Latest / WHAT I'VE LEARNT / What I've Learnt - Janice Breen Burns (2022)

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What I've Learnt - Janice Breen Burns (2022) · WHAT I'VE LEARNT

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: Well, one of my favourite people to have on the What I've Learnt Podcast is fashion editor Janice Breen Burns, a highly respected fashion journalist, editor and features writer of more than 30 years' experience in Metro Daily newspapers and more recently in digital media.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Voxfrock.com.au is her digital blog zine based on the variety of content and style of newspaper fashion pages.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Renowned for her industry knowledge and witty realistic insights into the role of fashion in everyday life, she's a frequent contributor to workshops, seminars, industry panels, radio and television reports relevant to fashion and its culture.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: With Melbourne Fashion Festival looming large, we're all very excited.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: I can't wait to hear what Janice is going to tell us all about, what to expect, what's new, and what we can see from this iconic global fashion festival, which features some of our best designers and fashion labels.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: Well, having joined me on the pod last year with her wonderful insights and updates, we agreed we had so much fun and my listeners were super inspired by her wonderful passion for fashion, knowledge, and fashionist updates.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_02: So as Melbourne Fashion Festival looms in early March, Janice is here to tell us what's new, what to expect from this iconic global fashion festival, and just to give us an all-round snapshot of the fashion world.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: From dopamine dressing to social justice style, true diversity and fashion's new non-negotiables, TikTok, the era of creators, and the flourishing world of affiliate content, there's so many new ideas shaping fashion in Australia right now.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: So Janice, much to unpack here, and we still want to dress up.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: And as events return like weddings, it seems like a fashion revival.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: Is that right?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it depends.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: I suppose you've got it, then you've got a deep dive and and and really unpack the definition of fashion by what do you mean?
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think definitely there's a revival of people just absolutely blossoming and thrilled to dress up again.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that was a bit of a slow burn.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think, you know, when we first came out of lockdowns, it was what do I wear?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you'd you'd look blankly at those five racks of your wardrobe.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Not that I've got five racks of wardrobe, but you'd look blankly and go, well, what did I used to put with that?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: And what did I wear with that?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: And how was that relevant in that situation?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: But now I think people are back in the rhythm and they're dressing up, and uh I couldn't be happier, especially as we're in Melbourne, we're going into winter, which is our best, most beautiful fashion season.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: I actually do agree with you.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's a really good overview in the sense that there was a sense of hesitancy and you know how people were a bit nervous about how to dress up again.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: But I think we're getting our confidence back, aren't we?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: We're getting a little bit like, let's do this.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, also the exciting news being that Melbourne Fashion Festival can be a full house as restrictions on attendance lifts.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's the first time in two years that it can really be a full house.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Take us, you know, take us through some of the highlights of what you see Melbourne Fashion Festival bringing to our fashion world and to the runway.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it it brings uh a huge amount, and it's and every year it's actually bringing more.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think that um it wasn't a dud last year.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: It was uh it was a hybrid, it had some in real life and had some online.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: It was definitely not a dud the year before either.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: It was uh so 2021 and 2020 it was chopped off, so that was a bit sad, and and some of the my favourite runways were cancelled, including the national graduate showcase.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, so everything's back on board, everything's everything's back on the program.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: But literally, it's only been in the last couple of days that I've noticed that they're actually talking uh releasing more tickets into the system.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Prior to that, uh you if you looked online, uh everything was sold out.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: So if anybody is is you know was disappointed at seeing that little sold-out sign, uh jump on.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: You might be able to get uh tickets, including uh good tickets, you know, front front row and b-row, the your choice of tickets.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think that's important to note because you're right, it's sort of an ever ever um evolving status.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's quite unusual to release tickets progressively, but as you say, as the attendances have lifted, it means that more people can go.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I suppose in terms of runway highlights, is there any sort of exciting new creative that you're sort of watching with a keen eye?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Oh well, this is such a good question because there are so many people that I'm watching at the moment.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the runways, of course, Melbourne Fashion Festival is split between its independent program and its premium runways.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: And those runways this year are going to be at Acne, they're going to be downstairs in that gorgeous, you know, um airy gallery that's in uh the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and the rest of the precinct, which you know, previously we've had at Chocklands or uh the Royal Exhibition Buildings, the precinct where you you can grab a drink and have a bit of a catch-up with your friends and and um do some other sort of fashion-y related activities, is going to be at Fed Square and also in a purpose-built uh marquee kind of situation.