Tess Whitfort: The Ground-breaking Winner Behind Pendulum Studios

Hopefuls from 55 countries entered the 2018 Redress Design Award and on September 6 that year the 11 finalists presented their collections before a capacity audience at the gala finale in Hong Kong.All were impressive, but the winner of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition stood out like a beacon:  Australia’s Tess Whitfort, whose exuberant punk-inspired pieces in black, white and acid yellow captivated the judges. She also raised the sustainability bar by creating patterns that resulted in zero fabric wastage.Her bold, edgy streetwear will be exhibited at Fashion Exposed Now in exciting new attraction, The Sustainable Edit. It’s the perfect showcase for the 25-year-old Melburnian who scored a double triumph in 2017: Degree Student of the Year at the Box Hill Institute and Melbourne Fashion Week Student Designer of the Year.Last September, Tess celebrated her new label Pendulum Studios with a launch party. There are some great shots of it on Pendulum’s website, but make no mistake: this is a super-serious young designer passionate about reducing the fashion industry’s punishing impact on the environment - and changing perceptions about sustainable fashion while she’s at it.“It’s usually about wholesome options like linen sack dresses in natural colours and that has limited appeal,” says Tess.  “My grudge clothes embody the idea that being a total badass and a good person aren’t mutually exclusive.”Her lecturers at the Box Hill Institute where she took her BA in fashion design were influential. Even more so have been her parents.“My dad is an engineer and my mum is a nurse and artist – both strong, creative individualists who have been tremendously supportive.”The complex skills that go into those Pendulum dresses and separates emerged early. “As a three-year-old I was already doing 100-piece jigsaw puzzles,” says Tess. “Creating zero waste patterns has been a bit like tackling a jigsaw. It’s also been an important challenge. The industry norm is 15% fabric wastage.”Sustainability underpins Pendulum – measures include biodegradable elastic and compostable packaging – though Tess, who has recently perfected a ground-breaking technique for producing her zero wastage styles in five sizes, has also become savvy about fashion’s commercial demands.The big catalyst was her Redress Design Award. As a winner, she became part of elite upcycled fashion brand, the R Collective, which represents the competition’s top talents, and was invited to design a commercial collection for Hong Kong’s premier luxury department store, Lane Crawford.She spent three intensive months working on the project and her collection, titled Avoidance, hit the mark – six eminently wearable pieces including an aviation-inspired jumpsuit, a dress with adjustable belted detailing and a retro varsity style jacket.Why “Avoidance”? Two reasons, Tess Whitfort explained in a report for the R Collective’s magazine: The obvious one – that her collection was about avoiding waste – and because the word resonated with her on a personal level.“I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life and avoidance is my biggest coping method and mind trap … (it’s) something I’ve had to overcome a lot in order to be where I am now,” she revealed.A few other things about Tess Whitfort: She’s vegan (but not judgemental about those who aren’t), works with Carbon Neutral Australia on their Plant A Tree initiative and prefers seeing her clothes on “regular people” rather than on models. She’s the real deal.Story by Zelda Cawthorne

Fashion Exposed Now

Australia’s only dedicated womenswear buying event. Registration is free and includes access local and international labels, seminars and round table sessions to help build your business. Sunday 2 – Monday 3 February 2020Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

Top Tips from Toorak Boutique "Coco & Lola" Founder Jessica Dunlop

Coco & Lola founder Jessica Dunlop reveals her path of success.

When did you open Coco & Lola and what are some of the products you sell?

I opened the first Coco & Lola store in 2010 in Perth WA (almost 10 years ago now!). My first store was a 40sqm shop on a residential street in Nedlands (our Perth flagship store is still in this location but in a much larger space). We have established ourselves as the leading go-to destination store for Australian designer fashion in womenswear. We provide a one stop shop for our customers and cater from everyday casual wear to that special event dress. 

We have grown organically by listening to our Coco community and giving our customer what they want. We now have flagship stores in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney which provides our loyal Coco community with in-store experiences that they see on social media and online. We are growing with our customers needs and continue to always be adaptable and love the challenges and rewards that retail brings. 

What are the best performing brands and categories?

All of the brands perform well in Coco & Lola but depending on the time of year (ie. weather or events) some brands do outperform others but it’s predictable based on the brand’s aesthetic and identity. 

I have always invested and supported our Australian designers and I am very passionate about Coco & Lola being an important platform for brands. We are continually training our stylists to take the customer on a journey and tell a brand’s story. 

We want the Coco community to understand a brands values, production techniques, fabrics, history, etc. as we want our customers to understand they are choosing an investment piece to wear for their special occasion or event and in many cases they will keep the style forever. Our social media team is also a key driver in taking the Coco community on this journey and it is a constant source of information and inspiration for our followers.

We also work closely with brands to produce exclusive styles for our customers as we are able to provide the designers with feedback on what our customers want to see from their brands for any particular time of the year. This has worked successfully to grow the profile of designers within the Coco community and also gives our customers exclusive product that has been designed and made with them in mind.

