Inside SAINT LX: The Brand Championing The Capsule Wardrobe
Luxury essentials
Meet Elizabeth George, the visionary behind SAINT LX, a brand redefining the capsule wardrobe movement. The GC-born and Sydney-based designer, Elizabeth, now draws from her experience in Australian luxury and fast fashion, crafting luxury capsule wardrobe staples without the hefty price tag.
Continue on to find out how SAINT LX caters to discerning consumers who prioritise investment pieces over trends, focusing on versatility, quality, and timelessness. We delve into the details of the brand’s creation process and its role in promoting slow fashion and mindful consumption in today’s ever-changing landscape.
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What inspired SAINT LX’s creation, and how does your Australian fashion industry background influence the brand?
I had toyed with the idea of the brand for a few years, with inspiration coming from my own personal principles I follow when shopping, which has always been quality over quantity. I have always been naturally drawn to investing in leather, denim, and silk staples which I would wear year-round. I was curating my capsule wardrobe before I was even familiar with the term and I always knew that these fabrics would be the foundation of my brand.
From working in-store for an Australian designer, to being a Buyer for seven years in fast fashion, I experienced the realities of both markets; the cyclical nature of fast fashion and the markup of designer goods. I saw an opportunity for luxury wardrobe staples, without the designer price tag. This is where the idea behind SAINT LX began, to create garments for like-minded people who value quality, craftsmanship, and timeless style – all at an accessible price point.
Can you outline the process of curating a capsule wardrobe collection, from idea to final product?
As I begin the creative process of building a collection, I always come back to four key principles that help guide me and ensure the collection stays true to the SAINT LX DNA:
1. Versatility: being able to dress it up or down.
2. Quality: fabrications that will last the distance.
3. Timelessness: that it will remain relevant season after season.
4. Lastly, and most importantly, is that all pieces can be styled interchangeably with my previous collections, which allows our customers to continually build new looks.
I will then begin to conceptualise the range and work with my supplier base to source colours of cashmere yarns, leather qualities and begin sampling the designs. After personally testing the samples, many iterations of the collection develop until I am confident that the final product will truly add value to a capsule wardrobe.
How do you ensure that SAINT LX’s emphasis on quality, craftsmanship, and timeless style shines through in every piece?
The quality and craftsmanship of our garments come down to the incredibly talented supply base I have grown over the past two years. They have stood by me from the early beginnings, ordering one or two pieces of each size, to growing with SAINT LX today. Timeless style comes hand in hand, ensuring the selection of high-quality fabrications and crafting them into classic silhouettes.
How does SAINT LX contribute to the growing trend of slow fashion and mindful consumption?
After being a buyer in fast fashion for seven years, this is an aspect of the brand I am very passionate about. Taking the time, effort, and investment to create a beautiful product only to heavily discount it as early as two months after it launches is against our principles. We avoid end-of-season sales, instead curating transeasonal collections with a timeless appeal that can continue to sell year after year. We test our new designs in small quantities and reorder where we see the demand.
What factors drive your selection of materials, such as Napa leather, wool, and cashmere, for your designs?
To curate a luxury capsule wardrobe, selective material sourcing is key. Our garments are pieces to be worn every day, so ensuring they are crafted from durable natural fibres and leather is essential. Our silk satin weight is 30 momme, one of the heaviest and most expensive weights rarely used but will last and hold its sheen for years.
Who is the typical SAINT LX customer, and what distinguishes them from fast fashion consumers?
She is a discerning woman between the ages of 25-39, who values understated elegance over trendiness and prioritises investment pieces. What distinguishes her from a fast fashion consumer is her appreciation for luxury fabrications and the attention to detail that goes into the construction of high-quality garments.
Balancing quality and affordability is crucial for luxury wardrobe staples. How do you achieve this with SAINT LX?
The markup of designer goods can be upwards of six to ten times the true cost of making them, with a retail price that doesn’t always reflect the quality of the garments themselves. We offer a superior quality at a more affordable retail price, which has been achieved by our online direct-to-consumer business model.
What do you attribute SAINT LX’s significant year-on-year sales growth to, and how do you plan to sustain it?
The introduction of our Cashmere Collection last year was received very well by our customers and continues to be a big growth area for the brand. We are currently in the middle of sampling our spring collection; you will have to wait and see!
What challenges have you encountered in establishing and expanding SAINT LX, and how have you addressed them?
The last two years have been nothing short of new challenges, especially with the economic uncertainty and the rising costs of freight and raw materials. Building a loyal customer base who continue to return and shop with the brand has been key in navigating this.
What can we anticipate from SAINT LX in terms of future collections and brand development?
We have lots of exciting new plans in the pipeline. Our primary focus will be understanding more about our customer and involving them in brand events and launches. Our next transeasonal collection is arriving in August and we have our most exciting photoshoot planned to date!
