Alongside her career in social work, Annie McLary decided she needed some sort of creative outlet. Her lifelong love of fashion led her to launching Days of Grace, a slow fashion brand focused on made-to-order local production.

When three friends – Lisa Mosca, Nadia Del Giudice and Lavinia Thomas – decided to create a brand that supported their shared love of accessories, particularly headwear, it wasn’t long before ThreeUnite was launched.

Designer Tamika Sewell launched her brand Aurei Lúa in May, 2022, wanting to create something that showed sustainable fashion could be as beautiful as any other design.

When the pandemic arrived, Ayse Uyanik decided to embrace her long held dream and finally launch a fashion brand, Samay Collections. 

After more than 16 years working in the fashion industry, designer Anneliese Bridgman felt like she needed to do something more creative, something that was not so “mechanical and consuming”.

In 2015, Paulo Castro and his sister Ginny launched Melbourne-based fashion brand Orocéo Castro, a label named after their mother’s maiden name and their father’s surname.

Melbourne-based designer Justin Tong’s new eponymous label is his “love letter” to all the important women in his life. 

For Sydney transplant Victoria Jane, arriving in Melbourne and knowing no one led to discovering a talent for creative headpieces and the launch of her namesake millinery label.

In September, 2020, Emily Luvara and Michelle Leng decided that they wanted to make a “treasure trove” of their own to share their love of fashion, colour and sparkle in the form of Novella the Label.

It wasn’t until February, 2022, that Paul Malcolm finally launched his own brand of bespoke, handmade coats, despite being in fashion for years and years, he will cheerfully acknowledge.