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not quite sure what the structure is going to be yet, but it's going to be called the Pavilion, and they're going to have rolling panels and demonstrations and all this sort of gorgeous fashion-y beauty styling, you know, relevant stuff.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the rest of the festival is going to be at the Collingwood Yards.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if you know that.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a lot of fashion people do, but if you know it, you love it.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: When it's on a on a normal weekday, the Collingwood Yards are very slick and gorgeous, or very industrial and gorgeous.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: But with the festival sort of moving its independent program in there, they're just going to be buzzing.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be another precinct.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that that's going to be really important.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sort of focusing all of my or a lot of my interest on Collingwood Yards at the moment because uh the independent program is close to my heart.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: This is where the Melbourne brands and the Melbourne affiliations and collaborations between artists and stylists and local people, this is where they find their platform, they find their that's where they blossom on the program.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: And actually they're all independent events, none of them are funded by the festival.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: The festival only funds the premium runways and the activities around the main precinct there.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: So we've got things like the social studio, which is a permanent permanent uh permanent project in the yeah, in the Collingwood Yards, the gorgeous social studio, which uh enables um diverse communities to sort of plug into the fashion space, whether it's as uh in manufacturers making their own label.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, they said they sort of they prop that up with these incredible programs through most of the year.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: So they're going to be activating a lot of things.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And there's going to be other events like thread count, which is a First Nations exhibition, and demonstration of, I'm not quite sure, weaving techniques and that sort of thing.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think that there's this been this sort of tsunami of interest in First Nations and inclusive brands and small brands and all that sort of stuff over the last you know few years.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: There's been a lot of rhetoric sort of swirling around that space, but not a lot of people have actually sort of plugged in and uh learnt exactly or got to know the little tiny brands, the First Nations people, the tiny brands down at the social studio.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, this is uh Collingwood Yards is going to be a place to plug into that sort of alternative fashion scene.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you want the glamour and the floral frocks and the tailored suits and the and the you know the luxury gym wear, you'll go to the premium runways and get it, get it, get your fix of that there.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: But if you want to know the the sort of a the grungy, experimental, interesting, terribly engaging genesis of fashion ideas, you go down to the Collingwood yards.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: So generally, Collingwood yards is where I'm going to be most focused.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, and I understand that.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's where I'll be too.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I was looking at some of it, I mean, some of it looks just so exciting and so innovative.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: And really, that's um what I love is the two, if you like bullseyes, you've sort of got the the the Fed Square right in the heart of Melbourne being sort of made, I think it makes it a lot more accessible and visual and and and will attract people that it may otherwise not have being there.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: And then also having the Collingwood Yards, which is the raw, as you say, innovative creative hub.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's just a great compliment.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_02: So it's quite exciting to see Melbourne put on, as we do, the best cultural.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: And this is this is kind of unusual.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: You've just hit the nail on the head.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is sort of unusual because normally the into in uh the independent program is sort of, you know, the city is salted with all these little independent events.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: But now with this concentration at Collingwood Yards, it gives a sense of a precinct where you can you can just go and and it can be quite immersive if you go and visit on a particular day.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: You can probably uh be engaged and interested for most of the day.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: So, in a sense, that consolidation and that centralization is is great.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it facilitates many other people that may not have gone.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: Also, I saw um urban list culture curve, um, which is like a guide to what's on the rise and what's on the slide in culture right now.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: I was just reading about that.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's created this dream panel of some of the leading voices in the Australian fashion scene to take a deep dive on what's truly setting the pace in 2022.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: What's your thoughts on that and who do what are some of the highlights?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: Can you is there something that stands out to you?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that that's that is just uh, yeah, I would say if you're going to go to any of those panels, go to that one because who doesn't want to know what's over the ride, over the next rise, or you know, stick your head above the parapet to have a look at the future?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't know what they're going to say.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: I have no idea, but they've got some uh I think Maxine White was uh, you know, was one of the uh stylists, she or they have got another another event that they're doing on that program as well.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So look, I honestly can't comment because I'm not a future, I'm not a forecaster, I'm not a futurist, but um I'll be really interested and I'll take all their all their insights and all their info and then probably spout them at our next podcast.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Sounds perfect.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_02: And then we can do yes, you do, and you can you can basically, I mean, it's what's great though is the diversity of of expression.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, these seminars and panels are just broadening out and out and out, aren't they?
