BUON Makes Sweatshirts That Tick All Our Boxes
Photos BUON Clothing
By Madelaine Cherrington
I love a good sweatshirt. They’re comfortable, they’re versatile and they look great on everyone.
If you’re like me, and a good sweatshirt is high on your priority list, then have I got a recommendation for you.
Independent clothing brand BUON is bringing the sweatshirt game to a whole new level. Made locally in Melbourne, BUON is best known for their statement colour-block sweatshirts. Vibrant and comfy AF, these sweatshirts are a great edition to any wardrobe.
With sizes ranging from 3XS to 8XL, everyone has a BUON body and has the chance to enjoy a signature sweatshirt. Because who doesn’t love inclusive fashion?
Recently, while lusting over the brand’s pieces, I caught up with co-founder Natalie Robson to talk all things BUON.
What were you doing before you established BUON?
I was running an illustration business; my clients were mostly in beauty and makeup. I drew comics and became a little bit known for a strip called ‘Show Dogs’… unfortunately the terrible CGI film of the same name came out about 6 months after I started the comic. I also had some small products manufactured with my dog characters on them like washi tape, enamel pins, and keychains…you know, the typical Etsy style freelance artist business.
How did BUON begin? What inspired you to establish the brand?
I started my first business when I was 16, making jewellery. I had a lot of media and press about me because of my age. After completing my design and film degree, I started a very cutesy clothing brand inspired by Japanese Harajuku fashion - something that doesn’t really interest me anymore. I made the first versions of our iconic colour block sweatshirts in 2014 - the 90s, mono, and dark blocks were the first jumpers in this style back then. The sweatshirts sold well, but I got a bit cocky and reckless with the speed of my next collection after that (not really having the wisdom needed to do it well) and blew all of my capital on a collection that would probably only fit a 9 year old. I moved to Japan for a while and when I came back I started the illustration thing again, but running an actual brand was my real desire, so I’m glad we finally made the jump back into fashion, almost 6 years later.
How does your design process work? What inspires you?
I’m mostly inspired by music. Basically, when I like a song, while I’m driving or walking around listening on my headphones, I can create an entire music video in my mind, and this is usually where everything starts for me. Having had so much experience in different industries, I know exactly how to find a supplier and what materials are available to me—what’s going to work and what won’t. I won’t design something that I don’t know how to make or how to have made, so I collect fabric swatches from my suppliers to see what’s already available, so I don’t get my heart set on something that can’t be done. I used to design things based on what I thought other people would like, but this didn’t really work. People in the street would strike up conversations with me about my outfit, and I’d tell them I had a brand. They’d be excited but then disappointed when they saw that what I was selling was indeed nothing like what I actually wore. So now I only design what I like, and it’s working out very well for us.
My catchcry is, “if I don’t feel like I’m wearing pyjamas, then I don’t want to wear it”. (My wedding dress felt like billowy satin pyjamas). So basically, in sticking with these principles, I’ve created a brand that other people love and connect with, and I am happy to wear in my own day to day life.
Why is size inclusive fashion important to you as a brand?
When I was making the sweatshirts before, I only used the typical XS to XL sizing model, but it really upset me whenever someone came up to our booth at an event and asked if we had any bigger sizes. It really sucked to say no. When I was 24, I was misdiagnosed with PCOS, and the medication caused me to go from a size 10 to a size 16 in about 3 months. Finding anything that fit me in stores, let alone my own closet, was a nightmare that seemed unending. I couldn’t believe it; I wasn’t even that big. How did people bigger than a size 16 find clothes to wear?!
Almost everyone in the industry has questioned, or at least brought up, our extensive size range. Maybe we could bundle sizes, or reduce sizes, but the fact of the matter is while we may sell less 8XL items, no amount of reduced profit margins can poke a stick at the heart-warming messages and emails we receive from people thanking us and saying that they’ve finally got something that actually fits them now.
Same goes for our smaller sizes. I never thought to go smaller than an XS, but we received some emails from people who needed a smaller size, and we made that happen too. Everyone deserves to be able to wear clothes that they like - rather than just putting up with whatever fits.
What's next for BUON?
Now that we’re going into summer, we’ve started to look at advertising to the US and UK markets for our sweatshirts, whilst also developing products for the warmer months here.
We’ve already hit milestones which I thought would take years to reach, which I’m very thankful for. We’re looking to branch into new product ranges as well. I really want BUON to be seen as the Australian streetwear company. We’re so grateful that so many Aussies have rallied around the brand already. Long live Australian made!
Follow them out on Instagram at @buonclothing and shop their collection via their website.