Leatheron.

Tell us about your label, Leatheron, and how it all began.

You can say that I grew into it. During my early childhood, I grew up around my grandma, who made clothe for the family, because we were poor. We used to go fabric shopping together and I would do the bargaining in the markets. My first stitches came from her manual machine with a side roll and a foot pedal. I was also under the care of my aunty for sometime before my teens, she was a model and my love for fashion was a given. I designed my first leather jacket when I was twelve. The jacket was designed to match my signature Jordan shoes. I love the idea that I had something that was unique, it made me feel like a superhero.

What do you love about working with leather?

From a young age I travelled a lot, due to having separated parents. I had to mature quicker than other kids and be mentally tougher. I got this toughness from my life experiences and learnings. Every new environment became a fresh learning and development process. I made a life pattern from an early stage to live without regrets. I live everyday knowing that time will never stop. My ideas will never stop. All my sketches are drawn using a pen. I do not want to be fixated on mistakes, but quickly learn from them and create the next with a better calculated execution. Leather is something can not to altered or changed with ease. Hence my love of working with it. Leather is a material that only moves forward and can not shift backwards like life and time.

 

What exciting creative projects do you have planned for the next 12 months?

I am currently working on 3 new collections. I have just finished the Silencer Collection.

1.   Heroes Collection - inspired from Marvel Heroes.

2.   White Collection - couture dresses for evening and event wear.

3.   TbyGe - casual leather detailing using cotton, denim and knit.

What can market-folk expect to find at the June event?

I will be showcasing two of my newest collection, Silencer and 11Kingdoms. The Silencer Collection is about strength in contrast. I used distressed leather to represent raw hardship and created drapery and curved silhouettes to really focus on contouring the frame. 11Kingdoms is about giving power to the wearer. I drew inspiration from Game of Thrones. I wanted to represent each individual house from show with different pieces. There was an emphasis on modernised armour look. I created this collection to be simple, structured, wearable but detailed enough to be versatile and flexible as it transforms from office professional to subtle evening event wear.

 

What is it about Hustle&Scout Hobart that made you want to be involved?

Tegan the owner of Hustle&Scout is someone who is true to her art and I support that. I also think this is a great way to enter the Tasmanian market.

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Food - because food is my second love.

Family - because they are with you through thick and thin.

Shoes - because shoes tell a lot about the wearer.

 

Australian fashion designers:

Betty Tran - can stack details together so well
Arthur Gallan - commercialised his label well 
Akira - just a hero
Camilla and Marc - Love their subtle and strong lines

 
Meal to have cooked for you:
Eggplant and potato with chicken - My favourite Mum’s dish.

 

Fashion piece you have made:
My interchangable coat, it was a trend coat that turned into a sports jacket that was able to be wore with a single zip or double breasted look. The coat excess turned into a side bag. - This is one of the hardest piece that I have ever worked on. It took 2 years from idea to garment.

 

Country you have visited:

Morocco - my wife’s country.

Item in your studio:

My pen and paper - where it all begins.

Melly Frank.

Tell us about your jewellery label, Melly Frank, and how it all began.

I decided to create my jewellery label after a working holiday in the UK in 2006. I knew I had always wanted to live a creative life and when I witnessed artisans running their own little shops in a town called Peebles in Scotland I realised that this is what I had always wanted for myself.

I completed a Diploma in Art, Craft and Design at the Tasmanian Polytechnic college and my love of creating jewellery from sterling silver began.

 

 

Where do you draw your design inspiration from?

Living on this amazing island and being surrounded by so much open space is a constant inspiration for me....The fact that I have a view of a mountain from my studio window is a constant source of inspiration. The view is different every day. Change is what inspires my work the most. Change is the law of nature, nothing is constant, everything is always changing. I developed my Vessel Series with this in mind. I create little vessels that house materials such as ribbon and lace. The materials are not a permanent feature they are able to be changed by the wearer. Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey, the awesomeness of bees and their keepers is also an inspiration for me and they played a part in the development of my Honeycomb Collection.

What does a typical Melly Frank ‘making’ day look like?

I like to start as early as possible in my studio after a brisk morning walk or run with my dog Reko. If I have had a new idea I will spend quite a bit of time playing around with different compositions and experimenting with materials until I get the look that I am after.

What can market-folk expect to find at the June event?

I have been working on a new range of work called “Flight” inspired by the graceful movements of birds and I am looking forward to launching this at the June event.