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it's become a much more amenable while still maintaining its purity.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: I think there is a really nice sense that, I mean, Urban List, for example, it's such a sort of um the people that are getting involved in the festival, I think is interesting too.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: You're seeing collaborations beyond the actual fashion world, which I think is interesting.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Well, then that's uh collaboration is the future of fashion.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: I've I've just I keep banging, banging on about this.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Fashion is going to evolve in a in a in a uh in a network of fashion of arts disciplines.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to get more and more uh people involved in the arts world, architecture, design, music, more and more people are going to start uh collaborating in the fashion space.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: And that is what is going to define future fashion.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: So there I could be on the urban list panel.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think they should.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: I'm surprised you're not.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: I think you could be and should be.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it is, it's true.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: What you I mean, because really, like I was even thinking about you take someone like Maurizio Tizzini, for example, who's who's in who's culinary, right?
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: He's now got his own brand, as you know, 10 pieces.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then he's also got, you know, Kate Soprano and all these people performing in his restaurants.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: So there's this wonderful notion of fashion and culinary and arts all collaborating, and that brings it into a whole new sphere, which is super exciting, I think.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: And makes it not while exclusivity has obviously got there's great things about exclusivity in um accessibility, I think, is probably also the future for fashion, making sure that everyone can tap it in a different way.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: And and as individuals too, I think you know, the the the the crazier the world becomes, the more important our sort of individual-focused uh liberal democracy becomes.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: And uh if if you if you express your individuality uh or if you want to find fashion to express your individuality, you have to find people who are actually like-minded.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: So this idea of people collaborating with their tribe and then sort of pulling you in as a consumer for their tribe and their collections, that is going to be the way fashion evolves.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, obviously at the other end to the fast fashion mega brands kind of um, you know, various waves of norm core that happens at the other end of fashion.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: But the future of fashion, the the most, the the end of fashion that's that's swelling are these uh sort of um very collaborative, very political, very um expressive uh notions of individuality by individual designers who are collaborating and then their tribes of consumers.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: So little tribe, little brands, little tribes.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's really, it really is quite innovative, and I can see it happening everywhere actually.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: Just on another note, um, Country Road and others are embracing the new circular economy.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_02: You and I touched on that last time, recycling and ethically producing garments.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's transformational for the industry, as as you know, um, Thread Together, which is my sister's um and brother-in-law's uh brand, they do a lot of this.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of people involved, you know.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: It is definitely it's the future.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: So really, it's almost like most brands have to have some sort of circular approach.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: What's your perspective on that and what have you observed?
