Sydney label Beare Park is creating wearable, sustainable luxury
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“Really, I just wanted to create something I would be happy to wear… ”
Launching your debut label at a fashion week takes a certain amount of chutzpah – it requires an unshakeable belief that what you’ve designed is going to be well-received by industry insiders. For Gabriella Pereira, the founder of Sydney label Beare Park, debuting at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week as an unknown label was both “exciting and daunting”, but fortunately for her, the risk paid off.
Beare Park’s locally-made collection of tightly edited blazers, tailored pants, silk shirts and sleek, flowy dresses in neutral shades was an instant hit. Its take on wearable, considered luxury harks back to the heyday of classic labels like Max Mara and sartorial icons like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
Keep up to date with emerging Australian labels over at our Fashion section.
It’s not surprising that Beare Park brings references like these to mind, as the label is heavily inspired by Gabriella’s mother, whose clothes the designer grew up admiring. The joy she felt when exploring her mother’s wardrobe is what she aims to capture in her label’s designs; pieces that luxuriate in the “art of getting dressed”, as Gabriella puts it.
Below, she talks about her non-traditional pathway into the fashion industry, the importance of local production and why she chooses to create wearable, everyday luxury.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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My background is actually in finance, not fashion, but I think that is part of what makes our brand unique. I like to say I was [an] admirer first, consumer second and design has followed. I remember growing up admiring my mother’s closet, and the joy that came with dressing up in her clothes is a sentiment I try to capture within the label.
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We all have these incredibly nostalgic memories when it comes to fashion, and I like to call it the ‘art of getting dressed’ as this joy is something I think we should all feel every day, and with every outfit. When I was working in the corporate sector, I found it hard to find this joy in what was on offer – pieces that kept me excited throughout the day and that I could wear from the office to dinner.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
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I think Beare Park has always been percolating in the back of my mind, but when the pandemic hit and the world paused to reevaluate our values, it became clear that it was time to act. Starting a label in the middle of the unknown was a terrifying prospect, but I also trusted the timing and the desires driving me in each moment.
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We launched at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week which was both exciting and daunting – it was the first in-person fashion week back in Australia and people were both thrilled to be getting back out there but also cautious. Being unknown at the time, it was certainly a risk but the support from the industry and consumers showed me that what we were doing was right. It felt right.
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?
Really, I just wanted to create something I would be happy to wear, and would be excited to wear. There were good designs out there but there always felt to me some aspect had been compromised – the fabric wouldn’t be as luxe as it could be, the finishings were underwhelming or there was no traceability. This desire for wearable, sustainable luxury isn’t something I ever see changing, but it does naturally evolve.
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I’d say we began with the basics, and now build on that, injecting some more attitude and avant-garde nods, but in the end, it will always come back to the fabrics and the details. It’s also very important to me to be an Australian brand crafted in Australia. Our local makers are so important to the brand and our ethos.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
Australian-made, luxury staples for the modern day. Anchored in tailoring and bold and elegant silhouettes, we offer a subtle sophistication designed to be worn together or apart, always with joy.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
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Seeing the wearers in Beare Park. It always feels like an honour to see someone wearing our pieces because it’s truly why I do what I do. To see them being worn and appreciated is the biggest driver for me.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
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Local production is such an important part of Beare Park, and I’d love to see this nurtured more collectively. There has been a noticeable shift already in brands seeking and doing this, but as a whole I think the industry and support for this can always improve. We need to make it attractive to the next generation to keep the techniques and capabilities of our makers, mills and craftspeople alive.
Dream Australian collaborators?
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This year I had the pleasure of collaborating with Helen Kaminski, a brand I feel passionate about working with as I think our values and appreciation for craft really align. They have such a great community of artisans and nurture craftsmanship and sustainability in a way I feel proud to be a part of. It’s important to me that anyone I work with for Beare Park aligns with the brand’s ethos. Luckily these days there are so many great Australian talents.
Who is in your wardrobe right now?
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My cats! I wear a lot of Beare Park as I really do believe in it and to a degree, do still design for myself. I like to mix these with other timeless pieces from The Row, Acne Studios, Bottega and old Celine.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Online at bearepark.com. We’ve also picked up some incredible stockists for the new resort collection dropping in November, including Liberty, Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi.
Explore Beare Park’s range here.
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