Market goers can also expect to find lots of dainty rings that fit nicely under woolly winter gloves. Sleeping Stone ring stands will also be making an appearance. They love to wear rings on their heads like a crown when ones finger needs a rest.

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

I’ve heard great things from previous stall holders about Hustle and Scout and I’ve heard the people running the show are pretty awesome too. Plus the venue is fabulous and I reckon this event will brighten up everyone’s winter.

 

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Song on your ultimate mixtape: The Cure - Doing the Unstuck - it always gets me out of a funk!

Meal to have cooked for you: Vego Lasagne - its such good winter comfort food.

Fashion piece you have made: My Annica neckpiece that I made in 2013 for the Pushing the Boundaries exhibition. It’s the biggest piece I have made to date.

Place to unwind in Hobart: Bushwalking around Hobart. There are so many lovely walks around this city that are easily accessible and great for unwinding any time of the day.

Item in your studio: My heater!  I would freeze in the winter without it.

 

 

Two Threads.

Tell us about Two Threads and how it all began…

No, we are not sisters. (We get asked that all the time!)

We're just a pair of bowerbird-ish friends who fossick and collect — and love fashion, fabric, art and food. We enjoy upcycling our found objects into new works of wonder.

And that's how it started…with a huge box of vintage buttons that we couldn't resist buying at one of our market trawls, and then had to figure out how to use.

With the success of our button jewellery we outgrew the kitchen table and felt ready for a bigger design challenge—creating distinctive, affordable, Melbourne-made clothing that women like us would enjoy wearing.

These days, when we're not on a road trip to a fabulous festival, or meeting our wonderful customers at the local markets, you'll find us happily ensconced in our semi-industrial, warehouse studio in Highett—surrounded by objets d'art that inspire us—where we create and construct and shape and play and drink tea.

Describe the Two Threads design aesthetic.

The Two Threads design aesthetic is edgy, quirky, distinctive and resists fashion trends. Most pieces feature left of center design elements, like external seams, often with raw edges and asymmetrical lines.

We take carefully chosen cloth in unexpected directions by deconstructing, manipulating, twisting, tucking, layering, playing with shapes and contrasts, not knowing where we're going until one of us says "That's it!...Stop!!" Most pieces feature unorthodox design details like external seams, often with raw edges and asymmetrical lines. We also love to include a recycled element, creating new pieces of wonder from recycled garments and found objects. You name it, we'll use it.

What is it about markets that keeps you coming back for more?

We love selling at markets because there is always such a great atmosphere and it allows us to meet lots of interesting women who share our love for alternative fashion! We have made some wonderful friendships not only with customers but fellow designers. Lots of our markets are interstate so we are always meeting new people and no markets are the same, it beats going to work in the same place day in day out!

What can market-folk expect to find at the June Hustle&Scout?

We have been busy working on our new Winter threads.  Market goers can expect to find our winter tunics that can be tied, folded and layered for effect or just for fun!  Our tried and true Two Threads pants, as well as a range of our wonderful, warm, winter woolen layers.  We have also been creating some awesome one off upcycled pieces.

Tell us about your special connection to Tasmania.

We both grew up in Hobart and this is where we originally formed our friendship through mutual friends and a love of fashion… way back when! After many hairstyles and an array of crazy outfits we decided a move to Melbourne was in order. These days we both have families of our own here in Melbourne however we still have a connection with Tassie through friends and family. We can’t wait to be part of the Hustle&Scout market in our home town.

 

OUR FAVE THINGS

Country to visit:

France and Italy, we are always attracted to fantastic fashion and beautiful food!

What you wanted to be when you grew up:

A fashion designer and a hairdresser. Guess we loved a bit of glamour even when we were small.

Fashion item you own:

My Yohji black lace up shoes and my Bianca Spender black jumpsuit that I was lucky enough to find in a second hand shop. Yes you would be right in saying there is a black theme here!

Place to unwind in Hobart:

I always love to visit Mt Wellington as it has great childhood memories for me and I never get sick of that view. A trip home to Hobart isn’t the same without a visit to The State Cinema, although the chairs are much more comfortable now than when we used to go.

Your role model/s:

That’s easy our Mums!!

Oyster and Pearl.

Tell us about Oyster & Pearl and how it all began...

I started making my own clothes out of necessity as a young teen…and as I wanted to look different my passion for design developed. After pursuing various vocations I came full circle back to my real love and started creating small ranges for design markets under the Oyster and Pearl banner. Encouraged by customer reaction I hunted out a quirky studio space and Oyster and Pearl retail was born.  

