Industry Talk with Anthony - Et Al

Founded in 1987 by Christine and Les Doughty, Et Al has since cultivated a reputation for their unique signature aesthetic of relaxed tailoring worked back with the fluidity of soft drapery. Et Al manages to find the balance of cutting-edge designs with extremely wearable garments with a focus on refined workmanship and quality fabrication.

In 2008, Et Al introduced designer Anthony Capon to the label. Capon was the winner of television phenomenon Project Runway Australia Season 2 and the prestigious Emirates Melbourne Cup Design Award in 2010. His innovative androgynous designs and bespoke creations have built a cult following by enthusiasts globally.

The success of Doughty and Capon's collaboration is evident as Et Al continues to push their creativity by producing statement pieces with construction challenges, subtle yet well-considered detailing and garment wash treatments.

With an androgynous touch to their designs and following from the success of the womenswear collections, it was a natural progression for Et Al to launch its menswear range due to demand from male clients.

In 2013, Et Al showcased internationally for the first time as a part of Fashion Palette New York. Seven Australian designers including Akira, Aurelio Costarella and Nicola Finetti showcased their spring/summer 2013 collections at Pier 59.

Currently with five concept retail stores in key shopping precincts in Australia as well as an online store, Et Al is fast gaining recognition as a serious fashion brand; Colin Mathura-Jeffree from New Zealand's Next Top Model has worn several Et Al garments on-screen, and gowns were featured on the 2013 cycle of the Australian version.

 

Co-designer Anthony Capon took some time out to answer some industry questions.

Can you pinpoint the moment you knew fashion was the direction for you?

Since I was young I have always been quite creative. I always thought I'd be a Graphic Designer. I deferred my course for a year and the idea of Fashion intrigued me. I completed my Fashion Design degree in 2005 and have worked in the Industry ever since.

What would you name as your proudest professional moment to date? How has this moment advanced your career?

We (as in Et Al)  recently just showcased for the first time Internationally in New York which was very exciting. It was great to see our collection showcased on an international stage and there are lots of things coming from that to be announced soon. But we are also very proud of having our five stores in Melbourne. We have fantastic clients who love what we do and we are lucky to have such loyalty.

How do you think the internet and/or technology has changed the landscape of fashion, and the way we buy and consume?

We have an online store which is convenient for a lot of our clients. But for our business, many of our clients still love coming into store to try things on, to feel the fabrics and to get great customer service.

What are the top garments you gravitate to, when in a hurry, or dressing for a stock-standard work day? 

I always go for an oversized black blazer. It is comfortable, goes with everything, is trans-seasonal and always looks smart even if you aren't feeling inspired or creative. The other thing is great shoes! Shoes always complete an outfit.

Let us in on a secret - any secret. 

It’s OK to go up a size!!! Most people squeeze themselves to get into garments which don’t fit them. Garments that fit are always far more flattering, even if the number on the tag is bigger than usual.

Et Al has also expanded their clothing line by producing Limited Edition accessories, footwear and a sleepwear range.

Et Al

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Lo & Behold

Lo & Behold is the brainchild of best friends Lisa and Odette, who source a collection of progressive and effortless men’s and women’s fashion from the best Australian designers. 

Their selection focuses on labels specialising in thoughtful, well made wardrobe staples. 

They feel strongly about supporting up-and-coming designers, making sure to stock at least one new start-up label per year. 

What sort of products and/or services can we expect from you, and how do you source them?

We actually spend hours upon hours researching labels to work with but we believe every minute is worth it. We are regularly trawling the internet, local and international blogs, style pages, magazines, attending student fashion shows along with the main runways at fashion week to find the best up and coming labels, along with current leaders in the Australian fashion. Our style ethos for LO is pretty simple: we like to stock well made wardrobe staples. Things that will be in your wardrobe for years to come, basically they have to be items that we would wear ourselves. It's no use trying to be something you're not, we live and breathe our business. Because we operate our business ourselves from sourcing through to working with our customers on the floor it means that we understand how the pieces work for every shape, we love helping people work our favourite pieces into their own wardrobes. There is nothing more satisfying that seeing our customers come back into SO:ME space to tell us how they've worn our clothes and all the happy compliments they've received.

How does working within the SO:ME Space enhance your business, and what are the best aspects of the space?

We have just recently moved into our abode at SO:ME Space, and we couldn't be happier. We really weren't sure exactly what to expect. Working with like-minded businesses who are passionate about quality Australian produce means that not only do we share common values, we also have fantastic shopping on our doorstep (yes we're guilty of shopping a little too much!). The community vibe that the hub has is really supportive of all sized businesses. The ever changing landscape in the centre of SO:ME space is fantastic, the pop-ups bring so much product variety but also a steady stream of friendly faces. We have met some wonderful people through SO:ME and have really enjoyed being part of the community.

