Behind The Brand: In Conversation With Three Innovative, Brisbane Fashion Designers
Threads of Brisbane
In the ever-evolving landscape of Brisbane, the fashion scene has often been overshadowed by our more fashion-forward siblings, Sydney and Melbourne. But in recent years, the city’s unique fashion identity has undoubtedly started to come into its own, as an increasing number of talented fashion designers come to the fore, alongside the established brands we all know and love.
We had the pleasure of speaking with the creative forces behind three innovative, Brisbane-based fashion brands that are helping to put our vibrant River City on the fashion map.
Gail Sorronda, Designer and Founder of Gail Sorronda
Tell me about yourself.
I have the audacity to manifest ideas out of nothing.
How would you describe your brand in three words?
Dark romantic synthesis.
What is your design process?
A feeling will often inspire the process first. I then enjoy toiling and working on a mannequin developing silhouettes. Sometimes fabric will inform a shape, sometimes it’s the accidents, or sometimes it’s building upon a study explored in the past reimagined.
How has your label evolved over the years?
I guess it’s an exploration of storytelling through personal myth. Each collection is a chapter to the body of work. I am soon approaching my 20th anniversary next year so I have been quite reflective lately. I feel like the DNA of the brand persists, even though I have tested boundaries as part of my growth – not just through design, but through interesting collaborations and the role of auteur.
What inspires you?
A feeling. This collection, Mestiza, which will be in store and online soon, is an exploration of my cultural origins. I am part Filipino and have noticed how silhouettes have repeated themselves in previous collections like a subconscious imprint.
What do you hope your legacy will be?
That I have left a memory on our cultural landscape. That I have contributed to beauty and inspired a feeling.
Do you have any projects coming up?
I have an opportunity to go overseas this year to develop a component of the collection for my 20th anniversary.
Sher Lo, Designer and Owner of ANANNASA
Tell me a bit about yourself and your career in fashion.
I’m originally from Borneo, which is a part of Malaysia, but Australia is now home. I’ve been interested in fashion since an early age and, after I graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1980, I got my first job as an assistant fashion buyer in Metro, Singapore’s leading department store in the 80s. Since then, I haven’t looked back. After a fulfilling career in Singapore and Hong Kong in this industry, my family emigrated to Brisbane. In 2014, ANANNASA was born.
How does your heritage inform your work?
Interestingly, although I am Malaysian-Chinese, I am more influenced and vested in Indian culture. This could have stemmed from the fact that we have a big fabric store in my hometown owned by Indian traders on a street named India Street. Growing up as a child in the ’60s, that was my first introduction to the world of fashion, fabrics, and trims.
What inspires you?
Everything and anything. In the words of Grace Coddington: “Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you see can inspire you.”
Who is your fashion icon?
It has changed through the ages. Growing up, it was my mum, she was always stylish and impeccably dressed. In my 20s, it was Donna Karan. Her Seven Easy Pieces made up of a bodysuit, skirt, tailored jacket, dress, something leather, white shirt, and cashmere sweater, which was intended to take a woman from day-to-night, office-to-party, resonated with me. These days, I admire so many people that it is impossible to name one.
How would you describe ANANNASA’s aesthetic?
ANANNASA is known for its effortless and elevated resort-style looks using high-quality fabrics and signature prints. We are also passionate about slow fashion and championing the works of artisans. All in all, we hope to bring joy and something special and unique to our customers when they wear our clothes.
You travel to India multiple times a year for work, what is that experience like?
India is like a second home to me. The vibrant culture, its rich heritage, the colours, the sights, the architecture, and even the chaos is totally mesmerising. However, when it comes to work, it can be a bit of a challenge at times as we navigate through their many public holidays, incredible festivals, and of course, their famous traffic jams. But it’s all part of the process and I just can’t get enough of their skilled workmanship and craftsmanship. Indian embroiderers, referred to as Karigars, are known to be among the best in the world.
Do you have any projects coming up?
An upcoming trip to India and our beautiful SS24 collection is launching in August.
Kiara and Bianca Bulley, Designers and Owners of Bulley Bulley
Tell me about yourselves and Bulley Bulley.
We have a background in fashion and costume. We both studied fashion at QUT and from there, Bianca pursued a career in costume while Kiara worked in fashion academia for many years. The choice to start the label was greatly inspired by our experience in these areas and I think you can really see that in the brand’s aesthetic. Bulley Bulley is quintessentially playful in style and draws heavily on the history of costume and fashion. We love looking back at all the beautiful and often silly clothes of the past.
What is your approach to design and fashion?
We have a very playful, hands-on approach to fashion and design. As sisters, we grew up playing dress-ups together and continued to find a lot of creative joy in the process of ‘getting dressed’, or styling as adults too. As a result, our design process often involves elements of ‘dress-ups’. We often look to existing garments or costumes to imagine how they might be reinvented. Or, we drape directly on the mannequin as a starting point, being inspired by fabric and form.
Where did your love of fashion stem from?
It was born in our mother’s wardrobe, which seemed to contain an infinite number of beautiful clothes. She was a thrifty home sewer and really instilled this sense of agency in us towards fashion. We were sewing and making clothes from quite a young age. This meant the clothes that we saw in fashion magazines were never too far out of reach because we could make our own versions, or invent even more exciting ensembles of our own imagining.
Proudest career moment so far?
We are really proud of ourselves for launching this business and having the confidence to run it in the way that we want – small, slow, and bespoke. It is such a challenge when you are trying to forge a different path, so we are very proud to have stuck to our guns on this. Other major achievements have been Bianca’s winning of the Churchill Fellowship to study tailoring in the UK, our first runway collection for Brisbane Fashion Month last year, and some of the great opportunities we have had to collaborate with big institutions such as GOMA and Opera Queensland.
Any projects coming up?
Yes! We have a busy few months coming up. We will be presenting some work as part of Cutting Edge, an incredible project organised by Fashion Queensland. For this, we have been partnered up with scientists from the IMB labs at the University of Queensland to translate some of their groundbreaking research into runway looks. Kiara will also be running fashion illustration workshops at GOMA Friday Nights, as part of the Iris Van Herpen exhibition, as well as delivering some public talks at various fashion events. Keep your eyes on our socials for more details.
