Vedomme is the Melbourne knitwear label creating seasonless pieces
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEKHENA PORTER
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“At the heart of Vedomme is a love for making in the best way, from the best materials and the product is a true reflection of that.”
Melbourne friends Savannah Young and Georgia Brunmayr first contemplated working on a creative project together in 2020. With combined backgrounds spanning fashion theory, styling, editing, marketing, design and technical knitting, the duo had all the base knowledge required to launch Vedomme, their knitwear label. After finessing the finer details for a few years, they officially launched earlier this year.
“We knew we wanted to create something locally with a focus on exceptional quality and design that felt true and unique to us. After doing some research, we became inspired by vintage knitwear patterns and loved the idea of taking a traditional craft and transforming it into something new,” they tell us. The real challenge for the duo was finding a local knitwear factory that would take on a smaller scale production run and had the machines and technical skills their designs required.
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But after some determined research, they found a local knitwear factory to make their first collection. Engaging one of the few remaining knitwear factories operating in Australia and making their designs on shore – with high quality merino wool sourced from local farms – was of the utmost importance to them both. Below, they share Vedomme’s journey so far and why they think the Australian textile industry needs more support and funding.
Tell us about about you. What’s your fashion background?
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Savannah: I studied fashion theory as my major at university but I wasn’t sure which direction it was going to take me in. I was never great at technical design but really fell in love with bringing brands to life through styling and storytelling. My first real job in the fashion industry was working for Asos in 2015 as an online editor. I learned so much about the impact of social media from that experience which ultimately led me to a career in digital marketing.
Georgia: I studied textiles at RMIT with a major in knitting. This led me down a super niche path where I always wanted to explore more of the technical details of knitting. I worked for companies that built some of the machinery I use today for making materials. I have always wanted to understand the nuts and the bolts of how something is made and that quite literally happened – I can break down a knitting machine and put it back together and that helps me design more than anything else I have learned.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
S and G: We first started dreaming up Vedomme in early 2020 but it took us a few years to develop and launch the first collection. It started as an idea to work on something creatively together and kept expanding from there. We knew we wanted to create something locally with a focus on exceptional quality and design that felt true and unique to us. After doing some research, we became inspired by vintage knitwear patterns and loved the idea of taking a traditional craft and transforming it into something new.
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One of the biggest challenges was finding a local knitwear factory that would take on a smaller scale production and had the knitting machines and technical skills we needed to bring Vedomme to life. After countless hours of research and many cold calls, we finally found a local knitwear factory to manufacture our first collection. It’s one of the few remaining knitwear factories still operating in Australia and has been specialising in knitwear since 1988. We feel so honoured and proud to create Vedomme in a factory with so much history and skill.
How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
S and G: We really wanted to highlight colour in our collection but also create designs that you can wear every day. All of our designs were made by experimenting and pulling together different yarns to create refreshing and versatile combinations. For example, the orange and lilac is a bold and bright pattern but it can also be pared back and worn casually. We would say that describes the brand.; it’s fun, bright, carefully made and timeless.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
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S and G: The quality and craftsmanship of our first collection. At the heart of Vedomme is a love for making in the best way, from the best materials and the product is a true reflection of that. Every piece has been knitted slowly and sustainably using the highest quality, super fine merino wool sourced from local farms and finished by hand with skills that have been passed down through generations. You can really feel the difference in quality, so when customers comment on how much they love their new Vedomme pieces it makes us feel so proud of what we’ve created.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
S and G: We’re still a baby business (we launched our first collection in August) so we’re learning something new every day. One of the big lessons we’ve learned is to trust the process. It’s cliche but designing and making locally takes a lot of time and that can be challenging. We’re not just sending a tech pack overseas and waiting for our designs to come back, we’re in and out of our factory working closely with the team to bring the designs to life.
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Starting a brand is an exciting journey, but you have to work hard to keep building momentum. Everything starts small and you have to embrace that and really care about the community and brand you are building.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian fashion right now?
S and G: Jordan Dalah is creating beautiful designs that feel theatrical and fun. We love the unique silhouettes and colour in his collections. It was also really exciting to see Beare Park’s official formalwear for the Matildas. That collection is such a celebration of Australian talent both in the design and the players wearing them.
What about the Australian fashion industry needs to change?
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S and G: More support and funding for the Australian textile industry so we can continue to innovate and preserve the skills of our local makers for many generations to come. There also needs to be a real shift in the way we think about our clothes and the value we place on what’s in our wardrobe. We need to invest in quality, sustainable pieces that will last longer and are less harmful to the environment.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Exclusively online vedomme.com.au.
You can explore Vedomme’s range here.
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