Melbourne designer Cirra-Sue Grace Gillard is a designer, tailor and advocate, who says that while she does create stunning garments for her brand Cirrasue, she is ultimately creating moments.
“I’m creating pieces that allow people to express confidence, individuality, and celebration in a very intentional way. I design to process what I have seen and felt going on around me and I wear these garments to smile and feel confident, to take on the world with the intention of bringing people together and creating a world with more smiles and full hearts,” explains Cirra-Sue.
From Young Designer to Melbourne Fashion Label
“Cirrasue has looked like many things over the years,” she says. “I did my first Kampala Fashion Week runway in 2015 as a fourteen-year-old and again in 2017. I have made many collections and lots of custom garments and accessories. But it was not until 2025 that the Cirrasue you see today was launched.
“I have been working towards this version of Cirrasue my whole life so it is very exciting to finally be here and to continue in the vision for its long term growth as a business, community pillar and political platform.
“I am now based in Carlton, Melbourne with my husband Jackson. I am originally from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, but my teen years were spent in Uganda, Africa with my parents who are missionaries there. I flew the nest at seventeen taking myself to Melbourne for university after a small stint in Wyndam, Western Australia and I have called Melbourne home ever since.
“I have lived and breathed fashion design, sewing, photography and art my whole life. I grew up in the sewing room with my mother who was a tailor. I loved creating something from nothing and turning a mistake into something special.
“Design and creating with my hands became my way of processing the ups and downs of life, a way for me to express myself, a way to connect with people and make the world a better place. Fashion isn’t about trends for me it is about joy, confidence, self-expression, connection, community and storytelling.
“I have been an independent designer since I was a young teen winning awards, presenting at fashion weeks and creating custom gowns for people, but since university I have been mostly working as a designer and production manager for other amazing Australian brands.
“I have worked hard to pave my own way and last year I was blessed to have the opportunity to take a huge leap into doing my own brand full-time. It has been a great weight off my shoulders and I feel like I can breathe for the first time, having the space to design and create a brand that I align with, that speaks my truth. It has released me from what felt like a suffocating prison.
“So at Cirrasue I focus on bold, joyful, confidence boosting, sparkling garments made to celebrate life and ensure anyone wearing them shines not only from the outside but the inside.”
Bold Occasion Wear Inspired by Celebration and Self-Expression
The brand’s name is obviously eponymous, and the designer explains that the personal connection is an important reason behind choosing to use it.
“The brand name reflects my birth name Cirra-Sue. My brand is less of a business to me and more a space that represents me as a human and designer that I hope people can connect, feel safe, seen and inspired in.
“Cirrasue has been in the making for a long time and has been built by myself from the ground up, but obviously it would not have been possible without the amazing emotional and physical support my family has always given me.”
According to Cirra-Sue, her work is inspired by “celebration culture, modern femininity and deep self-expression”.
“I draw from vintage glamour, high-impact evening wear, and contemporary bridal-adjacent fashion. I also simply create with fabric and shapes that bring me joy, tell a story or evoke an emotion in my heart. The core message of the brand is to celebrate life. I create pieces that are designed to make people feel excited, confident and unapologetically unforgettable.
“Cirrasue exists to encourage women and individuals to take up space, to be seen in their current, full beauty, and to express themselves without compromising who they are. It’s about honouring who you are right now, not who you’re expected to be.
“And from that place of feeling seen and celebrated, I hope people move through the world with fuller hearts, with more grace, more kindness, and more capacity to love others.
“Ultimately, I want to build something that supports and uplifts my community in an ever-evolving way, because the world we’re living in and what we’re all facing within it is constantly changing, and we need spaces that evolve with us, not against us.
Cirra-Sue describes her brand’s aesthetic as “bold, feminine, and statement-driven”. “The aesthetic blends modern and vintage silhouettes with dramatic detailing beading, texture, hardware, and unexpected elements. Creating pieces that feel both luxurious and playful.”
Creating Ethical Fashion with Purpose and Positive Impact
As with the majority of modern fashion brands, Cirra-Sue says there are a number of sustainable and ethical practices that are a core part of her business.
“At Cirrasue, we believe numbers should never define beauty. It breaks our hearts to see a woman dismiss their perfect garment because of a size label, so we’ve chosen to do things differently. To take away the stigma, our sizing is named by months instead of numbers; a playful, gentle reminder that your worth has nothing to do with a number.
“For me fashion is more than self-expression, it’s a force for change. That’s why 5% of every purchase is donated to organisations and causes that are deeply personal and close to my heart, including those working to end child sacrifice, child trafficking, and child slavery.
“I believe in having conversations to shine light on these real situations that are other people’s day to day lives. Which will ultimately make these atrocities something of the past. Every garment you wear not only tells your story, but also helps protect and rewrite the future for our beautiful children around the world. Together, we dress boldly and love wholly.
“I also focus on thoughtful production through small runs and intentional design, avoiding overproduction. Our garment hire model also plays a key role in sustainability, allowing pieces to be worn and experienced multiple times and helping avoid class exclusivity due to budgets.
Cirra-Sue wants her customers to feel “confident, powerful, unstoppable and excited” when wearing her garments, “like they are stepping into a moment that is entirely their own and nothing can bring them down”.
According to the designer, her long-term vision is to “grow into a globally recognised occasion wear brand and community, stocked internationally while maintaining a strong direct-to-consumer presence”.
“I aim to expand into new categories, build meaningful collaborations and continue creating pieces that redefine how women dress for celebrations and for everyday life. I also want to create a new space and community where people like myself feel safe, seen, excited and confident to go out and change the world for the better.
“Joy and peace is something most of us want so let’s go get it and be the reason others can smile that day as well. This is what my aim is and I hope the brand can one day encourage others to do the same.”
For more information about Cirrasue and to shop the brand, go to cirrasue.com and follow the brand at @cirrasue