Melbourne label Nofunović’s pieces are inspired by growing up queer in an immigrant family
Photography by Dan T
Words by Lucy Andrews
“One of my driving forces has always been ‘How do I make my grandparents proud and a little annoyed at the same time?’.”
Australian designer Jayden Trifunović grew up thinking he wanted to be a dentist, but after a brief stint (one biology lecture) he realised fashion was his true calling. Since that time, he’s amassed quite the resume in the industry, from interning at Strateas Carlucci, learning the ins and outs of industrial knitting, designing for Ksubi and Anna Quan to launching his own label Nofunović in 2022.
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Growing up queer in a Serbian/Greek immigrant household posed a challenge when it came to pushing cultural norms, particularly with fashion. Jayden’s label honours his family’s traditions (he describes his work as a “love letter to my family”) while playfully pushing the boundaries. Below he shares how he found his place in the fashion industry and the importance of authentic action.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
From as young as I can remember I either wanted to be a dentist (so I could afford all the clothes and shoes I wanted) or be a fashion designer. My school didn’t offer any fashion-related subjects and I was good at science so I went to study dentistry post-high school. It wasn’t until my very first biology lecture that I realised I needed to learn how to sew instead.
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While studying a BA in fashion I interned at Strateas Carlucci until I graduated from RMIT University in 2017. I was then offered an opportunity to work with an Australian knitwear manufacturer which led to a traineeship with Shima Seiki, specifically whole garment industrial knitting.
In 2019 I moved to Sydney/Eora to work for womenswear designer Anna Quan as a Junior Designer, followed by Veronika Maine then finally as an Assistant Menswear Designer for Ksubi. The foundation of Nofunović was in the works throughout my final years of working full-time before I made the move back to Melbourne/Naarm.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
The goal was always to have my own brand but I knew that I wanted to work in the industry first to learn as much as I could and figure out exactly what I wanted my brand to say. It’s not until you work in the industry that you realise the gaps that need to be filled, the changes that need to be made, the departments that make up a fashion business and the money that needs to be spent.
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?
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Drawing upon my experience growing up queer in a Serbian and Greek immigrant family, I grew up closely with grandparents (shoutout to my Baba, Deda, Yiayia and Papou) always telling me to wear ‘normal’ shirts and pants and that’s where the concept for the first collection was born.
One of my driving forces has always been ‘How do I make my grandparents proud and a little annoyed at the same time?’ and since then Nofunović has presented each collection as a love letter to family by creating new classics with playful nods to heritage.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
High concept, quietly sexy, and always an element of humour.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
Designing, patternmaking and sampling everything myself, while splitting the bulk of production between myself and my local manufacturer. I’m also proud of my resilience regardless of how hard times have gotten running the brand and remaining authentic and never compromising on the quality of what I put out.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
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Despite there being the narrative of community in the industry, it’s still up to you to find your place and that can be quite isolating.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian fashion right now?
Sucker for creating a retail destination and cultivating a community of independent designers and Everi-Body Model Management for actioning diversity with their talent offering.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
Less performance and more authentic action especially in terms of sustainability, ethical practices and diversity. There should be regulations on the product itself – where it’s made, how it’s made, what it’s made from and who it’s made by. Producing locally is one of the best ways to regulate and strengthen the industry and should be intrinsic to every existing and emerging Australian label.
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There is a lot of noise and misdirected attention in the industry, while a lot of emerging designers have valuable untold stories and viewpoints that need to be heard in order for the Australian fashion industry to evolve. At the end of the day, the industry doesn’t exist without the designers making the initial risks and investments.
Dream Australian collaborators?
I’ve been fortunate enough to include jewellery pieces by Immortale in my campaigns and would love the opportunity to one day merge our worlds to create a wearable piece. My aim is to introduce a knitwear category and I’d love to work with companies like Dempstah who recycle Australian textile waste into spun yarn.
As the Nofunović world expands into other mediums I’d love to explore sculpture and ceramics with South Australian artist Dids (@dids._) or when the time comes for a runway I’d love to work alongside Australian musicians like Yergurl (@yergurl) to create the soundscape.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
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To be honest, since Nofunović was born my personal fashion fund has been diverted into the business instead. So you’ll probably catch me in my uniform of a grey beanie, any clean oversized tee (currently alternating between my Nofunović Axios T-shirt and my favourite red Martine Rose T-shirt), my Comme Des Garcons wrap skirt/pant and always a chunky leather dress shoe.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Via my website (www.nofunovic.com) or you can book an in-person appointment at my Collingwood studio via info@nofunovic.com. Alternatively, you can also purchase online or in-store at Sucker.
You can explore Nofunović’s full range here.
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