9 Melbourne made slow fashion labels to know

12 May

Often when we think about ethical fashion practices, we think about things happening overseas. Slow, sustainable and fairly made fashion can also be right on our doorsteps. Here are a few ethical clothing labels we think you should know that are made lovingly in our home city of Melbourne, Australia.

Kuwaii

Established in 2008, Kuwaii emphasise modern shapes and clean lines, and take a slow fashion approach: creating small-scale, limited runs, with designs and fabrics intended to last the test of time. They are passionately opposed to the 'churn' model of fast fashion.

We were excited to learn that in addition to their clothing, Kuwaii also have a small range of vegan shoes that are handmade in Melbourne!

Vegan Cicada Platforms by Kuwaii (made in Melbourne).

Vegan Riding Boots by Kuwaii (made in Melbourne).

A.BCH

“With so much secrecy in the world of fashion, we err on the side of TMI, offering full disclosure as to how each of our pieces came to be. Every thread, every fibre, every button is accounted for, because we have nothing to hide.”

— A.BCH

A.BCH make designer basics in Melbourne from organic, natural and recycled materials. Sustainability and ethics is at the forefront of everything they do, including sourcing buttons crafted from seeds of the fallen coroza fruit in Panama.

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Meg Parry

Meg Parry Studio are determined to change the perspective people have on fashion, to consider the environmental and ethical impacts of the industry. They adopt a made to order approach, ensuring they only manufacture enough to keep up with demand.

Meg Parry also collaborate with emerging designers in Australia and worldwide, to help bring their dreams to reality.

Bedroom

Named for its origins, Bedroom literally started out of founder Grace's small Carlton bedroom in the summer of 2016. It grew naturally, and the label now has its own studio in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

Bedroom are passionate about slow, ethical fashion practices, and all of their pieces are designed, cut and sewn in their own studio. They use environmentally conscious materials such as deadstock, natural and organic fabrics. They've also just released a collection of organic cotton crop singlets (i.e. wardrobe staples) that wear beautifully and are super affordable.

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Keegan

“Put simply, we hate throwaway fashion.”

— Keegan

Since 2013, Keegan have been making clothing that values originality, quality and slow fashion. They produce trans-seasonal pieces, that are designed to be layered and worn year round.

To connect customers with the evolution of each garment (from design to patternmaking, sewing and the end produce), Keegan have open studios within their retail spaces. They also often use locally sourced deadstock fabric and biodegradable materials.

Lois Hazel

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Honesty and transparency is at the core of womenswear label Lois Hazel. Its founder Lois McGruer-Fraser has a strong passion for sustainability and ethical practices in the fashion industry, and she speaks regularly about this on panel discussions.

One of the cool things about this Melbourne made label is that it gives you information on who has made the components of their garments (including the make, fabric, brand label, thread, zips, care label and packaging).

Duke & King

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Launched at the end of 2017, Duke & King has slow fashion values at its core, with garments designed and made in Brunswick, Melbourne. Their pieces draw inspiration from classic ‘Americana’ clothing and music icons like Bob Dylan and hippie rock legend, Stevie Nicks.

Mies

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Mies' designs are an ode to the feminine and the simplicity of mid century design. They make all of their dresses on a made to order basis, and they also give you the fun option of being involved in the design process to create something special and unique to you.

SISTER

Think dreamy, retro vibes in linen and vintage fabrics, and you get SISTER. The label is designed and made in Brunswick, and came to be from a friendship between founders Emma and Alice. Originally making pieces for their surrounding sisters and friends, the label intuitively came to be.

You can't help but feel happy in their floaty, carefree pieces.

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Images all credit of the respective fashion labels.

Wear

By Henrietta

Henrietta is the 'daughter' half of the Future King & Queen mother-daughter duo, and is the face you'll find in front of a camera. She strives to live gently on this earth, and to make the world a kinder, fairer place.

Henrietta is a recent graduate with a degree in Commerce + a diploma in French, and has a passion for using business skills to drive positive social change. She works in ethical fashion, and is also a model for ethical and sustainably minded brands (drop her a line here if you'd like to work with her).

After being vegetarian for many years, and gradually transitioning towards veganism, she attended a panel discussion 2 years ago on the dairy industry (held by Voiceless). From then on, it made complete sense to commit to a fully vegan lifestyle, as a way of being compassionate towards animals, the environment and people.

It was then a natural progression to consider the impacts of her other daily decisions, and so her interest in ethical fashion and sustainably minded living in general was born.