The dress category is our strongest category as this is the core of our Coco & Lola brand and customer. Whether that be dressy or casual it is still our customer's go-to look when shopping in one of our locations or online. We provide styling and interactive videos to show our Coco community how to wear these pieces by giving them multiple ways to wear the one item. We choose to be as informative and inclusive as possible when is comes to marketing all of our garments. We also use our staff in store who are all shapes and sizes to educate the customer on sizes and fits.

How have you seen the retail market changed in recent times?

Big question as I feel like it changes daily! Obviously the biggest development in the last 10 years has been technology and the influence of social media on a customers buying behaviour. However, it's important for retailers to use these tools to your advantage while staying true to your retail brand. The reality is, these changes have given retailers an amazing opportunity to understand and communicate with their customers like never before. It’s clear the successful retailers in today’s environment are embracing these changes and turning them into opportunities.

How have you kept pace with these changes?

Retail today is 24hrs a day, 7 days a week between online, social media and physical stores. As a retailer you have to be continually proactive about change and trying new strategies whether it’s online or in-store. I'm always thinking of a different approach or a new way to interpret a category. It’s also integral to have a team that has this same mindset as you and is fast paced and always trying to create or take advantage of new opportunities that present.

In regards to staying true to the Coco & Lola brand over the last 10 years I have found this to be relatively easy as I am a Coco girl. The Coco girl is fun, feminine, loves life and engages in multiple events throughout the year. Our girl does go out and celebrates life's festivities like birthdays, engagements, weddings, racing carnivals and achievements. We dress them for the special moments in their life and try to make the experience one that they remember. 

What's your advice for designers wanting to secure a stockist/break into the boutique market?

Keep persisting and getting feedback from the key stockists that your chasing. Make sure your brand has its own identity and isn't a carbon copy of another Australian brand as it wont get the budget from the buyer as they are already providing their customers with an established brand in this space.

Never try to sell your brand to a buyer by telling them it’s like 2 or 3 other brands that they currently stock. As a buyer we love nothing more than seeing something unique that will add value to the store and delight our customers because it’s authentic..

What is your brand, tell me your story. How can we relate this story to the consumer... be more than just clothes in a lookbook. How can we work together and form a great business relationship... In some instances when I see great potential in a brand I will want to secure this label exclusively for Coco & Lola. We can then build the brand through our platform so our customers can shop and experience a unique label and the brand has automatically gained an audience. 

I’m always wanting to work in different ways with brands and create long lasting relationships. 

Any other comments?

It’s taken 10 years to get to this point.. it certainly has not been an overnight sensation. We have slowly evolved and built our customer base to what it is today. I’ve never tried to be anything else but Coco throughout the years.. staying true to my brand and how it’s being represented has been one of my core focuses. 

Opening this 260sqm boutique store in Melbourne has been one of my greatest achievements. The demand was there for a bigger more sophisticated shopping experience. We we’re able to deliver this and feel that we have created a new way to shop with stocking over 30 Australian brands under the one roof in a complete unique boutique space with Coco stylists passionate about the brands and investing in the customer long term.

Fashion Exposed Now

Fashion Exposed Now is Australia’s only dedicated womenswear buying event. Registration is free and includes access local and international labels, seminars and round table to help build your business. 

Sunday 2 - Monday 3 February 2020Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

 

Zavi: The cool new label for conscious consumers

Vibhuti Vazirani was determined to use natural fibres for her label Zavi. Organic cotton, bamboo and hemp fitted the bill. But she went a step further than most environmentally-conscious designers when she chose Peace silk.

Also known as Ahimsa (literally, “non-violent”) silk, it’s made from abandoned cocoons, rather than the traditional process which involves boiling the silk worms alive.

The cruelty-free online label launched in late 2019 has rapidly captured international attention. “Over the past two months we’ve had more than 35,000 unique hits,” says Vibhuti.

No doubt many have come from Millennials, those young conscious consumers who are keenly aware the fashion industry needs to clean up its environmental act. At 26, Vibhuti Vazirani belongs to that generation. And Zavi – “a twist on my surname” – certainly caters to it.

Only non-toxic dyes that meet Global Organic Textile Standards are used for Zavi’s fabrics, even trims and fastenings are tested for compliance, and all packaging is made from PVC-free recycled materials.

Then there’s the fresh, sleek appeal of the collections for both sexes. “I design them and work with a small production team including an assistant designer,” explains Vibhuti.

The results are beguiling. Casual, business and activewear, plus some elegant cocktail numbers create versatile transeasonal wardrobes featuring clean lines, subtle details and a palette of flattering solid colours. These are not throw-away clothes, but enduring, affordable staples. Achieving all that hasn’t been easy.

“It’s been a real journey,” says Vibhuti. “Our small quantities have been a headache to suppliers and manufacturers – most deal with big orders so they’re not exactly incentivised – but the world must become more sustainable. It has to. Our planet is in chaos.” 

