Gwendolynne Burkin needs no introduction having established herself as one of Australia’s greatest Haute Couture designers. Gwendolynne’s designs are eloquent with a heritage-inspired influence spanning back to the 20th century. Each creation is made of luxurious fabrics with expert finesse and magnificent hand-sewn embellishments.
Burkin’s, creativity and style are second to none and it gives me great pleasure to interview her personally having had a huge influence on my own love of fashion, having worked with her many years ago.
Gwendolynne chats to our Editor in Chief Melinda Sullivan:
“I had my first professional job as a designer, patternmaker and sample machinist with you Melinda at Garfunkle in 1991. Prior to that I always had an interest in making clothes as a hobby. I made my first dress at 6, of course with the help of my Mum. I worked in a fabric shop as a sales assistant at the age of 14 ½ and I used to pick up dressmaking jobs from the shop, so I have been making for people for a very long time now. I was a fashion presenter for a Kids show in Adelaide called C’mon Kids with the puppet “Winky Dink” and I used to show kids how they could customise accessories. Basically, it has been a calling and at times a bit of an obsession.”
Where does your love of fashion originate?
“My love of fashion extends from my childhood play and the joy and fascination of that magical, transformative feeling a garment can mentally take you to another place. I have always loved fabrics and detail too and as my career has progressed, I have developed further skills creating my own embellishments and even taking photos for campaigns. I used to do fun photoshoots as a kid with my sister on our shared old brownie camera for play too!
I love working out how things are made and seeing the construction. The great thing about clothing is, it is something you can make and then get inside and experience. It interweaves with one’s ego rather than other creative pursuits where you might say observe them on a piece of wall and thus doesn’t necessarily reflect your personality.
Clothing can also be tricky as a creative pursuit as it also taps into the vulnerabilities of the wearer. For instance, if you bought a textural white art piece for your home, you wouldn’t think I look fat in this!”
What is your favourite part of being a designer?
“Designing is such a small part of what I do. But one of my favourite parts is seeing a beading development arrive from our artisan beaders, this can really excite me or conversely break my heart when it doesn’t work after months and sometimes years of development! When I create designs it’s very personal and about connecting to my higher conscience, so I sincerely feel deeply in my heart, feelings of hurt or love. It can be a bit of a roller coaster. I like to tap into these feelings as a guide for my decision making as you really need to learn to be a good editor when you are putting together a collection. It can be hard when people are a bit nasty about my designs or how much things cost particularly to my face as it can play on one’s self worth. But I have built up a thicker skin over the 30 years I have been in the business now.
Seeing my designs in photoshoots and on catwalks really makes my heart sing too. I guess the reason is it brings the creations to life and gives a narrative around the pieces. In fact, recently a gorgeous local jeweller “Sally Rose of White label” did a shoot with my dresses and it was the first week of lockdown and I was feeling unfocused and generally overwhelmed and not my best self. Then the images from the shoot by Amanda of Peppermint Photography popped into my inbox and I got this rush of joy as I waded through them. I think that is the power of what clothing and its beauty can bring to our lives.
I also love being a designer in Melbourne as there is a wonderful business community here and support from local buyers. I get to meet so many talented people and strong women doing incredible things. I feel so much genuine kindness from my clients which is sincerely a joyous experience getting to know each customer throughout the commission but sad when it is all over. I rarely get repeat business with the brides so that final goodbye is particularly hard.
Collaborating with other great talents has been amazing too of course for many years with artists, musicians, jewellers’, writers, stylists, florists, pop stars, complementary businesses, photographers, performers, and of course, who can forget the incredible milliner Richard Nylon.”
How do you find inspiration for creating each collection/ including this current collection?
“Inspiration can strike in many ways. Sometimes it comes from architectural detailing such as a pattern on a gate or window frame or it’s stained glass. I have also been inspired by biological illustrations of micro-organisms from 1920s artist Ernst Haeckel. Later in my career, I have found myself inspired by feedback from my client’s wants and needs. For instance, a lot of my earlier work was empire line as I personally feel that is more flattering on my own body, but when I evolved from being in wholesale to becoming a retailer and focus on couture, I started to work closely with my customers and it really helped me to attune my creations to what clients want. Earlier in my career, it was very much based on what I wanted to wear and, also what fabrics I could source that inspired me. Sometimes the idea is based around how expensive the fabric is and trying to design around it to be the most cost-effective. I have even designed garments after making a mistake unpicking a panel and seeing another option for the design!”
Who is your client base and why?
