How a cultural identity crisis led me to find my place in the fashion industry
Image via @_simetrie/Instagram
Words by Simone Agius
“I don’t need to fit a specific mould to thrive in fashion.”
Simone Agius is the founder of Melbourne-based handbag label, Simétrie. Recently, she’s been unpacking some of her feelings around her cultural identity and her sense of belonging in the fashion industry.
As the granddaughter of post-WWII Maltese and Italian migrants to Australia, I’ve never quite fit the traditional mould of what it means to be ‘in fashion’. I’ve often felt like an outsider, both in my cultural spaces and in the fashion world I simultaneously love and struggle with. Unlike many in the industry, my passion for fashion design wasn’t born from the joy of wearing — it stems from the joy of creating. Yet, it’s this very industry that has often made me feel like I don’t belong.
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My brand, Simétrie, started as a love letter to timeless design, quality craftswomanship and women’s empowerment. Lately, it’s become so much more; a journey of self-discovery, a way to tell my story and find my place in this industry. I’m using this personal growth to renew my brand values and breathe a deeper connection into my work.
I don’t ‘look’ Australian and I’m inevitably asked “What’s your heritage?” when I meet people. I proudly identify as Maltese-Italian, yet I feel incredibly disconnected from these roots. Two generations in Australia have diluted my ancestral traditions. Growing up, I didn’t have the tomato sauce days of other Italian-Australian families, and if I’m honest with myself, I don’t fully understand what the Maltese traditions are other than pastizzi, homemade ravjul and the fresh gbejniet cheese that would mysteriously make it’s way into our fridge inside a reused margarine container, homemade in someone else’s nunna’s kitchen.
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Being a descendant of migrants from two similar yet distinct cultures has been confusing. I’ve often found myself caught between three worlds – Maltese, Italian and Australian — unsure where I truly belong. Bridging the gap between my migrant roots and Australian upbringing remains a challenge. However, seeing a post earlier this year by journalist Antoun Issa shed light on my struggle, reminding me that my family’s migrant story is inherently complex. It helped me realise I need to stop trying to force myself into a simplistic, one-dimensional identity that doesn’t reflect my multifaceted heritage.
This identity crisis challenges me further in the fashion space, where I often feel excluded from the world I now work in. Growing up, my short, curvy figure struggled to fit into standard sizes, and my Mediterranean features were absent from the idealised images of women in magazines and on television. Even now, with social media empowering more diversity, I still struggle to find my place. I don’t see people who look like me succeeding in Australian fashion and this lack of representation challenges my sense of belonging in this industry.
As a child, my Mum introduced me to various crafts — sewing, knitting, crocheting — and this is where I found true belonging. My passion for these crafts evolved into my fashion practice, but this highlighted my personal challenges within the industry even more. These struggles, painful as they’ve been, have now become my strength. They’ve pushed me to look deeper, questioning not just who I am, but who I want to be as a creator and a human on this Earth.
This journey has forced me to revisit and redefine Simétrie’s values, connecting my brand more deeply to my personal story. I’ve renewed my commitment to local, ethical production and sustainable practices, initiating the process of becoming ethically accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia.
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Embracing individuality, sustainable creation and community
Through creating handbags, I discovered my self-worth. It allowed me to participate in fashion on my terms and challenged my creativity in new ways. It is my hope, that people explore their own sense of creativity and flair through wearing my work. I also teach bag-making workshops and plan to add repair classes, empowering others to express their own identity through craft and fashion as I have.
At the heart of my work is mindful creation. I craft each design with intention, prioritising low environmental impact, ethical production, and a circular product lifecycle. My choice of Australian leather speaks to this ethos—durable, repairable, and sourced from reputable tanneries. Through these practices, I aim to nurture both my craft and our planet, offering pieces that resonate with conscious consumers seeking quality and sustainability.
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From the start, I’ve aimed to support community empowerment programs, like The Torch, which offers art and cultural programs to First Nations peoples, and SisterWorks, which provides empowerment programs to women from migrant, asylum seeker and refugee backgrounds. This path isn’t complete, but each step brings me closer to creating a brand that truly reflects my values and aspirations.
I’m also focusing on new ways to connect with my customers on a deeper level, through bespoke pieces. When I craft a bespoke wedding bag, I’m creating a vessel for someone else’s story, a tangible piece of their journey. It’s personal, emotional and incredibly fulfilling.
With these new values, I’m reminding myself I don’t need to fit a specific mould to thrive in fashion. I know true style and beauty come from embracing every part of who you are and expressing that outwardly. Through this self-awareness journey alongside Simétrie, I hope to create more space for diversity, personal stories and the complex identities we all carry.
This journey isn’t over, though. I’m still exploring, learning, and growing. But for the first time, I do feel like I’m starting to find my space – not because I have had to change myself to fit the fashion world, but because I’m changing my perspective and seeing the real, complex, messy beauty of my own story.
For more about Simétrie, head here.
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