Why would you advocate visitors to the space?

One stop shop? I think the changing landscape is a real incentive to not only get down to SO:ME space once, but regularly. With the pop ups changing on a monthly basis there is always something new to tickle your fancy not to mention us 'regulars' with beautiful quality Australian garments sourced with love.

What is your professional background?

Professional background, that kind of makes us giggle a bit. I'm not sure that either of us would qualify ourselves as professional.

O: Lisa and I met 'professionally' 12 years ago when she employed me at Boost Juice…I was 16 years old and loved working with Lisa. Our friendship has developed over the years and the enjoyment of working together has remained. I worked in corporate for 5 years without much direction when Lisa and I decided to embark on our little project. I didn't have any experience with retail prior to opening our business but I always loved following the Melbourne fashion scene. I had dreamed of working for myself (I didn't realise how married to our business I would end up!) so with Lisa's experience it really made sense to embark on LO. Since opening our first boutique in Yarraville two years ago, we have enjoyed quite the adventure together.

L: For me fashion has always been a creative outlet, I just love how you can express yourself through clothing and once our smoothie days were over, I got a job in retail. I began fantasising about owning my own clothing store and so enrolled in a Fashion & Textiles Merchandising course at TAFE to build up my skills. Odette was the perfect choice in business partner as we work really well together. We both bring very different skills and opinions to the table but they really compliment each other. I don't think I could have done it without her, I certainly wouldn't have enjoyed it as much anyway, we have a lot of fun!
Where do you think we're going with regards to the way we shop? Are we pulling back from the cheap thrills of online buying? Are we moving back to the notion of supporting local trade easily, or is it a battle?

I think that the fashion industry is going through a period of change. We've come to accept online shopping as part of our lives both as customers and retailers. I think there were a lot (probably still are some) people who didn't trust the online world, fraudulent payments, not getting sizing right etc but on the whole things have moved to a new phase where we are more savvy online. 

As retailers we need to provide more information for our customers, accurate descriptions of styles, shapes, and exactly what our designs are made of along with of course how to wear it. Sometimes we forget how valuable conversation is in a shop where you share the finer details of a garment that help educate a customer in their choices. There has been a bit of a push and pull between online and bricks and mortar stores but I think the answer lies in a combination of the two. 

Our online store is open 24/7 while our physical space is only open 4 days a week, these days we live busy lives with less time to shop for pleasure, so when you're after a certain item it's handy to be able to pre shop. I think our customers use our online store, Facebook and Instagram almost as a catalogue so they know what they can find when next around the market. Of course it works the other way as well, sometimes people come into the store and can't decide on a purchase then go away and think about it, later we find the sale comes through our online store. So we really find that online and physical talk to one another, they work hand in hand to give our customers a better shopping experience. 

As for cheap and cheerful online shopping, I don't think it's going anywhere fast. It's here to stay but I think the customer is now a more discerning online shopper. As shoppers we now understand what we're in for and know that if the marked price is low, the garment is likely to be made of cheap fabric and perhaps not have the lasting appeal that something of better quality material with a higher price tag might have.

Tell us the things you most love about Melbourne?

O: Gosh what do we love about Melbourne...everything! Lisa is a Radelaidian, where as I am Melbourne-born and bred. I can't imagine living anywhere else. Melbourne has a rich and diverse culture with pockets of different cultures all over the place. Specifically, I am a big fan of the Otways, the Great Ocean Road for a summer or winter getaway. We love to steal weekends away in and around Lorne hiking, eating beautiful local produce and soaking up the beachy relaxation. Around Melbourne town we love…South Melbourne market of course - amazing food and diverse shopping. I'm a big fan of the Melbourne CBD rooftop bars, especially Carlton Club and Roof Top Bar for balmy summer eve's spent boozing in the open air. It's hard to go past the shopping of Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, amazing bars to stop at in between purchases.

L: The food! So many great cafes and restaurants from such a diverse range of cultures. I love that you can get a bowl of delicious pho in Footscray for less than $10 which is as good (if not better) as I've had in Vietnam. It really is such a liveable city, I wouldn't live anywhere else in Australia, sorry Adelaide!

O: Oh yes, the food…

Lo & Behold - SO:ME SPACE, Stall 135, Corner Cecil and Coventry Streets South Melbourne

http://www.loandbehold.com.au

Bosky Terrarium workshops -http://www.loandbehold.com.au/collections/workshops/products/terrariumworkshop

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