The path to fashion hasn’t been direct for Zavi’s Mumbai-based founder and creative director. In 2011, she enrolled for a degree in architecture at Parsons School of Design, New York, but soon withdrew. “I was only 17 and such a big commitment proved too daunting,” confesses Vibhuti.

In 2014 she graduated with a BA in Business Economics from Britain’s Exeter University, then took a certificate course in biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Those qualifications served her well when she was appointed Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility at her parents’ company, Transasia Bio-Medicals, in 2015. She held the post for almost four and a half years. “It was a role I was naturally driven to,” she reflects.

It also led to Zavi. “While I’m passionate about design, I’ve never really been influenced by fashion – not even as a shopper – but realised social responsibility should be a vital part of it.”

Her parents, Suresh and Mala, have been powerful role models. ”My father has dedicated his life to realising his values and my mother has worked alongside him for 34 years,” says Vibhuti, youngest of the couple’s three children.

Her pride is justified. In addition to his medical diagnostics company, Suresh Vazirani is president of Initiatives of Change, the global organisation devoted to building trust across the world’s divides of culture, nationality and belief.

“I was raised to do no wrong,” says Vibhuti Vazirani.

Story by Zelda Cawthorne

Fashion Exposed Now

Discover the latest collections from Zavi on display at Fashion Exposed, Australia’s only dedicated womenswear buying event. Registration is free and includes access local and international labels, seminars and round table sessions to help build your business. 

Sunday 2 – Monday 3 February 2020
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

5 Minutes With Naudic Creator, Emma Puttick

 Naudic creator Emma Puttick reveals the workings of her luxe bohemian brand.

The Concept For Naudic Came About When:

I was working in London (as a scientist, no less!). The bohemian styles of the Portobello Road markets were where I first got the taste of what has become the Naudic look. Add influences from travels through Sweden, India and South-East Asia and you have a label that’s bright, fun and eminently wearable. Since Naudic’s first line of simple cotton embroideries in 2008, the brand has grown into a vibrant fashion powerhouse releasing three collections annually; spring, summer and autumn/winter. Naudic is now represented by hundreds of stockists across Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa and the United States.

Naudic Is Targeted at Women Who:

Combine the fullness of life, work, family, entertainment and travel – and love every minute of it. Naudic’s signature look is bright cotton prints, funky embroideries and quirky trims, so a playful sense of style is a must. The Naudic family includes two diffusion labels to allow for even wider audience, including Vintage by Naudic and Some Daze.

But wait, there’s more: loungewear, homewares, shoes, block-colour basics and accessories are all part of the Naudic mix too.

The Brand’s Point Of Difference Is:

All about making a statement; known for its signature bold prints and unique use of trims. Adding multi layers of pom-pom tassels and laces to the hems of silhouettes- it’s the attention to detail and small touches that create that point of difference. There’s even pre-season style planning to show how you can mix and match different stories to create your Naudic look. The passion, laughter, love and life behind Naudic continue to shine through into the garments, and will never cease to be how the label dares to be different.

The Collection At Fashion Exposed Now 2020 Will Include: 

Naudic will be launching our Spring 2020 collection inspired by the untamed freedoms of Africa. 'Into the Wild' takes you on a journey of self-discovery to appreciate all that you are. The range blends colour from landscapes and nature, with a pops of our favourite pinks and oranges from the incredible sunrises and sunsets of these beautiful places. Each of the 3 collections spark a diverse sense of the wild, from sweet to savage to free. Treasure the beauty in the wild, and the beauty in you. Appreciate your sweet, appreciate your strength, and run fearlessly-- 'Into the Wild.'

My Favourite Piece From The Collection Is: 

Our new ‘Primal Jumpsuit’ in the Cyclades Print. This print comes in 2 colourways; ochre and black which are both such a versatile earthy bases with pops of hot pink highlights to bring them to life. Super comfy and looks great with sneakers and a white tee underneath, or can be dressed up with a belt and heels!

The Wholesale Price Points For The Range Are: 

The wholesale price range is $50-$100

The Fabrics And Colourways Include:

Naudic is known for its signature and individual style, combining colours and patterns, this year we have added in soft romantics, to balance the wild prints. Colourways are earthy greens, mustard, with soft pink and charcoals. Plus hints of mint, and alot of blues. Fabrics are a mix of 100% cotton, linen and satin.

I Predict The Biggest Trend This Year Will Be: 

All about layering! People generally associate layering with the cooler weather, but I think this year is about making it work all year round. Easy separates and slip dresses are a comfortable, light and fun base in pops of colour, that can then be styled back with all different prints or looks to create a completely different style.

Fashion Exposed Now

Discover Naudic's latest collection at Fashion Exposed Now, Australia’s only dedicated womenswear buying event. Registration is free and includes access local and international labels, seminars and round table sessions to help build your business. Fashion Exposed NowFree, trade-only eventSunday 2 – Monday 3 February 2020Royal Exhibition Building, Melbournefashionexposed.com