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it's a done, it's a done deal.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're going into if you're introducing a new brand, uh it's it's understood that you will be right across uh all the ideas of ethical production, transparent supply chains, sustainability, all those conversations that are happening across fashion now, you've got to be across them if you're introducing any kind of new brand.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, and there's there's so many resources now to enable you to do that.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's there's workshops, there are uh doctorate studies, there are websites, there's so much that you can access.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: So there's really no excuse.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that if you don't, if you weren't across that, even as a small brand, as a big brand, as if you're not across that, then you get called out.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: Social media is just vicious.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, people people who are watching you on social media, they will be absolutely vicious.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh they will call you out, they will call make you uh account, account, accountable.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and there are these, you know, these wonderful social media projects like Diet Pratha that make a you know that they make a mission out of out of calling out um bad practices in fashion.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you you're gonna get caught.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: So everybody nobody wants to, so everybody seems to be doing the right thing and they're doing the right thing as much as they can, but I still, you know, I I bang on about this.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think the future of fashion is a short, manageable, transparent supply chain, which means that you have to limit the scale of your business.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's just one of those things.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot manage uh, you know, one of these incredibly long supply chains like perhaps uh you know HM or I know that they try very hard.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I'm not I shouldn't call that in names, but very long supply chains where along that supply chain you could end up with uh you know slave labor or uh an Urga Urga Muslim, you know, working for two cents an hour, that kind of thing.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want that to happen because it gets out of your control the bigger you get.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's inevitable.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good point.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: The the further you are from your source of production, yeah.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: And and I think the other thing, I mean, not to mention there's also the longer your supply chain, you've got issues with delivery, particularly at the moment.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_02: There's still docs, and uh that's a separate issue, but it's sort of related to you're talking about streamline, streamline the process, keep it simple and keep it accountable.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: Checking, transparent, or always checking.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they're legislate across the world now in most countries that actually produce fashion, they're uh they've either legislated already or they're planning legislation for people to keep a constant check and keep their supply chains pure.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but it is a mammoth, mammoth task when if you're producing you know a million units a day, um, you imagine how many, how many outsourcing, outsources, outsources, outsources, how many times uh that the you know those those production elements have been handed down the supply supply chain, they're just out of totally out of your control eventually.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's a very that's a very good point.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: What about the interesting notion of um some of these extraordinary innovations where they're making clothes from plastic and or you know from recyclable beads and you know that is a really interesting innovation as well.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_02: Do you know much about that and are you interested in that?
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_02: And do you think it's going to take off?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, obviously, we've had the bamboo and we've had all these different products being made from different fabrics, but it it goes to that notion of trying to use waste to make clothing.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Look, I I think you've been the guru on this in this on this subject is is someone like Claire Press, who is uh a marvellous advocate for sustainability and and circular circular fashion economies and you know a kinder, fairer, nicer future for fashion.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: She's wonderful.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: But I I the technologies are in the technologies are still being developed at the moment.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Technology is going to be uh an incredibly integral part of fashion's future because to to actually use recycled plastic, how do how do you, you know, the technology has to be known to create malleable fibres and that sort of thing, but also to use waste is the separation of different elements, different different chemical elements to then sort of siphon off into some sort of fashion use, that sort of thing.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's easier and more accessible that idea for fashion companies or fashion producers to actually go to the dead stock market where you've got warehouses, massive hanger aircraft, hangar-sized warehouses of dead stock all over the world.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: And we have unused clothing, millions of kilograms of unused clothing going into landfill or going to um terrible situations in developing countries where they're you know they're picking out what they can sell, but then they're they're discarding the rest and it's creating an environmental hazard, and it's a terrible, terrible, terrible waste.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: But so um I know of brands in Melbourne particularly, which are the smaller experimental brands that are using dead stock um fabrics from all over the world.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's not you you don't just go into a dusty warehouse and pull out a bulge of stuff that you know was was circa 1949 and let's use that.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they'll actually search the world, you know, dead stock uh from you know Italian bills and that sort of thing uh to create incredible collections, beautiful, unique collections that are obviously limited, and uh and they will they'll label each piece as it's usually made to order or made in small runs, they'll label each piece as as um this is this is a limited edition because once this fabric is gone, it's gone.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's gone.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love that.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's very clever.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, and there's this wonderful brand.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just I'm trying to remember her name, but actually I was really impressed.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: Have you seen the brand that gets old towels from the 70s and creates these amazing hats out of old old beach towels, but they're selling out all the time.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, I just can't remember her name.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_02: But I was so impressed.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: I thought that is, I mean, that's a very small example, but no, but that's a great example.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: She's doing really well.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: And it will come to me and I'll put her up on my um when I put the pot up.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_02: It might be.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to be sure that I've got the right one.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: But but I know that they're selling out.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but they're selling out because it's such a wonderful.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: So there's nostalgia, there's retro, there's bespoke, there's all of those elements that you referred to.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: And repurposing uh uh repurposing old clothing.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there is there is actually uh a lot of brands that will will actually take secondhand clothing and work out ways to use them.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now it might be um a little bit more specialized than you being able to use a whole bolt of fat, you know, uniform fabric.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: But repurposing clothing, I think that's going to be incredibly important too.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: Very, very interesting times.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, obviously, as we touched on briefly, many brands have fallen by the wayside after a COVID-driven driven demolition.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, we're seeing signs of it really has been like a sort of Armageddon of sorts with certain brands.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: You just go, what?
