Perth-based Knitwit the Label brings the coquette aesthetic to the slow fashion space
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NEIL WALLACE
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“Dainty, feminine pieces that can be worn by everyone.”
Going through an anti-girliness phase is, rather sadly, a very common experience many girls go through. The colour pink, frilly lace, satin ribbons – what was once coveted can suddenly be a source of shame. But thanks to trends like balletcore, kidcore and the coquette aesthetic, we’ve been given a hall pass to embrace our inner child, and with that, our femininity.
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Nina Wallace, a designed based in Fremantle (Walyup), started a label that welcomes just that. Knitwit the Label is only a year old (the website has only been running for four months) but has already cemented itself as a slow-fashion label to watch. Started by Nina and her mum, the saccharine yet sexy label is a contemporary take on vintage sleepwear. We had a chat with Nina about Knitwit the Label and the rapid growth of her Australian-made small business.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
I’ve actually never studied fashion formally – however living in Fremantle, I’ve been surrounded by fashion, art and design my whole life. My mum is a seamstress and fashion designer and growing up, I felt like I always knew my life would involve fashion in some way. It always felt like an escape for me.
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How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
I started off Knitwit in early 2022, originally selling curated vintage [items] on Depop. This was an amazing outlet for me and the timing worked really well with the rise of vintage, ’90s, Y2K fashion, paired with online shopping being more predominant during COVID-19.
In October 2022, I started designing and sewing some of my own pieces with the help of my mum. We posted a few to Depop and sold them at markets. We quickly gained more traction and Knitwit the Label was formed. Once I had designed a few more pieces, I decided to build a website. This was a bit difficult as I just dove in headfirst without any knowledge of website design. It was just a passion project for me [and] I just wanted to get it out there, even if it wasn’t perfect.
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Since then, the label has been gaining more traction than I could have imagined. It started off with just my mum and me cutting, sewing and packing all of our orders. We have now onboarded five seamstresses to help us out and we are looking into how we can expand our production in the most ethical way possible. I have found it challenging scouting a full range of diverse models with our current budget but this is our number one goal as we expand. I am so excited to have all of our customers be able to picture themselves in our pieces.
What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time?
Knitwit is a very, very young project. We have only had our website up and running for four months, but the goal we are trying to achieve is making sustainable fashion accessible and trendy. [People think sustainable fashion] is too expensive to be available to the everyday person and if it is affordable enough, it doesn’t accommodate plus-sized people.
We are trying to combat this by pricing our items as affordably as we can, as well as promoting the benefits of investing in quality pieces. We also currently offer a size range of XS to XXXL and [are] expanding.
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How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?
Knitwit has evolved by growing a beautiful community of people who really appreciate the work we put into all of our pieces and are passionate about nurturing and supporting our small business.
How would you describe your brand to someone who’s never seen it before?
I would describe Knitwit as dainty, feminine pieces that can be worn by everyone. I draw a lot of inspiration for my designs from vintage pieces. I adore the hard work that was put into them as they were truly made to last and that is what we strive for. I draw inspiration from the beautiful laces and chiffons used, the special details such as embroidery, lace and picot trims, buttons, clasps and roses. I believe the small details are what make our pieces special and long-lasting.
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What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
I am most proud of the beautiful community we have gained and the support that people are willing to give to businesses that are just starting out. It warms my heart to hear feedback from customers who are so happy to be able to shop high-quality sustainable clothing in their size and price range.
What do you wish you had known when you started?
I wish I had known that sustainable clothing production really is hard to find, hence why affordable, sustainable fashion is so rare! This definitely [gave] me more drive to push past these issues and create a solution.
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Who is most exciting in the Australian fashion scene right now?
Some Australian businesses that are super exciting in the scene are Blue Whale Designs (a fellow Perth business that focuses on sustainability), Bye Bambi (another Australian fashion label dedicated to ethic[s] and sustainability that creates the cutest pieces and have amazing diversity), as well as Shop Siren (that creates one-of-a kind knit and crotchet pieces in Perth). It’s so inspiring to be surrounded by so many beautiful small businesses that are just as passionate about slow fashion as me!
What about the Australian fashion scene needs to change?
I would love to see more transparent conversations within the Australian fashion industry and government resources [pooled into] garment production, as there are very few places in Australia that offer in-house garment manufacturing. It is often extremely expensive, meaning that small brands have to make their clothing more expensive to make a profit.
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How can we buy one of your pieces?
You can buy our pieces on our website and follow us on Instagram or TikTok to follow our journey and [receive] early access to restock announcements.
Fancy a closer look at Knitwit the Label? Head here.
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