The World Loves Limedrop
It's been a while since we first profiled Melbourne-based label Limedrop, and when we heard about how much hype was building around the brand worldwide, we decided to catch up with designer and label cofounder Clea Garrick to find out more about the label's growth since then.
What lead you to start Limedrop?
Clea Garrick: I have always wanted to start a fashion label from a young age but it wasn't until Nathan and I decided to work together that Limedrop was born. Limedrop is kind of a collaboration between Nathan and I. Our strengths lie in different areas and we can contribute different things to make something we're both proud of.
Did you always aspire to having your own fashion label?
I've always wanted to work in fashion since I was little. My mum taught me to sew and I still use that original sewing machine to make a lot of our fitting samples.
Tell us a little about Limedrop and what defines it as a label?
It's a bit hard to define Limedrop as we're both so heavily involved in the creative direction of the label. We focus on clean lines, curious proportions and the fun sensibility. You could say we're preppy but that's not what we're focusing on, it's more about using a strong theme each season to create pieces that have merit both within the collection and on their own.
What does the name Limedrop signify?
The name Limedrop is also a collaboration of sorts between Nathan and I. Before I started university I wanted to start a label called 'Lime' but could register it, so Nathan and I brainstormed more unique names and he suggested adding 'drop' to the end and Limedrop was born. The name now kind of signifies the playfulness of the label.
You are partners in life and design. How does this influence your work?
We can be very honest with each other without the fear of stepping on each other's toes. I guess that means we can make decisions quickly and get back to our own work; we have a lot of trust in each other. When we're designing, our ideas can be very different and that honesty and trust allows us to bring together our ideas with minimal trauma.
What challenges have you faced working together?
Nothing major. We actually prefer working together, we're a lot more productive and it's great bouncing ideas off one another.
What have been your career highlights since you first established Limedrop?
Opening our first temporary concept store in Melbourne GPO was a big step for Limedrop. It was great seeing how people reacted to our collection as a whole and it was where we met the fashion editor of Vogue Germany, Anne Braun-Himmerich, who listed us as one of her four favourite Australian labels! We've been involved in a lot of amazing projects and worked with a lot of amazing people and that's always a highlight, being able to work with such a diverse range of amazingly talented people. Oh and we were recently interviewed on MTV Nippon, that was crazy!
Would you be interested in collaborating with any other designers or artists?
For SS10/11 we collaborated with Andrzej Nowicki (www.andrzejnowicki.blogspot.com) on the t-shirt graphics. The collection is called 'Far from Home' and Andrzej has taken this concept and our aesthetics and created four amazing prints. I think collaborations keep you fresh and interested in design, you can always learn things off new people.
How does living in Melbourne influence and inspire you?
Melbourne is such a motivational and friendly place. There is so much going on it's pretty hard to fall into a rut or get bored. The creative scene is really diverse and if we're getting too deep into fashion there's always someone do distract us with a new interesting project. The fashion scene in Melbourne is quite inclusive, everyone is friendly and we all get along, even if you only catch up every fashion week.
Where else do you find your inspiration?
I'm fascinated by all aspects of the design and creative process. I like to look back at past fashion trends, the way people interpreted fashion and how it shaped generations. New design is also fascinating, especially photography and graphic design. Nathan loves checking out new industrial and architectural design. I think it's important to have an appreciation of all aspects of design - that's when the best ideas can strike.
What's next for you?
There is a lot more we can do with Limedrop and we're really excited to explore new ideas. We're constantly trying to learn and try new things so I think that Limedrop will always be evolving, hopefully. In the near future we're excited to see how our next collection is received by the Japanese market. We recently went over to Japan to meet with a distributor who will be representing our next collection. Hopefully it goes well so we have an excuse to go back. We're both in love with Japan.