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: Another one.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's really quite hard for a lot of people.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm, I mean, yes, you and I have touched on there is regrowth, there is recalibration, there is a revival of sorts, but really it's a matter of how do we nurture some of these people and make sure that they are also, whether they go back into business or whether they find new ways to be part of the industry, are we giving enough support to those businesses that, through no fault of their own, have been sort of the subject of a pretty tough time?
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, shopping time.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think we're I think we're a minority if we're shopping local and buying local and seeking out these small brands, whether I see them on uh my social media feeds, um Julia Brown, uh who is has started the Fashion Hub, is a really interesting one to keep in touch with.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: So uh follow the Fashion Hub on social media and she'll be able to do that.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: What is that?
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's uh it's um she's nurturing 20 or so, I think it's about 20 or so new brands, emerging brands.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So that's one area of this, and then there are the very small brands that didn't do particularly well during the pandemic, but I've spoken to a lot of them, and I would say common a lot among all of all of the very, very small brands is adaptability.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we use this word pivot so many times it became boring during the pandemic, but that's exactly what they did, and if it meant um going uh one uh if if they changed it to a side hustle and they paid their bills with something else.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: Else, like whether it was working in a kitchen at a restaurant that was doing Uber meals, delivery, delivery meals, that was one.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, there are other ways, you know, people adapted by making masks, obviously, so many small brands and hats, and I know the uh there were shawls and scarves, and you know, they would use offcuts and things to just keep that, keep that going almost like their brand became a side hustle to their you know, the real business of paying bills and and that sort of thing.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that a lot of the small ones that I know have come through and they're okay.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're you know, they're renewed and and um you know, champing it the bit to get cracking again.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, and there are more emergers.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be coming a very crowded space, this small brands area, and and I don't think that's a bad thing.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds crowded markets, not a good market.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's a good market when it comes to fashion because whoever you are, if you really crave, you really want to, you know, you have a particular kind of fashion taste, you can find it out there at the moment, moment.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: You can find, you know, if you're into glamour and very incredibly beautiful French couture finishes and you want something made to order, you can get that.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you're into a kooky club scene or festival, you know, you're you're dying to get out there to the festivals again, you can go and you know get the uh the pink faux fur top and the I love it.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: You can get anything is out there, yeah.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: It's almost like yeah, the high street, it's like the high street.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: I I do think what is wonderful about what you're saying too, though, which is really sort of nice, is that not only have we got a much better insight into how hard the industry people work and how layered it is and how complex it is, and how, you know, it's sort of in a way lifted the lid off a lot of that fashion mystery for people, if you're not in the fashion industry, you know, being much more, it's a little more personalized.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I think also the idea that in a way you've got it's back to the sort of that market, like you're like in a beautiful market with beautiful, crafted, bespoke high street, you know, back to that real London, you know, market vibe.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I think people are trying, I think people love that.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: It's taken it out of that realm of the big.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: I know there's still that there's you've got the big supersonic brands, but I think there are more people.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_02: We'll always have them.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and and look, that thank God we do, because they're wonderful.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_02: But I do think it's opening the door a lot to some of the more bespoke as a result of this.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: One other thing on that note, um, I've I mentioned this to you briefly when we're chatting before.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, obviously, the influx of gym wear and certainly like skims, like the Kardashians, it's selling out like because it's comfortable, it's simple, it's clingy, it's often flattering, sometimes not, but sometimes is, depends who you are.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, very, very, very like 4022.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: But what I'm saying is that, you know, there is a that that comfort factor that look, I'm on my way to yoga, and then I'm on my way to do a shop.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, people are very much living, there's this sort of strange, um, like two worlds.