Designer-maker Meg Smith creates garments that are deeply inspired by the history woven into forgotten treasures under the succinct label Meg Smith Makes.
With a background as both a journalist and a librarian, Meg has always been drawn to stories. She sees clothing as another way to capture them, ensuring each of her designs is crafted with care, built to last, and ready to collect memories over time.
In a world where fast fashion fades quickly, she creates garments meant to stay, each one a chapter in a longer, richer tale.
“I design the fabrics and the clothes, but I also make each garment,” Meg explains when asked if would describe herself as either a designer or a maker.
“My label is basically me doing all of the things, all of the time. I guess that also makes me a bookkeeper, admin assistant, barista, marketing manager, and probably an animal attendant as much of my day is interrupted by cats,” she laughs.
FROM STEAMPUNK TO PRODUCTION
Meg launched the brand in 2024, but says that she has been sewing and upcycling garments since 2019.
“In 2018 I found myself part of a professional steampunk trio called The Brass Harpies. I had endless costume ideas but hadn’t sewn a stitch since Textiles and Design Studies in 1990, so in 2019 I taught myself to sew and soon fell in love with the process of garment design and creation,” Meg says. Meg is also a musician.
“I was sewing most of my costumes and even sold some of my steampunk creations for a while, but that was a rather niche demographic! Still, I realised there was a gap in the market for beautiful, Victorian-inspired maximalist clothing.
“I came to the conclusion that if I was serious about Meg Smith Makes, I needed to earn a serious qualification. I quit my Librarian job and took myself off to Holmesglen Fashion School and studied for a Certificate II in Applied Fashion Design and Technology in 2021.
“Since then, I have been quietly chipping away at Meg Smith Makes, teaching myself all aspects of starting and running a sustainable slow fashion label from scratch.
When it came to naming her new brand, Meg chose simple and elegant: “In the beginning I was trying out all these fancy names and not liking any of them. My partner Kevin eventually said ‘Why don’t you just use your name? It’s elegant and easy to remember’. I had to agree.”
Meg explains that she added the ‘makes’ to her name to emphasise the “physicality of the garments being made”.
“I make them. I touch the fabric and cut the pieces. They are washed and frayed and lovingly dried on my washing line. They are designed and made … by me. I think there is something comforting about knowing who makes your clothes.
“Also it’s a great name for marketing purposes. Meg Smith Makes you happy. Meg Smith Makes great clothes. Meg Smith Makes coffee taste better. The possibilities are endless!
As for how she went about launching the brand, Meg once again chose the simplest path: “I clicked ‘Publish’ on the website. ”
INSPIRED BY ART & CIRCULAR PRODUCTION …
When asked about who inspires her creative work, Meg has one choice: “Gary Graham. I love Gary Graham. Google him (the designer, not the actor!)”
Meg describes her pieces as being “striking wearable art” that is “durable, timeless, circular”.
“I work hard to design my garments with flexible sizing so that the garment will TRULY be timeless and remain a wardrobe staple through all manner of life and body changes. I also make sure that all my garments are fully biodegradable so they can return to the soil at their end of life.”
The Meg Smith Makes aesthetic is “lush Victorian maximalism with a shabby chic edge”, but Meg also sees clothing as a way to capture stories. In a world where fast fashion fades quickly, she creates garments meant to stay, each one a chapter in a longer, richer tale.
“I am Ethical Clothing Australia accredited and a member of Seamless Australia. My supply chain and manufacturing process are completely transparent and can be viewed on my website,” Meg explains.
“Holmesglen instilled in me the critical importance of sustainability across all levels of supply and manufacture. I left with a determination to create an exceptionally thoughtful brand – one that considered my environmental and ethical impact from all angles.
“I decided early on that I would operate as a made-to-order slow fashion business, using minimal waste design. I do this by creating my pattern pieces and artworks digitally, which means I can squeeze something into every little gap in the fabric.
“The process is also why my garments are sold as sets. When you buy a Meg Smith Makes design, you buy everything that comes on the one 3m x 1.4m fabric length – the main garment and whatever fits around it, be it a belt, headband, or bag.
“Made-upon-order also means that I don’t have fabric or stock lying around as the lovely team at Next State Print fulfils my orders as placed. Both processes make for a low-waste (and rather tidy) manufacturing process and means that I haven’t had to invest a huge amount of up-front time and capital into creating stock.
“I also make sure that the components of my garments are non-toxic and biodegradable. You could literally bury them in the garden to make compost. In fact, although I recycle my fabric scraps with Upparel, I am currently contemplating starting a compost pile in my backyard with my offcuts.
“I started my working life as a scientist, so that part of me really wants to experiment on the fastest ways of breaking down the fibres to return to the earth.”
Meg says that she plans to “just keep on keeping on” with her brand. “I have no desire to get huge. In fact, my pieces are limited to 10 of each.”
“This ensures they remain fairly rare – the antithesis of fast fashion – and also keeps my workload manageable. It also ensures that Meg Smith still makes everything.”
You can buy pieces from Meg Smith Makes online at www.megsmithmakes.com, and you can follow Meg at @megsmithmakes.
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