BY MARTHA SARUMPAET
Inspired by the beauty of femininity, Neriman Georges’ eponymous label creates intricate garments born from what once was. Taking inspiration from the individual qualities of each fabric she utilizes, Georges’ curates dead-stock fabrics into displays of her signature elements; sartorial tailoring, natural luxury fabrics, and sexy femininity. Georges’ brand is truly representative of a modern woman’s dream of collectable pieces.
“A big inspiration to me is fabric. Working with different dead-stock materials, I look at it and think ‘how can I construct that into something wearable? Each fabric is unique and each of its uniquenesses inspires me. The composition itself inspires my design process, how stretchy a fabric is, what colour it is, and what shapes it makes” says Neriman, pictured below.
Neriman Georges’ label is a product of the recent pandemic. This time allowed her to focus on her personal goals as a designer. Having grown up “being inspired by the Olsen Twins”, Georges’ always had a penchant for fashion, going on to study fashion design at Kangan Institute, and experiencing the fashion industry in all aspects. Thanks to her parent’s support, growing up with an interest in the arts, she was able to enroll in art classes and participate in local sewing courses in her early years. Present day, Neriman Georges has been shown at Melbourne Fashion Week, Netflix and Disney premiers, and even partnered with EA games’ Covet Fashion.
“When I was 14, I went to these sewing classes they had at Lincraft, that’s when I really started to sew. When Covid came along, I had been working in bridal for about 8 years and once all that happened, I really had nothing else to do but work on it and it evolved from there. The whole thing has been going from something fun that I loved to actually getting cool opportunities and developing my own aesthetic.”
Georges’ design process originates from her own vegan values. It is these principles that outline her push for sustainable practices throughout her brand ethos. She explains her responsible business practices are a necessary aspect of running her brand. Neriman Georges does not use any real leather, fur, wool, feathers, or any of the animal products often used in garment creation.
“I’ve been vegan for 10 years. It was a big push for wanting to work for myself, working in bridal and demi-couture. I would see a lot of really beautiful pieces, but they used a lot of leather, wool, and silk. I wanted to recreate what I saw but without using animal products.
“I use a lot of cut-offs, up-cycling. I know it’s not always going to work this way, but the first time I got my hands on lots of lace, it was when a store closed down. I look for opportunities like these, where factories or stores close down where I can get a massive quantity of a certain fabric. That would be ideal. I love the idea of having limited pieces, the exclusivity makes it really special. I hope in the future I can move towards manufacturing sustainable fabrics in Australia.”
Still in its early days, Neriman Georges explains her desire to be open to new possibilities when it comes to the future of her brand.
“I take it day by day and let opportunities come. I would love to work with a business partner to help with expanding the brand, so I can have a larger production run. Stocking in different stores would be amazing, especially overseas, or one day to have a retail store.
“Watch this space. Watch us grow. It’s been really fun even looking back on my Instagram from when I started to now, all the opportunities we’ve had.”
For more information and to shop Neriman Georges, go to www.nerimangeorges.com. You can also follow the brand at @nerimangeorges.