“My beautiful clientele are very mindful earthy humans who appreciate detail, cut and fabrication and something hand crafted that’s made for them with a timeless aesthetic. Most of my clients are Melbourne based but I have clients coming from all over Australia and internationally too which always puffs my chest out that someone across the world has noticed my work.
I find the clients who hunt down really connect with me on a personal level and most have a love of historical looks such as Deco, Art Nouveau, Victorian, and 1940s with a bohemian twist. I feel I offer designs that highlight the personality of the wearer with an effortless, soft, silhouette rather than the wearer being taken over by the item. Comfort is also a big factor that my clients covet. I feel many people who are in my genre tend to create a “uniform” look that is expected for brides or pieces that are overly theatrical but in saying that there is a place for everyone and that is what makes the world an interesting place.
My clients tend to be mindful and relate to the fact I design with sustainability in mind. Many of my creations are designed in a way that there are two parts with a sheath overdress so you can reinvent the gown by wearing another coloured slip underneath for a future special event. Embellished designs are beaded to the shape of the garment which minimises waste rather than a garment cut from a length of cloth. We also make each garment individually, so this limits waste by only buying what we need for the orders plus means you don’t see the same dress on others or the garment you ordered discounted within weeks of ordering.
What I do with my creations is the slowest of slow fashion. The dresses that are beaded are individually hand-beaded to the proportion of the client, so I do digital patterns to the form of the wearer’s body which is incredibly rare. So, you can be a size 4 and 4” or a size 24 and 6’ 3” and the proportion is perfect for you. Many people aren’t aware of just how complex all the processes are, and we often spend approximately 8 to 10 hours just in contact hours and admin for each client.”
Describe what fashion is to you?
“Fashion to me is fickle and I don’t really subscribe to it, I prefer to consider it as clothing. To me, your clothing choices are an expression of your personality and taste. For some, it may even be armour to protect you, or it can be a tool to present yourself or deceive others, or they can be utilised to project that you are more successful. For instance, if you go for a job interview you might fabricate a look that you think reflects the business you are applying for. Or vice versa, say you are a celebrity and you want to be more incognito.
It can lift our spirits. In fact, through the virus outbreak, many of my clients have said their gown is one of the few things that have brought them joy.
Clothing can also reflect who you are right now. Who doesn’t love flicking back over old pictures to see the different looks one wore over the years and reflect on the experiences you had in those clothes! When I was a teen I used to get shouted at and called “Stripe” by the local troop of boys on bicycles in my neighbourhood as I always wore stripes!
One of my favourite things to do is people watch I particularly love doing this at festivals when people really let their hair down and experiment with their looks, in this context it is just pure fun.”
Do you believe fashion is moving a new direction?
“Absolutely, over the many years I have been in the trade I have seen the industry change so much already. In fact, over ISO I have finally had time to sort through all my press clippings for instance, and this has reminded me how much local fashion used to be covered in the newspapers and there were lots of independent small publications too. Now, most of the newspapers have dramatically reduced their fashion journalists if at all, and most reporting has gone online. There used to be so many wonderful independent shops showcasing local small fashion labels that I used to sell through like Alice Euphemia, Fat 52, FDC, Milla, Husk, Cactus Jam, Bi rpm. All gone or dramatically changed now, and they were such great places for designers to showcase their designs.
I feel what is noticed now in many industries is not necessarily the most beautiful, but the loudest, and those that are happy to throw a tonne of money at SEO. I would rather spend my dollars on beautiful fabric and staff to help me craft the pieces not build my business on media hype. But
Bamboozling people online with an onslaught of advertising seems to be the new way of getting noticed. And I confess it concerns me.
The current coronavirus pandemic will speed up the change considerably. Not only has the local industry changed as mentioned above but it has been struggling for some time with the influx of cheap goods on the internet or from large global brands entering our local market. There are also the crippling costs of overheads for local industry, plus the contrast of pay rates, where offshore may pay $160 per month as opposed to a local business might pay approximately $225 per day wages.
I think the way we buy fashion more than the designs themselves will change. Although masks are making a big debut. I guess there will always be different kinds of niches and we will always have people with varying budgets, but I sincerely feel we will see even fewer bricks and mortar retail and big brands will just have flagship stores and small independents like me will sell from our studios. Bricks and mortar are just not a feasible cost in a fashion business unless there is a massive shift in rental overheads which is unlikely to drop much given the cost of the property remains sky-high. But then again maybe we will see more independent shops popping up given we will see so many empty shops and landlords may have no choice to drop the rents.
