Meet Sozo Amour, the Melbourne-based store showcasing archival designer clothing
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGIA BELL FOR SOZO AMOUR
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“More than just a store, it’s a space designed to encourage exploration.”
After her first trip to Japan in June of 2018, Melbourne fashion student Lilija Antonik found her need to create “became unavoidable”. It was then the Instagram account for her vintage store, Sozo Amour, was born. Over the next few years, Lilija slowly gathered accessible, archival designer pieces, hunting for brands like Junya Watanabe, Miu Miu, Prada, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood.
Looking for more ways to procrastinate? We’re with you. Come on over to our Fashion section.
The first Sozo Amour collection was launched in 2020, and the project has since transformed into an “online community”. Lilija recently launched an interview series, Sozo Speaks and has started showcasing emerging local designers (like FJ-featured creative Xanthe Ficarra) in a new contemporary category. Below, Lilija speaks on the Sozo Amour journey so far.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
View this post on Instagram
Fashion has always been a part of me – I come from an intense lineage (Slav and Irish) of vibrant women, all impeccable seamstresses with elegant flair. There are moments of me captured on film at two years of age in an array of self-curated outfits, such as rainbow socks up to my thighs paired with patent black ankle boots, regulation undies and my silver puffer vest.
My pathway into the fashion industry was not linear. I am an anxious person and I often felt like I did not ‘fit’… Through my early Depop years… I discovered my curiosity for vintage pieces. [I would watch] old runways and delve deep into the fashion archives of the 1980s to mid-2000s.
View this post on Instagram
I started to create a collection of significantly historic pieces – each piece could stand alone as an exquisite artwork or enhance an outfit. I was intrigued by the meaning behind the garments and how the social and political complexities of the time had an impact on design. My pull to the Japanese aesthetic was undeniable, and so my Sozo journey began.
I touched down in Tokyo in June 2018 with my dear friend Nikodimos. A wash of emotions soothed and inspired me – I felt I had found my place [and] a sense of acceptance [where] my quirkiness was understood, and my creative liberation illuminated. I was transported to my happy place when visiting Naoshima Island, I hugged all the Yayoi Kusama pumpkins!
How did Sozo Amour get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
View this post on Instagram
The process was brutal and beautiful, heaps of highs and lots of lows. I felt an internal shift during my first trip to Japan and the need to create became unavoidable.
What came to be was Sozo Amour. My tertiary study began in marketing, [before] I eventually got the guts to exit – unfortunately, imposter syndrome haunted me, as high school had been highly challenging.
The Sozo Amour Instagram was born in 2018. This became my playground to express and explore as I developed my website while studying fashion merchandising at RMIT.
View this post on Instagram
Once I had the name, then began the chapter of founding my online presence. I contracted three graphic designers before I found Andy Webb… Andy was the first professional who took me and my work seriously. He became a mentor, and he believed in Sozo Amour and its potential for growth.
In 2019, I travelled solo to Japan, revisiting cities that held special significance for me. During this trip I had a stroke of success, securing key pieces that would eventually become the foundation of my first collection that launched in June 2020 during level-four lockdown.
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?
View this post on Instagram
… The translation of ‘sozo’ in Japanese is ‘creation and to imagine’. It was and still is a love letter to myself and everyone around me. This perfectly stated what I was trying to portray – through creation and imagination comes connection and ultimately, that is what I was trying to achieve.
… Sozo continues to research, reclaim, reuse, recycle… I am acutely aware that I hold space in an industry that has and can do so much damage, yet can profoundly heal too… Serendipitously, I came across this quote recently from Just Enough Design:
“Try envisioning design as water. Water is indispensable to human life, connecting us to our environments in visible and invisible ways. It can cause disasters like tsunamis… but it can also materialise as a rainbow, radiant in the light of the sun. Just as water makes every phenomenon possible, design is an essential component of every human endeavour.”
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
View this post on Instagram
Sozo Amour is an online community that showcases archival and designer clothing and is actively amplifying the voices… of emerging contemporary designers. More than just a store, it’s a space designed to encourage exploration.
You’re invited to wander through our collections and discover pieces that truly resonate with who you are. It’s an opportunity to dream, to be seen, to collaborate – reach out to us today and let’s talk about the endless possibilities together!
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
View this post on Instagram
The ability to maintain a consistent yet dynamic aesthetic… Through our campaigns and photoshoots, I’ve successfully conveyed the warmth and emotion behind Sozo Amour, forging a strong connection with my community.
[I’m proud of] returning after an extended hiatus post-lockdowns [and] pushing through the self-limiting fear of no longer being ‘relevant’ and navigating multiple unforeseen significant difficulties… My pragmatic grounded friend, Georgia Bell, carried me through, as we shot and released the Sozo summer collection [in] 2022.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
View this post on Instagram
Quiet periods of engagement do not equal a diminishing interest or lack of support. [Also] learning that my inner critic is a protective in-built mechanism – I now encourage ‘it’ to rest and take a back seat.
In doing so, it allows more space for my creative vision to flourish. These insights underscore the importance of adaptability, self-awareness, and a balanced perspective in my creative journey.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian and New Zealand fashion right now?
View this post on Instagram
Ooh, so hard to pick! Misseu is my fave at the moment – I was recently gifted two lamps by my lovely friends Al and Taro. They have transformed my space at home, it feels like warm sunshine every day! I’d love to try and incorporate them into one of my Sozo shoots.
What about the Australian and New Zealand fashion industry needs to change?
For the giant fashion houses to consistently put a significant proportion of their resources into dissolving systemic industry issues, such as health promotion campaigns, eating disorder prevention, fair trade/safe and ethical work practices globally, sustainability… practices (like zero plastic by 2024, etc).
Dream Australian or New Zealand collaborators?
View this post on Instagram
At The Above gallery – I love the space and concept; I could see myself getting creative and making a variation of Issey Miyake Pleats Please sculptures to showcase in the gallery.
Go-to dinner party playlist?
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
View this post on Instagram
My vintage Moncler puffy down skirt instantly makes me feel like a safe marshmallow and my Rave Review vest that I wear on rotation every week – it’s made from deadstock scarfs. Ooh, and can’t forget my Comme Des Garcons tote!
How can we buy one of your pieces?
View this post on Instagram
Through our website and Instagram.
Anything else to add?
A Sozo Amour pop-up is on its way! Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
Browse the Sozo Amour collection here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
