Chilali is a brand new Melbourne-based fashion label creating unique garments from “planet friendly materials and practices”.
Named after the designer Chilali [Chi] Weller, this is a brand that was incubated during Chi’s studies completing a double Bachelor of Fashion Design and Visual Art at LCI Melbourne.
“I remember always loving fashion, art, and design in school, then moving to a non dress code Steiner school for Years 11 and 12 really made me realise fashion is what I wanted to do,” explains Chi.
“Since finishing my studies I have been testing the water through commission works, the Melbourne Fashion Hub pop up, and runways, to gain audience feedback before I commence low MOQ [Minimum Order Quantity] Melbourne-based production.
Chilali also offers unique accessories made from planet friendly materials
“This has really been my dream for almost 10 years now and I am completely driven to continue, as this is what I love doing.”
INSPIRED BY …
Chi says that he is as inspired by both iconic fashion designers as he is by the people he has worked with, including his LCI Melbourne Mentors Todd Anthony and Blair Archibald: “Rei Kawakubo, Demna Gvasalia, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto and Gigi Brookes.”
The sharp tailoring – something generally lacking in the Australian emerging brand market – of Chilali shows the strength of Chi’s influences. This is a brand that could be described as ‘menswear’ yet has a fluidity of design that enables a wide range of interpretations, creating a unique proposition as a non-gendered label.
Like the majority of emerging designers, Chi is also inspired by issues of sustainability in production. The goal for his brand Chilali is to “design and construct highly unique and innovative garments and accessories using planet friendly materials and practices”.
The “elevated streetwear” aesthetic of Chilali is embedded in sustainable practices.
“All [of my] garments are constructed using planet friendly materials and practices like hemp, cactus leather, deadstock fabrics, biodegradable 3D print filament and recycled materials.
“Chilali has a strong emphasis on upcycling existing garments which are sold as 1/1, but also using those outcomes to inform future designs I construct from scratch.
“My garments are constructed to a premium quality in Melbourne. I aim to sell unique and sustainable garments at a range of price points that can be worn by any gender and are not governed by season.”
THE PLAN …
Chi’s long-term goal is “sell directly to a global audience of customers, as well as having garments sold in a number of aligning global stockists”.
He says: “I will continue researching and implementing responsible and innovative design practices and keep experimenting and improving my design outcomes.”
To get your hands on a piece from Chilali, go to @_chilali. For a bespoke garment, contact Chi at [email protected].
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