Style-ish Podcast: In Conversation with Bianca Spender at Australian Fashion Week
On Wednesday 13th of May, Style-ish podcast’s own Anika Joshi Smith and Shameless Media’s Head of Social Naima Fatema, took to the MCA’s Fashion Week tent with special guest, Bianca Spender for a conversation on all things fashion, design and business. This conversation gave a valuable in-depth view into the inner workings of producing a collection.
Spender gave us some insight into her inspirations and intentions behind her Tuesday show. As this month's Met Gala paid homage to celebrated works of art, so too did Spender. She took inspiration from the work of sculptor Barbara Hepworth, known for her carved formations that intertwined art, landscapes and the human figure. Spender noted the feeling of expansiveness she acquired on viewing Hepworth’s art, and translated this into her resort collection through fabrications that mold to the wearer - a certain freedom of form. This included a juxtaposed yet harmonious collaboration between soft, billowy, iridescent fabrics and tough, sturdy and textured leather. ‘The clothes are my children’ Spender joked, yet it rings true that these garments have a certain human presence to them. They seem to sculpt the wearer, and move as though they are simply extensions of their person.
When contemplating this collection, Spender reflected on the disturbing world news and visualised the position art and fashion can take to liberate our minds and make us feel a sense of freedom. These clothes seem to take us back to our most raw, naked human selves, and as such, act as a quiet rebellion.
As the conversation neared its end, the floor became open to questions. One attendee raised the subject of sustainability in the collection. Spender remarked that she values clothing quality and longevity as the most effective way of keeping clothing out of landfill. She touched upon her rigorous fabric testing and noted sending back fabrics that didn’t uphold her quality standards, despite production certification passes. Spender rejects fabrics that pill, rip or stretch, and thus her collections stand the test of time. Her designs are made not only with the original buyer in mind, but with the secondhand buyers, and the people whom these pieces are passed down to. She also commented on the importance of designing clothes with the versatility to be worn across all occasions, as well as making collections more washable to reduce dry cleaning so that the pieces may work the hardest and be worn as many times as possible.
As an end note, Bianca Spender reminded us that the consumers have the biggest voice to enact change in the industry. Marketing departments recognise where distrust in a brand affects sales, we simply need to make noise, and shop with our values - “You can create the change you want to see”.
Gemma Moran
