WARRIOR ROAD (Debut designer)

Tell us a bit about Warrior Road Apparel & Accessories.

Warrior Road is about being different. It’s about being the square peg in the round hole. It represents both the liberation and loneliness of being an outsider and it channels the strength that individuals like this must develop in order to survive in the big, bad world. Everyone has fought a battle of some sort and walked the road.

Your garments feature different, quirky prints and illustrations – where do these come from?

I had been designing my own tees for around ten years – just things that I thought were cute, clever or funny. I never really considered that they might appeal to anybody else but after I was stopped a few times in the street and asked about what I was wearing I realised that maybe there was a market to be tapped – and that maybe others shared my quirky sense! Not everyone gets it but those that do are totally on the same page. I just do what appeals to me and cross my fingers that others embrace it!

 

What are your long term goals for Warrior Road?
Of course like anyone else I would love to be making a fortune from doing my dream job – but not at the expense of control or by compromising the vision of the brand. I love pop-up retail because it allows me to connect with my customers, to meet them and find out their story and to reintegrate that into the brand. We are still such a young label that there’s plenty of work to be done experimenting with different items, trialling new locations and expanding our reach. 

What can market folk expect to find at our April event?

We are launching our Autumn / Winter collection at the April event which means brand new designs, a new spin on some faves from our last collection and the expansion of the range into pants as well as tees – with a Warrior Road twist of course. This collection is a lot more structured than previous which allows more of a central theme to present itself. I love the colours of Autumn – the reds, oranges - and will be bringing them, along with comfort and layering to the market.

What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to be a stallholder?

The chance to showcase Warrior Road for an audience that is specifically looking for new and unique fashions is one that I couldn’t pass up! It’s a great opportunity to seize the spotlight - even for a moment - alongside some talented and driven people. Men’s fashion tends to be a bit niche and it’s more of a challenge to get guys excited about fashion so the Hustle&Scout audience is perfect for us!

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure:

Trashy TV. From melodramatic soaps to sci-fi to reality series scrag fights. It’s a sickness. I need help.

What you wanted to be when you grew up:

I trained as an actor and always intended to follow that path but have distractedly wandered off the path and gotten lost in other creative pursuits along the way.

First song on your ultimate mixtape:

Something I can dance to with reckless abandon.

Fav thing about visiting Canberra:

Canberra surprises me every time.

Your role model/s:

My dog, Darby. He never looked back on the years of abuse and neglect he had endured before he came to live with us. Even when
diagnosed with terminal cancer he fought bravely and lived every
day to the fullest – with courage and love.