How Karlaidlaw is taking over the world.
Unveiling Creativity and Versatility: Behind the Scenes of the Fall Winter 23 Photoshoot with Melbourne's Rising Fashion Brand
In the bustling world of fashion, where trends come and go at lightning speed, there are a few brands that manage to stand out with their distinctive vision and unwavering commitment to their aesthetic. One such brand is Karlaidlaw, founded by the creative force, Karla Laidlaw. With a childhood passion for creating and an innate sense of style, Karla embarked on a journey to establish her own fashion brand, driven by a desire to offer wearable, comfortable pieces that exude a point of difference. In this exclusive interview, we get to sit down behind the scenes as Karla shares her inspirations, design process, and the challenges she has faced in building and growing Karlaidlaw.
Finding Inspiration and Establishing a Vision
Karla's journey into the fashion industry began with a childhood filled with creativity. From styling her bath towel to experimenting with different looks, she knew from an early age that she wanted to create her own brand. The vision for Karlaidlaw is to strike a balance between uniqueness and everyday wearability, with comfort serving as its core foundation. Karla's recent achievement of opening the first Karlaidlaw store in North Melbourne is just the beginning, as she envisions expanding the brand's presence both locally and internationally.
Defining the Target Audience and Reaching Them
Initially targeting eclectic customers in their 20s and 30s, Karla soon realized that her brand's appeal extends beyond a specific demographic. By creating clothes she is proud of, Karlaidlaw attracts individuals who see the brand's pieces as their daily armor. The key strategy employed by Karla is to focus on producing garments that speak to the wearer's individuality and empower them to express themselves through fashion.
The Personal Aesthetic of Karlaidlaw
Karlaidlaw's personal aesthetic can be described as elevated basics with unique elements that distinguish them as unmistakable "Karlaidlaw" pieces. Each design undergoes a meticulous process from concept to production. Karla starts with drawing, drawing inspiration from various sources like movies, street art, and everyday encounters. After sampling and refining, fabrics and trims are carefully sourced, and the manufacturing process commences. This attention to detail ensures that every Karlaidlaw piece maintains its distinct identity.
Sustainability and Ethical Practices
Karla understands the importance of incorporating sustainability and ethical practices into the fashion industry. While Karlaidlaw implements basic sustainable measures such as using recycled synthetic fabrics and local manufacturing, Karla acknowledges that there is more work to be done. She emphasizes the significance of transparency and maintains close relationships with suppliers and manufacturers who share the brand's ethical values.
Staying Relevant
In an industry constantly driven by fleeting trends, Karlaidlaw takes a different approach. Karla believes that trying to keep up with every passing trend is exhausting and futile. Instead, she stays true to the brand's identity and focuses on creating pieces that resonate with individuals seeking unique ideas rather than replicas of popular trends. By remaining authentic, Karlaidlaw attracts customers who appreciate the brand's individuality.
Looking ahead, Karla envisions Karlaidlaw becoming an internationally recognized brand. With plans to open a store in Sydney and expand into menswear, the brand is poised for exciting growth. Karla understands that progress takes time, and she is committed to carefully shaping the future of Karlaidlaw, one step at a time.
The Future of Karlaidlaw
What inspired you to start this fashion brand, and what is the overall vision for the brand?
I have always been making things. I remember being a kid and styling my bath towel different ways to create a look. It's been a goal of mine since a young age to have my own brand. The vision for the brand is to have a point of difference yet still be wearable daily. It's got comfort at its core. I have just opened up my first store in North Melbourne, and I would love to open up more in the future, both locally and internationally.
How do you define the target audience for your brand, and what strategies do you use to reach them?
My target audience used to be 20/30s eclectic customers. However, I now know that if you make clothes that you are proud of, whoever gets their hands on the pieces are going to use it as their armor for the day, I am proud to have as a customer.
How would you describe your brand's personal aesthetic?
The brand has your basics - but each piece is elevated. There are elements to the pieces that make it look like a 'Karlaidlaw' piece.
Can you describe the design process for your brand's collections, from concept to production?
Concept - is drawing. I will draw a lot of ideas, and I take inspiration from anything and everything. When you're in the design process, your mind is going crazy. Every movie you watch, person walking by, every second spent on the internet, looking through magazines, having dinner with friends, you're noticing the people around you and how they are wearing their pieces. Street art has really good color references for contrasting color. Then we start sampling - most pieces we can get right within 2 samples. I have an AMAZING pattern maker that understands me, so we can turn the sketch into a tangible design really well. Some pieces take longer with a few more samples after that. I usually change my mind on things 1000 times before reaching the final sample - but that's the process for me. Then we source the fabrics and trims. We use Jimmy Buttons a lot in Fitzroy - he has ALL the good stuff. After that, we go to our manufacturers. Each manufacturer has their own strengths, so we usually split it up by that as well as costing. Shoot the Campaign and ECOM and then organize production after the orders go in from our wholesalers and we put in our order for the store.
How do you incorporate sustainability and ethical practices into your brand's operations and production processes?
To be as transparent as possible, I implement the basic level that I should, which is packaging, locally manufactured, recycled synthetic fabrics, but there is so much more to be done. Being a sustainable brand takes up a lot of extra time, research, and resources. I have such respect for brands that do this. They are putting their need to create their idea second to sustainability. It's admirable. I do have a really close relationship with all my suppliers and manufacturers - they feel like family to me. There is always a conversation between my manufacturers and myself before we go into production to make sure everyone is getting what they want out of it. Our ethics align.
How do you stay current with fashion trends and ensure that your brand remains relevant in the industry?
I don't. I think that trying to stay up with current trends is tiresome. Looking at fashion now - a trend can be over in a matter of weeks. No point trying to keep up with it, just stay in your lane and believe what you're doing is good enough, and those who want to wear it will, and those who don't won't. People are attracted to individual ideas, rather than a different version of the same thing.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in building and growing this fashion brand, and how have you overcome them?
Scaling up is challenging. You know you need to do it, but where do you start? I used to work by myself. It was so much work, and it was hard to grow because you just do not have the time to expand. Trusting the process of hiring people, you have to trust that it will be beneficial for the brand, which it has proved immensely. Little steps lead to a big change.
What sets your brand apart from other fashion brands in the market, and how do you communicate that to consumers?
Keep doing what you know. Don't change because of trends, your customers like the brand because it's not following trends.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the future of the brand, and how do you see it evolving in the years to come?
Karlaidlaw to be recognized as an international brand. Would love to try opening another store in Sydney when the time is right. Expand more into menswear, 1000 things I want to do, all in good time.