Australia’s fashion industry is rising, here are some brands to look out for
When I’m on Instagram or perusing through fashion articles, I’ll catch an item or two pictured that I love. It’s often a cute trendy piece, or something that seems of genuine high quality, so I look it up. Bless those Instagrams that tag their clothing with the brands they purchased from.
Recently, I realized many of my newly discovered labels or shops (which I will share with you all) are Australian. This realization really hit me when my friend sent me a link to an online shop, Style Addict. With the letters “.au” at the end instead of “.com,” I finally thought, “Hey! Another Australian brand? I keep seeing them!”
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I did my due diligence to research and learn that Australia’s fashion industry is certainly rising, but rather quietly. Darby-Perrin Larner wrote a piece for The Guardian on how Australian fashion is on the come-up, despite a lack of press attention. They do well at fashion shows, but news on it quickly fizzles out.
I even found more proof from a July 2016 market research report on luxury retailing in Australia. What stood out to me in the report is that while much of the global retailing scene has suffered from instability in financial markets, Australian luxury retailers have been almost immune. Growing incomes have fueled consumers’ passion for fashion. High-profile Australian designers and labels are growing in the retail scene, and global luxury brands are expanding to locations throughout Australia.
Also, according to Deloitte, “The largest category of the top 250 retailers operating in Australia continues to be Apparel/Footwear at 36%.”
Larner mentions that much of Australia’s talented designers move abroad to further the success of their career. Australia does not seem to pay much attention to them, but what about the res tof the world? Are we paying attention enough? Well, Paris paid attention by allowing only the third designer from Australia, Kym Ellery, to showcase her work for Paris Fashion Week just two years ago in October 2015.
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Another success story for Australian fashion is told by the international fashion business, Australian Fashion Labels. Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the business launched with one label, Finders Keepers. It has since expanded to include C/MEO Collective, Keepsake, The Fifth, and Jaggar. They are expanding with physical stores called BNKR, which opened in downtown Los Angeles only a year ago. They even offer fast fashion with “an honest, responsible and ethical manner and in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and internationally recognised standards.” You can spot their designs on celebs like Kourtney Kardashian who has been spotted wearing C/MEO.
Tony Bianco is another favorite of mine. It’s available to shop in the U.S. online, but physical store locations are only spread throughout Australia. They offer trendy boots at a reasonable cost – not super cheap, but not ridiculously expensive. They also have mules, flats, sandals and more. You are guaranteed to find more than one pair you want.
It also makes sense that many great swimsuits sold online hail from Australian brands. Australians love to swim and have beautiful waters.
Myra Swim, Rye, and more are examples of Australian brands that deliver their swim products internationally. The soft material and celebrity-endorsed suits from Myra Swim make them extra appealing.
