Hansika is exploring girlhood, one hand-knitted Paddle Pop skirt at a time

We’ll take one in every colour.

Born and raised in Melbourne, designer Hansika began creating hand-knitted skirts as a therapeutic hobby. What started as a playful experiment quickly grew into something more; a way for her to explore self-expression through fashion.

“I knew I didn’t just want to make pieces, I wanted to curate a world,” she tells us. As co-founder of docGirl and creative director of her eponymous label, the 26-year-old approaches design as a space to test ideas and bring a fully imagined vision to life.

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With colourways like Buttercake, Honeydew and Paddle Pop, each piece is handmade and crafted to give the wearer a sense of comfort and quiet power. “Strength doesn’t always come from proving something. It comes from inner peace, inner knowing, inner love,” she adds.

Hansika’s latest capsule collection, ‘Her’ embodies this ethos. Drawing inspiration from dreamlike states, nail art, ballet and Bratz dolls, it’s a curated edit that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

Fashion Journal: Hi Hansika! Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your fashion background?

Hansika: I work across multiple roles in fashion as a designer, creative director, pattern maker, seamstress, and stylist. I’m the co-founder of docGIRL and the creative director of my brand Hansika. Through my work, I’m exploring girlhood, softness, playfulness, and expression through hand-knitted skirts. My work involves experimenting, to challenge the art of design, to curate ideas that bring comfort, elegance, colour, and light into this world.

How did the label get started, and what drove you to create it?

It began as a hobby, more of a therapeutic activity really. Over about three years of playing around and making things here and there, I became really fond of it. I started putting more and more time into it, and eventually it reached a point where it was either going to stay a hobby or I was going to make something out of it.

I knew I didn’t just want to make pieces, I wanted to curate a world I imagined around it and execute ideas the way I fully envisioned them.
I really just wanted to test myself and see if I could take a simple idea and make it become a reality, to see if something that existed in my mind was actually possible.

Is what you’re hoping to communicate through Hansika changed since you first started in fashion with docGIRL?

No, it hasn’t changed but it has developed deeper and stronger. I still carry the same ethos that I have with docGIRL. At the core of it all, I want to empower women and girls and encourage us to be whole in who we are.

I feel like sometimes we carry this burden of having to prove ourselves, but I don’t think we do. I don’t think we need to constantly prove who we are. I believe there is so much strength in the way we naturally exist. We are nurturers, and our strength can also be in being soft and vulnerable.

Through my work, I’m hoping to encourage that we can be girls again, free, unguarded and human. To recognise that there is strength in softness, vulnerability and stillness. Strength doesn’t always come from proving something. It comes from inner peace, inner knowing, inner love. [The collection] ‘Her’ is about allowing women to be exactly as they are, without explanation.

Tell me about your latest collection. How would you describe its feel and aesthetic?

‘Her’ was curated from a feeling, in quiet and alone spaces. If someone had never seen the collection, I would describe it as sweet, playful and intentionally delicate. The pieces feel soft and nurturing when worn, while still holding strength.

Within the skirts, form and structure are balanced with softness and playful detailing, reflecting a sense of expression and imagination. Every detail was curated intentionally, from the design to the styling and visual storytelling.

‘Her’ is about you, being true to yourself and being proud and expressive. The collection was curated from a dream state, but it’s also a reality we can attain. It celebrates girlhood, playfulness and dreamlike states, drawing inspiration from things I love like nail art, ballet, Bratz dolls and soft colour palettes.

What does sustainability in the fashion space mean to you? 

It’s important to me and plays a big role in how I curate. Everything I design is intentional and thoughtfully considered, deeply rooted in my collection. I’m front and centre in the process, from design to execution.

My designs are handmade by me in Melbourne and curated personally for ‘Her’. All pieces are individually made, so nothing is overproduced. They are created slowly to each individual. They aren’t made for a single moment, but for longevity. Timeless pieces that feel personal, meaningful and are worn with purpose, to be cherished.

Can you tell me a little about how you source your materials and your supply chain?

I locally source my materials, everything is found here in Melbourne, Australia. I focus on working with local suppliers to maintain quality and stay connected throughout the process.

What are you most proud of in your work so far? 

I’m proud that I was able to execute ‘Her’ the way I imagined it. Being able to curate an idea that feels personal to me, ideas of softness, play and dreams. And to be able express that through clothing, from design to styling and visuals, has been incredibly important.

The collection goes beyond the pieces themselves. It reflects my beliefs and values, and those ideas speak through the work. I’m proud that the vision blossomed so clearly into reality.

Also working with my friends and family to bring the collection to its full form made it even more special. I couldn’t have asked for better people to trust with my vision. I feel truly grateful and blessed to see everything come together and be executed exactly as I imagined it.

What Hansika pieces do you wear on repeat? 

I genuinely love them all, but the Paddle Pop skirt has been on repeat for me lately, especially during this summer period. I get really excited about wearing it and playing with colour.

Who excites you the most in local fashion right now?  

There’s so much talent in the Melbourne scene right now. I’m especially excited about Sanctuaire, I’m obsessed with her ideas and execution. The work feels incredibly elevated and intentional, and I really admire how the concepts translate so clearly into the designs.

I’m excited to see how the brand continues to evolve because the direction and creativity behind it is top tier.

When do you feel your most creative? 

When I’m not overthinking and when I’m in a state of stillness. The reason I’ve always loved design is because it comes from a place of ease for me. My ideas aren’t strictly one way, they come from different places. I might see something that initially feels appealing, and then it sparks a whole flow of ideas from that one moment. Inspiration can start from something simple, but it expands into something much bigger as I refine it further.

 Where are you currently stocked in Australia? 

The ‘Her’ collection is currently available exclusively through my website.

Keep up with Hansika here for the latest news and collection drops.