Ratlife is the underground Sydney label making inclusive, graphic-heavy streetwear
IMAGE VIA @RAT_LIFE/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“Nothing gets made unless I can envisage anyone from any world wearing it – metal, skate, festival, anything. I want people to connect with the brand.”
Ratlife is a streetwear brand that doesn’t care what you’re into. “I love skate brands but I don’t skate, so sometimes I feel excluded from wearing stuff I love,” the brand’s founder, Hell, tells me. “I don’t want people to feel like that with Ratlife. It really is for everyone.”
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Characterised by punchy graphics, bright melting colours and genderless pieces, Hell creates collections inspired by time spent working in Sydney’s underground club circuit. Citing influences from the worlds of skate, music and art, Ratlife is loved for its tongue-in-cheek graphics and high-quality designs. Below, Hell shares the brand’s story so far.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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On paper, I don’t have a technical fashion background… I got my degree in graphic design. But I’ve always loved fashion, fabric, prints and branding, so I guess [fashion] was inevitable.
Everything else has been self-taught but I suck at asking for help. I probably could have sped the process up by a few years but failing up has really helped me get a solid understanding of what I want to do and what works.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
It really just started as merch for my boyfriend, who’s a DJ. I made shirts that said ‘Acid Rave Crew’ for him to throw out to the crowd at a festival he was playing at. The printer misprinted some of them, so I tie-dyed them to cover up the mistake. People wanted them and so I set up a [store] and went from there.
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At the same time, I was working for a club and record label in Kings Cross making posters and releasing art. I’d just designed some merch for them and loved it, so it all kind of happened organically. After a few months of working on Ratlife [after work] until two in the morning, I quit that job.
I started working freelance, so I had more time but I still wasn’t really sure what I was doing… that was nearly nine years ago. [Since then] it’s been a lot of trial and error, off-brand collaborations and misplaced direction. So I’d really say I’ve only fully committed to Ratlife in the last three years. It’s now my full-time job and I’m getting in big units.
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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I wasn’t sure what I was trying to achieve when I started… I hadn’t really equipped myself for the snowball of starting a brand. I ended up going too big with it [initially]. We used to make mixtapes, DJ as Ratlife, host parties and even produce music under this big brand umbrella… it got really messy and hard to separate.
Then I stopped going out as much and producing music, so the brand had a bit of an identity crisis. It took me a couple of years of smashing out new rogue graphics every few months to get over that. I’d built this thing up but I wanted to change it and I didn’t want to lose anyone.
Now I don’t rush anything out, everything is considered in the bigger picture of future releases. Nothing gets made unless I can envisage anyone from any world wearing it – metal, skate, festival, anything. I want people to connect with the brand and wear [our] pieces without feeling like a fraud.
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I love skate brands but I don’t skate, so sometimes I feel excluded from wearing stuff I love. I don’t want people to feel like that with Ratlife. It really is for everyone and because I know what I’m doing and what I’m making, I think [the brand’s] authenticity resonates.
Where did the name come from?
I don’t know why but ‘Rat’ was one of the nicknames me and my boyfriend used for each other. My screen printer said he could print size labels the next day if I had a brand name and logo. I panicked, but luckily it works.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
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Fun, dark and heavily influenced by being an absolute rat. I grew up in Australia and England, so my pool of cultural references dips manically into both the ’90s and 2000s.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
Now [that] I’m designing my own cut-and-sew pieces from scratch and agonising over every single detail, I’d say I’m most proud of the quality. I’m really trying to make stand-out pieces [people] can’t get anywhere else.
Graphically, I don’t just pump out stuff because it’s a current trend. Hearing people say they’ve got [a Ratlife piece] from 2016 and are still wearing it is really gratifying.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
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I guess – looking around at wall-to-wall stock – that it’s never too soon to invest in a warehouse space.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian fashion right now?
I’m not just saying this because they stock [my brand] but honestly Sucker has such a good eye for picking up smaller brands doing really cool things.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
I know a lot of us [fashion designers] are having to manufacture overseas, so competitive production in Australia would be huge.
Also, maybe this is just me but I feel with streetwear, it’s hard to get a leg up when you’ve grown to the next level. There isn’t much support but maybe I just haven’t asked the right people.
Dream Australian collaborators?
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Too many great local brands doing really good stuff… I also love collaborating with non-clothing brands so maybe Gatorbeug, Australian Wrestling Superstars or Speed would be fun.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
I’m about to do a massive rehaul and reinvent [my style] but currently stealing BrainDead, Rassvet, Cash Only and Pleasures from my boyfriend. And then just vintage tees and obviously a pile of RatLife in [my wardrobe].
How can we buy one of your pieces?
My website or from Sucker in Brunswick.
Anything else to add?
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I get a lot of DMs from people asking for advice on how to start [a brand]. I pretty much only have one answer, which is just to start. There isn’t any advice that will help until you do [the work] yourself.
Browse the Ratlife collection here.
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