 

 

What do you enjoy most about designing?

I have a hunger for every aspect of the creative process… I’m excited by the hunt for beautiful textiles and the sourcing of every small component that brings a design to life.  I’m hideously driven, but sometimes to my detriment in that pursuit of perfection.  It is all consuming but intensely satisfying.

 

What do you enjoy about having a shop front and being able to have a market stall?

I thrive on the on-going relationships with my customers…it’s real, it keeps me grounded. Markets provide an opportunity to engage a different demographic and I love to feel all that creative energy focused into one space.

Describe your workspace?

Oyster and Pearl is very hide and seek…I like it that I’m a little hard to find. It’s an old building with arch windows that not only provide great natural light but allow me a birds-eye view of local street life.  The building is full of a other creative souls and I’m fortunate to have both a retail space and separate workshop.

 

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

Awesome that you were prepared to bring your gig to Tassie… we have a plethora of design markets and pop up shops these days but Hustle&Scout excited my interest and pushed my buttons with its refined, focused and edgy approach. Timing is perfect with all the wonders of Dark Mofo lighting up Hobart.

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure:
Watching TV in bed.

What you wanted to be when you grew up:

I always wanted to be a fashion designer.
 

Fave fashion piece you own:

My Sarah Sturgeon black dress….although hard to squeeze into it these days!

Fave place to unwind in Hobart:

Upstairs bar at the Alabama Hotel.

 

Your role model/s:

I find that a hard question …there’s so many seemingly ordinary everyday people who are inspiring …and those quiet achievers. But when it comes to aesthetics, Tom Ford.

RedPeg Eco Studio.

Tell us about RedPeg Eco Studio and what inspires your designs.

RedPeg Eco Studio is a small one woman “Open Studio” on the far south coast of NSW in the beautiful Bega Valley. You’ll find me in ‘The Peg’ most days, tinkering. Whether it be working on a custom order or melting down scrap silver and reworking it or in mad production mode, working on 40 pairs of individual earrings all at once.

My work is inspired by the material. I work in only recycled metal, predominantly sterling silver, but more recently recycled copper coins as well. I manipulate the metal and find form and aesthetic through this process. I'm most often inspired by the natural world and the wonderful patterns found in nature, although the man made world, like architecture and design creep in as well. It so hard to specifically say what inspires me - everything!

How did you get into making jewellery?

My training is in sculpture, so my jewellery making is an extension of that. I love working in construction based disciplines and find the jewellery making process to be the same, just on a smaller scale.

 

What item in your studio could you not live without, and why?

Probably my hammers and mandrels. So much of my time is spent banging and shaping with these tools. I'd be lost without them.

 

What can market-folk expect to find at the June event?

My recent body of work are the “Organica” and “Lotus” series. These are designs inspired by the chaos of natural pattern and shapes as well as the repetition and harmony found in the natural environment. Interpreted in earrings,
rings, bangles and necklaces for both him and her.

 

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

I love the uniqueness of Hustle&Scout, the market being carefully curated to showcase local designs and fashion. It’s more of an experience than your average market in that every stall holder is a creative independent designer and maker. I just hope I have time to pop out from behind my stall and see all the awesomeness that is Hustle&Scout.

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure:

Chocolate is my weakness! Not many days pass where I don’t indulge.

What you wanted to be when you grew up:
Is it terrible to admit I wasn’t very ambitious? I guess I was always going to do something with my hands. I’ve always been a hands-on person.

Fave fashion piece you own:
Ever changing, but at the moment, it’s my little ‘me made’ raw silk tunic dress. Yep, I’m a sewer as well.

One place you’d like to visit when in Hobart:
Hey MONA Ooooh MONA.

 

 

Flock of Two.

Tell us about Flock of Two and how it all began.

Flock of Two is the two of us, Rosie and Ruth. We first met in 1999 at a mutual workplace. As the years went on, we continued to end up as co-workers for separate employers. Obviously the universe was trying to tell us something. Who are we to fight our destiny? Thus, Flock of Two was born.
 

We have a studio in the Salamanca Arts Centre and here we design and create a range of porcelain jewellery, leather and hide purses and soft furnishings using our own fabric designs.

 

Describe some of the sustainable aspects to your creations...

We favour working with natural materials and sustainable fabrics, some of which are by-products of other industries. For example, our cushion inserts are filled with 100% PET fibre, which is derived from recycled water bottles. We also manufacture locally and design our pieces with a timeless style in mind.
 

