Our favourite made-to-order fashion labels from around Australia
IMAGE VIA @lucindababi/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY Emma Håkansson and fashion journal
Though it’s difficult to measure exactly how many pieces of clothing are made each year around the world, estimates suggest it could be anywhere between 80 to a 150 billion. Of that, it’s suggested that between 10 and 40 per cent are not even sold.
For many big, fast fashion brands, it’s often cheaper to make more clothes that will never be sold than to lose profits if a garment sells out too fast. All that’s to say, fashion undeniably has an overproduction problem.
Keep up to date with ethical designers over at our Fashion section.
One solution to this is an on-demand model. By offering made-to-order, it minimises the chance that excess clothing will remain unworn in warehouses. For every item made, there will already be a loving home waiting for it. From evening wear to made-to-measure suits, find our round-up of the best Australian labels offering made-to-order styles below.
Oats the Label
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Oats the Label is a Naarm-based brand that crafts romantic and versatile womenswear. Working from their local studio, designer Bridie Davey and her mother have attracted the attention of a slew of Melbourne creatives. The mother-daughter duo has designed a beautiful selection of halter necks, pop tops, skirts, dresses and more. Expect a lead time of roughly 15 to 25 days from your date of purchase.
Par Moi
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Made to order with love by Ashiya Omundsen in Narrm, everything at Par Moi is made from deadstock fabrics and boycotts the traditional seasonal release model. Refusing to overproduce while saving fabrics from landfill? We love that. Sweaters, upcycled denim vests and skirts, gorgeous print dresses and playful shirts are all made just for you.
E Nolan
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Been hunting for the perfect suit? Designer Emily Nolan has an eye for timeless, elegant shapes and it shows. Though E Nolan has introduced a limited ready-to-wear range, it’s made locally in Melbourne. And for something more personalised, you can invest in a made-to-measure suit. With hundreds of fabrics to choose from, it’s easy to find something sustainable and unique to you.
Lucinda Babi
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Through her label Lucinda Babi, Lucinda Houghton is creating sustainable fashion that looks nothing like sustainable fashion at all. The Melbourne-based designer works with fabric scraps and other miscellaneous finds alongside locally sourced fabrics, creating pieces that are a truly original (and exciting) interpretation of what exists in the broader trend cycle. Everything is made to order by hand in her Collingwood studio with minimal fabric waste as a result.
Toilé Studios
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Like a great lip-and-cheek colour or a glossy formula you can use on the eyes, there’s something so pleasing about a hardworking, multi-functional garment. Melbourne label Toilé Studios, founded by designer Nadya Kusumo, was built on the concept of ‘innovative wardrobe solutions’. Nadya’s made-to-order garments are equipped with detachable, reversible and transformable features, all crafted from recyclable materials.
Dyspnea
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Named after a medical term, Dyspnea’s sparkly, frilly, beaded styles really do take your breath away. Though the label has a ready-to-wear offering, its made-to-order styles let you create your own custom piece. Choose a colour and add your measurements in at the cart. Every piece is hand-beaded and delivered to your door within six to eight weeks.
Krystal Deans
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You’d have to be living under a proverbial rock if you haven’t seen Krystal Deans’ contrast stitch basics flooding your IG feed at one point or another. With consciousness at the centre of the brand’s ethos, the Wadawurrung-based label is on a mission to create elevated yet classic staples that capture the essence of the modern woman. While minimal in design, each style is created with a level of thought and consideration to stand the test of time.
Kalaurie
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Using deadstock and surplus materials much of the time, Kalaurie makes beautiful dresses, blouses, jackets and other staples ethically in Narrm. When deadstock materials aren’t available, Kalaurie works to make use of sustainable options like organic cotton, linen, tencel and cupro (made from the fuzz surrounding cotton seeds). The dark, dreamy aesthetic of this brand is unmatched.
Van Der Kooij
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Van Der Kooij is a luxury womenswear label known for its slow approach to fashion. From its silk gowns and bridalwear, to bodices and mini skirts, every item is made locally in Melbourne. Depending on the style, most pieces come with a lead time between two and ten weeks.
Dead Pretty
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Another Sydney-based label, Dead Pretty makes softly sparkling fits you can style for a disco or your cute gal’s brunch. Using Japanese-made tencel-blend material, Dead Pretty’s bandeau, halter and cowl-neck tops, hot pants, dresses, ruched and mini skirts are locally made-to-order. Tencel has thermo-regulating and moisture-wicking properties, making it great to wear all year round.
Sexiaz
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Founded in 2005, Sexiaz is a Naarm-based lingerie label that embraces queerness and looks to empower all forms of sexuality. Originally designed for sex workers, the Sexiaz collection is built on inclusivity and positivity. Each piece is handmade by in Naarm.
Perple
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Melbourne-based made-to-order womenswear label Perple creates timeless designs with androgynous shapes and silhouettes. Each piece is created from mostly deadstock material and is pattern-made, cut and sewn in-house to reduce waste.
HB Archive
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HB Archive offers considered garments and accessories, made from natural fibres and designed to be part of a capsule wardrobe. Each piece is thoughtfully made-to-order here in Melbourne, with styles limited to avoid over-consumption.
Citizen Wolf
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A brand that exists to ‘re-engineer the fashion industry’, Citizen Wolf is zero-waste, made to order, and custom fit – using its unique Magic Fit algorithm. Making the most perfectly cut tees (and turtlenecks and sweats) under the sun, everything is made in-housem to-order in Marrickville, Sydney on Gadigal land. Sustainable materials like hemp, GOTS-certified organic cotton and tencel round off a pretty environmentally perfect brand.
For more on made-to-order fashion, try this.
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