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: You've got the super high-end, like, let's get dressed and out we go for work.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_02: And but there seems, if you look at the streets, a lot of people are in gym wear a lot of the time.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: And and you wonder whether they just came from a gym or they're going to a gym, or you know, they go to the gym twice a day, so it can't be bothered changing in between.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: I actually really like gym wear.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: I I think I don't tell John Cavill that.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: I know that you're interviewing him soon.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: He really just likes it.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_02: I actually do know that we've had a discussion.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_02: I actually do know this, which is why I think it's really fun to chat about it.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: I I like it because it is comfortable.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, I think that it was popularized really by this generation of we used to call them yummy mummies, but I think that's um quite in I think they think of that as quite insulting now.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: But women who were, you know, they were working, they were wrangling kids, they were going to the gym, they had, you know, the the all all these different aspects of their lives that they had to sort of compute in a in a 10-hour period and and uh adapt their clothing uh as well.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think it's great.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that um do you know what?
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: I saw a brand the other day, uh Car Kahee.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's a tiny little Melbourne brand.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's sold out of a little shop in Fitzroy, I think it is, called ERA 404.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_00: And uh they uh this um girl, uh Casey Casey Haywood, uh designer, is doing layered lace, layered stretch lace in different colours and different textures, layered stretch lace gym wear.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that sounds great.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: I think I'd like that.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that sounds great.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: My pretty shorts and uh little tops and things like that.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even know.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: I I actually had a conversation with her, but I don't even know if she was even thinking about them as gym wear.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: But I thought, oh my god, I live in Armadale and I know about 50,000 young mums who would love to vary their wardrobe by incorporating some of your pieces.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_00: But um that's that's what I love, and and I think that there's there's also you know, fashion goes in waves, it focuses on the body, and then it focuses on volumes, and then it focuses on the body, and then it focuses on volumes and layers.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: At the moment, fashion is has totally polarized.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: You've got these huge volumes with the big oversized, uh big oversized uh tailored jackets and really flappy layers, really, you know, you get a lot of air in under there, and that's one realm of comfort that part of you know, half of us are wearing.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: We like to cover our bodies, but the other realm of comfort of of course is gym wear and stretchy things that also show off the amazing amount of work that they do in gyms and and uh you know their workouts and how they've made their bodies you know quite um elevated them to a to a quite muscular idea of health and and muscularity.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: So fashion's polarized at the moment.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you've got I think um gym wear fantastic for that end of the market and for those busy, busy, busy people.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I've also seen a bit of gym wear where somebody will throw on, you know, something like this.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is I bought this from Alpha 60, so fantastic.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's a dress, uh, they'll throw on a silk layer over the top of it and uh put a crossbody bag on, and they just look slightly more dressed up so they can go out for a drink or something like that.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I do that too.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you and I obviously, you know, you'll go to the gym and then you'll go to yoga or whatever, and then you're out working, and so there's no yoga, no gym, but no gym.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_02: No, I'm a bit over the gym.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_02: But the point is, I suppose what you know, you can go for a beautiful walk, be in your gym wear, come home, and then but we probably change, you and I, out of our stuff, right?
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_02: But but at the same time, I think you've raised a really important point, which is comfort, convenience, and all of those aspects.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's not trying to be high fashion, it's it's got a role and a purpose.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_02: And we've always had that.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, look back at a living in John in a, you know, what was it?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, in the physical video, I mean, that was all you know, that was all gym wear, but it was actually seen as very aspirational at the time.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, everyone wanted they only wore it, they only wore it in gyms and at home, isn't that funny?