What inspires you creatively and keeps you motivated?

We gain inspiration from the materials we work with; different textures and mediums and the many ways they can be paired. We look at the natural attributes of our raw materials and from that create a form that is both beautiful and elegant in its simplicity.

We also love the collaborative process of working with other designers and seeing how different creative processes mix together to create new and exciting ideas. Motivation also comes from looking outward at the world and the happiness that comes from being a part of the wider creative community.

 

What do you enjoy most about creating and making?
 

Pretty much all of it! We love the brain storming sessions and the ‘play’ part where it’s no holds barred. There’s a certain holistic feeling that comes from creating and making. Having an idea and then taking that idea from thought to physical form is just so satisfying!

 

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

 

We love Hustle&Scout’s ethos and feel it falls very much in line with how we feel about our own brand. We love that they celebrate the handmade, support local makers and emerging designers. We’re very excited to be a part of the first Hobart Hustle&Scout!

OUR FAVE THINGS:

 
Guilty pleasure:

Feasting on handmade doughnuts from Small Fry – essential for creative meetings!

What you wanted to be when you grew up:
Between the two of us our aspirations included architect, Mark from G-force, policewoman, graphic designer, horticulturist, Luke Skywalker and self employed creative entrepreneur (Yay! We’re there!)

Fave fashion piece you own:

Rosie: I love my pair of Jane Hodgetts reclaimed brass earrings - they go with everything!

Ruth: My mustard duffle coat that helps me brave the walk to work when the weather gets fresh. That and a big scarf!

Fave place to unwind in Hobart:

Our studio sofa is pretty damn good! On the social side of things, we often meet up after work on a Thursday at Jack Greene. Great beer and burgers, can’t go past the beef and blue cheese or mushroom and haloumi!

Role models:

This is tough as there are so many people we find amazing and inspiring! A few creative crushes would include Beci Orpin, Bridget Bodenham and Megan Morton (and Morgan Freeman but that goes without saying, doesn’t it?).

  

JUDE Artisan Fashion.

Tell us about JUDE and how it all began...

JUDE began as a small independent fashion and accessories label focusing on one-off and limited edition pieces which were all hand made by me. My vision was to bring the handcraft back into fashion, to create pieces which had a personality and told a story of how it was made. I created pieces which involved age old artisanal techniques, which fused my background in fine arts with my love of fashion.

I have sold my work at numerous design markets and fashion events over the years, all the while gaining invaluable knowledge about my customer, and how my product fits into their daily lives. I therefore have ease, comfort, and versatility in mind with every design, while also creating a unique and individual style statement.

JUDE has now grown to open our first ever concept store and working studio! Which means exciting and busy times ahead for us! To this day, JUDE pieces are still designed and created in our humble Melbourne studio, with the production done entirely in Melbourne by us and our talented makers.

Where or who do you look to for inspiration?

I like to look at non fashion sources for inspiration. I am inspired by modern and contemporary art, some of my favourites are Picasso and Frida Kahlo. I get inspired by travel to exotic places. Recently I went to Morocco and was mesmerised by the history of their handcraft, and how they fused their resourcefulness with incredible skill and eye for colour. Small things often inspire me – the drape and colour of a particular fabric which caught my eye could spark ideas for a whole new collection!

I would say my customers are a big inspiration too. I am constantly looking at what they wear and how they put themselves together, looking at how my product fits into their daily lives.

What do you enjoy about having a shopfront and also having a market stall?

In my shopfront, I enjoy being setup in one place and not moving! It's been a few years of setting up my display just for one day at the market! I also really love that customers can now pop into my store and have the whole experience of my work, from the production in my studio at the back, to the finished product on the shop floor. I also love how I can now alter things to fit them at a moments notice.

I still like having my market stalls because I love the energy that the market brings and the enthusiasm of all the people around me. I also like it because I reach a very broad customer base, and meet people from all walks of life.

What can market-folk expect to find at the June market?

My full winter 2015 collection! We are so excited about this season, because of all the new shapes and luscious fabrics we have introduced. We are also constantly evolving the range, with new styles and special one-off pieces and limited runs coming out regularly.

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

It looks like a really fabulous market! I have been following it for a while, and love the huge mix of incredible designers on offer.

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure: Dancing badly to Beyonce.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: An artist.

Fave fashion piece you own: A raglan sleeve long wool coat from the 1940’s.

One place you’d like to visit when in Hobart: MONA!

Your role model/s: My parents, for their openness, generosity and work ethic.