a part of one of my favourite vintage stores. I now stock a 10-piece knit and crochet handmade collection at Fugu Wears. My collection features handmade designs, the most popular being my Gradient Knit Sweaters and Mohair Bowtie Bonnets. All pieces are made with high-quality wool and my personal favourite mohair wool!

Dream Australian collaborators? 

It would be a dream to collaborate with Sister Studios! They’re such a cool Melbourne label and incredibly talented. I’m currently obsessed with their new collection, the Mary Tartan Skirt is such a vibe. I find that their designs are inspired by timeless vintage pieces that can easily go with what you’ve got in your wardrobe. I could totally picture doing a collab shoot with them one day – that would be so fun!

Who is in your wardrobe right now? 

If we are talking brands, currently my wardrobe consists of Acne Studios, Marimekko, Friends with Frank, Radical Yes, Incu Clothing, Paloma Wool and Ralph Lauren. Since Covid, I’ve really condensed my wardrobe, sticking to more quality brands and pieces that I know won’t go out of style. Timeless pieces are key and also tailoring outfits to the proportions of my body.

[I also have] lots and lots of vintage and secondhand pieces from local op shops. I think we’re so spoilt here in Naarm. My little process is first scouring the racks at Salvos, Savers and Sacred Heart. As much as I love big labels, It’s been ingrained in me since childhood. My mum (Carmen, bless her heart) loved to op shop and would dress all of us up in vintage OshKosh.

Secondly, there are always the best secondhand re-seller shops like Goodbyes, Fugu Wears, Swop, Lost & Found Market and Vintage Sole. I think like many of us, Goodbyes has to be on the top of the list. They’re fairly priced and have an awesome colour code discount every week starting from 50 to 70 per cent off

Lastly, how could I forget the small handmade labels here in Naarm? My absolute favourite piece is a wrap tartan mini skirt that can also be worn as a top from Re.Uma. It’s an upcycled fashion label by Uma Barnes. She makes collections with high-quality one-of-a-kind garments from vintage fabrics.

The skirt she made was from a vintage Japanese futon cover dating back to the early 20th century. It features handmade pleats, adjustable ties and original raw edges. I highly recommend her pieces, as there is a strong focus on slow and considered consumption.

How can we buy one of your pieces? 

A 10-piece collection is available to shop in-store at Fugu Wears in Smith Street Fitzroy. Limited handmade pieces are available on my Depop shop @shoplolastudios.
If you’d like a unique commission piece feel free to DM me on Instagram @shoplolastudios.

Explore Lola Studios’ range here.

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