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas we would, I don't know whether I can't imagine someone walking down the street wearing one of those wedgie leotards.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's just their style too far.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_02: That's just a whole other level.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you're so funny.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: That is really hilarious.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I think well, it is an interesting thing, and yes, John is coming on the show, and I am sure we'll touch on that.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: But yes, I think my love, I adore John Cavill.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: He is the icon of the industry.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh legend.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, absolute legend, and been doing it a long time.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_02: He's in Milan at the moment with Charles.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: But they basically, yeah, I think it's a really interesting discussion too, because I think a lot of people reflect on that, you know.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_02: I certainly know there are.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: And isn't it interesting that he dislikes it so much?
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: But I think there's a there's a radar there.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, our our radar, our fashion radars are different, this calibrated differently.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I also think, yeah, it's it'll be very interesting to see his perspective, which I haven't got yet, but I really appreciate yours.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_02: It's very, very helpful.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: So just just sort of tying this up, what do you see as some of the greatest challenges ahead for the industry?
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: And and also what do you see as some of the really exciting things that we've got to look forward to?
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, look, I I'll just hark back to that um that idea of small brands and us uh more people, more obviously, the the the industry, I say the tanker is turning, the industry is is changing its bad habits, it's it's cleansing itself, it's going through a purge at the moment.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_00: And that will be well, that will continue because we're becoming not just you and I, I think we're pretty highly educated fashion consumers, but more and more and more of the people who would buy a$30 frock are actually being encouraged to look at some an alternative, maybe instead of five,$30 frocks by one$200, you know, bespoke, you know, something that's actually made for you from dead stock or something like that.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I think those choices and those options are becoming more uh the the dialogue around that is becoming more intense.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're talking about where else you can get your fashion.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: And we're starting to think as consumers, why do we wear what we wear?
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, why does that why does that little puppet go out and buy that$30 frock from H ⁇ M?
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: What is she getting out of that?
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_00: She's getting a you know a buzz that this might, you know, uh change uh change her self-perception momentarily and sort of plug her into the you know the trend that the herd is following, and that's incredibly important to some demographics.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: But then there are those those demographics also being encouraged to think about the the consequences of that$30 frock and who's actually paying for that$30 frock.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that those are the lessons that we're going to take into fashion's future.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to take really, really careful thought about why we wear what we wear and what we want to express about ourselves in what we wear.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: And where do we find that?
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I think more and more as we acknowledge ourselves as individuals and individual fashion consumers, we will start to find more, we'll start seeking out the small brands, the short supply chains, the responsible, lovely, kind, creative people that are making that stuff for us and think like us.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think you're absolutely right.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I really hope that is the case for the future because I think there's benefits all around.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it just is a no-brainer on many levels.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_02: But it also takes the industry also taking on that mantle and that responsibility because the consumer, especially young consumers, just look at affordability, immediate gratification often, and and are just caught in that web of you know, that sort of full up full steam.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_02: But I love your overview and your hope, and and I really think that it's changing and that's exciting.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I love having you always on the show, as you know, and I look forward to being here.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, good, I love it.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_02: Talking about frocks.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: What could be better?
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I'm excited to hear we'll do a bit of a debrief after Melbourne Fashion Festival and see what's happened there and um and see how much we learn, both of us.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to do that.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's going to be a good one.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_00: So anyone who hasn't got tickets or haven't planned their planned their week between the 3rd of March and the 11th of March, get cracking.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_00: Have a look at the programme.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's on mff.com.au.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thanks, Janice, as always, and I'm sure I'll see you there somewhere amidst the crowd.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: You take care.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's been a pleasure.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much for listening.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_02: The What I've Learned podcast will now be coming to you weekly with new episodes released every Tuesday.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: I'm blessed to have so many wonderful guests coming on the show.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_02: So check out my What I've Learned Instagram for updates.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_02: Meanwhile, stay tuned, kind, and curious.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_02: Love death.