A PASSION FOR FASHION
- Words by Peppermint
Thought 14th February was noteworthy only for a dramatic increase in restaurant bookings and last-minute bouquet purchases? Think again! Itβs also the date this yearβsΒ Fashion Accelerator kicks off at Brisbaneβs QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA), with five fledgling Queensland designers spending the next six monthsΒ mastering the skills needed to manage and sustain a successful fashion business.
The fashion entrepreneurs in this yearβs program span a broad range of the sartorial spectrum. There’sΒ classic corsetry and knitwear from Lorraine Whiteβs Whitelane Textiles;Β modern, gender-neutral streetwear from Evie Willsteedβs Genkstacy;Β sustainable beachwear from Kathrin BonfigtβsΒ Miss Summer;Β feminine modernity from Alexandra Coleburnβs Gloria Dulcie;Β and a unique fusion of art and fashion from Suzanne Knezovic’sΒ SUZII K. Phew!
Australiaβs only accelerator program to exclusively support fashion startups, the Fashion Accelerator coversΒ everything from ecommerce and business modelling to range developmentΒ and branded content. This yearβs mentors include Australian Fashion Chamberβs Courtney Miller; fashion designer Lydia Pearson; Blurb Consultingβs Ian Perkins; former director of The Australian Fashion Council Michel Abeysekera; The Fashion Darlingβs Vanja Stace and CEAβs Fashion Development Manager Thuy Nguyen. We canβt wait to see what emerges!
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Itβs all a lot, isnβt it?
We werenβt designed to carry this much emotional grief and world-wide trauma on an ongoing basis. Just know youβre not alone. Itβs ok to not be ok. π«Άπ»
Image from @PeopleIveLoved: βI am not sure my tiny brain was meant to understand this enormous grief.β
βWe love that we can bring a hint of imagination and whimsy into everyday life by making ordinary objects fun. Weβve learned to appreciate the little wins and to take a moment for each step we achieve.ββ
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Disillusioned by the realities of fast fashion, design grads Emily May and Sidonie Moore ditched clothing for a business that finds fun in the everyday. Enter @TheNonsenseMaker: a collection of unique homewares, fun wall art, greeting cards and more that breathe life into Emilyβs illustrations: βI love the idea of taking real-world objects and changing your perspective in a way that brings magic and whimsy into everyday life!ββ
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In issue 64βs feature βIt all makes senseβ, we chat to the Naarm/Melbourne-based duo about their sustainability philosophy, TV re-runs and their commitment to local makers. At stockists now!β
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Photos: @MeAndMyGirlβ
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#PeppermintMagazine #TheNonsenseMaker #LocalMakers #SustainableCraft
Any New Yearβs resolutions on your list? We love this from @OtterBeeStitching - βbe brave enough to suck at something newβ.
Thereβs no points for perfection, but youβll get a trophy for trying. If nothing else this year, take the leap and try something new.
#OtterBeeStitching #Embroidery #BeBrave #TrySomethingNew #EmbroideryArt
Sunday serving suggestion βοΈ
Gorgeous photos from @JolieFemmeStore - who make sweet garments from vintage bedsheets.
#PeppermintMagazine #SlowSunday #SwitchOff #Unplug #ReadAMagazine
A toast to the old you π₯
We wholeheartedly love this post from the brilliant @EmilyOnLife:
β2026: Reinvent, burn it down, let it go (whatever it is). Year of the Snake it up. Exercise your boundaries, exercise your body, take one teeny step every day towards a life that feels better to be in.
But donβt you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.β
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 ππΌ