I worry we will get more and more into leisurely clothing. It upsets me seeing how little pride the masses take in how they present themselves. I would rather see someone look smart in the same outfit than slobby in many. I hope Australians will rethink how they buy fashion. There are several high-profile celebrities embracing re-wear which will hopefully catch on.
But then there are other situations like; I know for me my style has had to change as I have got older due to large feet (size 11.5!) and foot pain! I have never been a fan of sneakers but have had to find a middle ground and so many of the clothes I used to wear don’t work with sneakers.
I feel and I hope people will buy more valuable classic pieces but less of them and pass them down. I for one am keen to buy up any beautiful vintage pieces as I know we won’t see garments made to that quality going into the future. Even when I was in Paris trying on Yoji Yamamoto coat, I was surprised that there was no lining, inside pockets or inner fusing’s and structure for a $5,000AUD piece. Many companies skimp on these aspects of the design now it seems.
Currently, with the virus, many big brands have cancelled offshore orders or have delays with delivery and this will significantly change what we see in store in the short term. Some may not even have enough stock to balance the costs of running their businesses
Now it is more important to support locals more than ever and try and keep our dollars in the community to have more jobs in our industries.”
How can we continue to support our Melbourne Designers during the Covid 19 Pandemic?
“Obviously buying if you can, but for designers like me where events, weddings, and travel are all uncertain for who knows how long it is clear many clients can’t commit until there is more clarity on restrictions.
Simple things you can do if you can’t buy is help promote on social media. Share a picture memory of you in some of your favourite designer clothes on your socials and tag them. People are really enjoying all the retrospective images on social media now; it is lifting people’s spirits. One of my contemporary designer friends has created a challenge for her clients to post pictures of them during ISO in their favourite clothes she’s designed which creates such a nice community spirit.
Posting reviews on your favourite brands Google maps and Facebook accounts is invaluable for a business. I have had a few people reach out to me and check in on me and send me little messages like “I love your work and have been following you for years” and it does really help keep me up.
Finally, be kind and patient to business owners. Supplies are delayed, cancelled, stuck in despatch. Customers might have to wait longer than they have in the past and we simply have no answers to when this will lift, it will vary from country to country, and given Australia has very little local manufacture, we rely a lot on offshore materials. So even though restrictions may be lifted here it may not necessarily have lifted where the raw materials are coming from.”
How has your business been affected by COVID 19?
“Most of my clients have postponed which will really stretch out when I will receive my cashflow from current orders. And subsequently barely any new orders. So, it will be lean over the months ahead. I am preparing to be recession-proof by letting go of my beautiful shop and downsizing to just my studio. Most couturiers who do what I do such as J’Aton, Craig Braybrook, Jason Grech & Toni Matecevski don’t have shops and sell from their studios anyway, so I am grateful I have had a shop for almost 17 years. Besides, it is less space to maintain! I am confident clients will enjoy being a bit more behind the scenes and seeing firsthand where their piece is created so we can be more transparent with our supply chain as it will be right there and I feel the mindful clientele I attract, appreciate this.
The restrictions made for events and travel have made my clients more reserved in planning their celebrations as they just don’t know when we will open again. There is talk that we might not see music festivals for over two years and maybe this might also apply to international travel. So, I am feeling until restrictions are lifted people will be focused on other things in their life particularly for those who have family overseas or are keen for an overseas honeymoon. So, for now, I remain cautious and grateful I am multi-skilled so I can honour all my client’s current orders. But since Australia has been reporting success with our curve, I have had a few more enquiries for weddings at the end of the year we are not experiencing complete radio silence which is reassuring.
On a positive note, some say as weddings and events will be smaller, maybe people will have more budget to spend on the dress.
It also gets tricky given no fabrics are milled or woven in Australia, so for instance with us we have experienced supply issues of these raw materials, which makes it hard to sell designs unless you have stock. It means clients will have to be more flexible to what is available and maybe compromise a little when it comes to colours and fabrications.
We have had jobs with our artisan beaders stuck in customs for almost two months as there is no one at the distribution centres to despatch them to be done. I feel very grateful my clients have been kind and understanding of what is going on and for now those clients have postponed.
Regardless I feel grateful I have been around this long and if it is time for big changes, I am open to surrendering to what the universe will offer. She has been very kind so far.”
By Gwendolynne Burkin
Editor in Chief Melinda Sullivan
Images supplied.
For further information visit https://www.gwendolynne.com.au/
