Magic Is Happening at Sister Studios
Models: Lucinda and Elizabeth
By Ruby Staley
Images Jo Duck
Naarm based design sweethearts, SISTER Studios have unleashed their latest collection to the world - filled to the brim with flirty witchy realness.
Local besites Emma Cutri and Alice McIntosh behind the brand called the collection, Magic Happens, as a bit of an ode to the worldly spiritual and powerful women of the past, present and future.
The locally manufactured range features detailed patchwork prints by textile designer Megan McNeill, vibrant clashing prints, ginghams, rich blues and purples, soft colourways and light fabrications just in time for Melbourne’s sunny season.
We chatted to one half of SISTER, Emma, all about the fun new collection we’re expecting to see all over the Spring-time, Government allowed picnics around the state.
Tell me the story behind Sister, why did you want to start the brand in the first place?
SISTER started organically, Alice and I were just sewing for fun, hanging out and started making dresses for ourselves and friends. We decided to put them up on ppennylane selling Facebook group and we were getting swamped!
We didn't set out with the intention of starting a brand, but the response from selling online made us think… maybe this was a gap in the market we could jump into?!
That gap being locally made, affordable, cute clothing from deadstock and natural fibres. From there we decided to create a business and called it SISTER.
How has the brand progressed over the years? Are you proud of how far you've come?
The brand has come a long way from when we used to cut fabric on the living room floor and set up our domestic machines at the kitchen table! We are so proud of the hard work we’ve put into SISTER. It’s been so much fun creating our dream world for customers to fall in love with. We’re also so proud that we’ve been able to keep a friendship through all these years and we think that still comes through the label for people.
What has been your proudest moment so far?
We have had a lot of proud moments! Seeing our clothes on the runway at fashion week has been incredible. Opening our little shop was so surreal and exciting. What never gets old though is seeing babes around town wearing our clothes, we still get so proud and gushy! Also, when people tell us their favourite piece of clothing is a Sister item, that always puts a big smile on my face.
Tell me a little about your design and production processes
The design process starts with lots of Pinterest, sifting through old magazines and drawings of vintage things I’ve seen on Etsy or in my mind haha! Then I work with our pattern maker to create samples of these garments. From there we work on fabric prints with our amazing textiles designer, Megan to bring the collection to life.
Everything is made in a factory around the corner, so we go back and forth to them until everything is really to roll. The factory are such a massive help to us, even though we’ve been doing Sister for 6 years there’s always more to learn! The factory are our mentors, always educating us about production and how to improve our finishes.
Let's talk all things 'Magic Happens' - tell us about inspirations for the collection, thoughts on the products and process of creating it.
The inspiration for Magic Happens was all our favourite witchy women and characters from music and film like Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and films like Three Women, The Virgin Suicides and Hocus Pocus! We wanted this collection to have an innocent charm to it, a bit vintage and a bit kooky, but always really fresh and bright.
What are your favourite 'Sister' pieces?
My all time favourite SISTER pieces that I wear every week are a chocolate brown satin bias skirt we made a few years ago, both Alice and I are always wearing that one! I still wear all my crop tops a lot. This winter I’ve lived in my pinstripe Annie pants.
Finally, how do you think the fashion industry has changed over the last couple of years? What do you hope for in the future?
The last couple of years have been bananas, everything is changing so fast with the pandemic. Our beautiful store has hardly been open and online has been going off.
I’ve noticed heaps of amazing new local brands coming up, which is fantastic to see and lots of DIY vibe stuff going on. The future seems so far away, but I hope stores will open back up and that local bustling streets like Brunswick Street and Smith Street will flourish again!
I hope that in store customer experiences come back better than ever and that people can have positive retail experiences that make their clothes feel more meaningful.
Check out SISTER Studios stuff here.