Spitsubishi is the Melbourne label making unique basics for your sexiest self
“I’d say if Sporty Spice was in The Fifth Element, she would wear Spitsubishi.”
In Melbourne, Spitsubishi is a label that seemed to experience that elusive almost-overnight demand. During one Friday night barhop, I spotted a number of pieces with distinctive cut-outs, clean lines and athletic-inspired details. After some interrogation (animatedly talking to one girl in the bathroom), I learnt the new brand, created by designer Jordan Greig, is called Spitsubishi.
Jordan started sewing at a young age, eventually making the move from Canberra to Melbourne to study fashion at RMIT. “After that, I didn’t really do anything in fashion because I kinda just felt so burnt out and didn’t really know what I wanted to do with myself,” they explain. “But then in 2021, I started doing a few odd freelance jobs in sample making, pattern making, etc.”
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Like so many other local labels, Spitsubishi was the product of the seemingly never-ending Melbourne lockdown. Free of time constraints, Jordan spent their days making clothing that made them feel like their “most confident, sexy and truest self”. A year on, Spitsubishi is known for its subversive basics, unique designs and comfortable materials. Below, Jordan tells the story of the label so far.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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I started sewing when I was really young. I had to beg my mum to let me use her sewing machine because I wanted to sew little outfits for my sister’s Bratz dolls (that I stole off her).
I moved here from Canberra at 17 to study fashion at RMIT… [and] I graduated in 2018. After that, I didn’t really do anything in fashion because I kinda just felt so burnt out and didn’t really know what I wanted to do with myself but then in 2021, I started doing a few odd freelance jobs in sample making, pattern making, etc.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
Spitsubishi is my little lockdown baby! I had always found it really hard to keep motivated enough to make things I wanted to make and I would just end up with a pile of unfinished projects. But I guess that was the silver lining of lockdown because it was literally the only thing I could do.
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It was so refreshing to just have all this free time to mess around and not have to worry about all the other work I would usually have to do. By the end of the lockdown, I’d decided I didn’t want to do any more freelancing and I wanted to be able just to continue making things I wanted to make!
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?
When I first started Spitsubishi, I was really just making clothes that I wanted to wear. I feel like I was in a weird spot with my self-identity. So originally, I was making clothes that made me feel my most confident, sexy and truest self… that then expanded into wanting to make clothes that make others feel that, which is what I always hope to achieve.
Where did the name come from?
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I wanted the name to be kinda dirty, kinda cheeky and kinda silly. One day I for some reason said “spit” and the name of a certain motor company (I don’t want to get a cease and desist, you can connect the dots) and I was like ‘Yeah, that ticks all the boxes!’.
How would you describe Spitsubishi to someone who’s never seen it before?
Sexy, comfortable and cheeky. I’d say if Sporty Spice was in The Fifth Element, she would wear Spitsubishi.
What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
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I think I’m honestly most proud of just sticking to it and persevering with it. I remember at the very start freaking out thinking to myself, ‘Have I just pissed my entire savings account down the drain for something no one’s going to buy?’ and nearly not doing it. But here we are!
What do you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I knew just how many things were going to go wrong along the way. I’ve now learnt to have at least three backup plans for everything!
Who do you think is most exciting in the Australian/NZ fashion scene right now?
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There are so many exciting local designers right now. I love Sschafer (we also share a studio, so I guess I’m kinda biased… oops) – she just did some gorg outfits for Club Chrome’s World Pride performance. Also, her chainmail collab with Pei-Yi is incredible.
I’m obsessed with Emily Watson’s pieces, I love a lycra moment and the construction that goes into them is amazing. I also love Club Venus, she does such fun and sexy pieces, I love the Jock Bikini she’s just released. Jules Bramley does the most gorgeous wool tops and dresses, I’m obsessed.
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I also think there are so many exciting stylists in Naarm that are pushing boundaries. I love the work that Joel does, the way they put together outfits is so iconic. Their mind is way too powerful. I also love the work that Eve Maxwell does, she has such an incredible vision too every shoot/performance she’s involved with blows me away.
Dream Australian/NZ collaborators?
Definitely Pure Obsession, I think she has the most interesting approach to upcycling which is so refreshing to see. I’m obsessed with the board short pants she does, as well as the business shirt one-piece. Literally so iconic, I get so excited whenever she drops something new.
Go-to dinner party playlist?
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Any Planet100 mix.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
Lots and lots of Sschafer; we’ve gotten into the habit of trading clothes, which I love! Now that it’s getting colder, I’ve been wearing the new version of her double-hooded rhinestone hoodie every day.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
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You can buy my pieces at spitsubishi.com or in person at Error404, So Famillia, Blonde Concept and Jack Jack or in NZ at Bizarre Bazaar!
See more from Spitsubishi here.
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