HATCH

WA Designers On The Rise

Though the fashion industry certainly has its fair share of glamorous moments, behind the scenes it’s not all champagne, canapés and cocktail rings, as Western Australia’s community of hard-working young designers can attest. For every beautiful gown you see on a rack at a boutique, hours upon hours of work have been spent perfecting the design, manufacturing the garment and marketing the label, which takes a lot out of young designers trying to get their foot in the door.
This month the Perth Fashion Festival joins forces with Carillion City to nurture and support emerging designers as they establish their labels, with Hatch – a WA designer boutique smack bang in the heart of the city.  
“The team behind Hatch recognised a need for a vibrant, inner city retail initiative allowing the public access to emerging and established design work, predominantly from Western Australia,” Hatch project manager Chelsey Wayte explains of the boutique. “Hatch will be more than just a shop, offering unique customer experiences, events, fashion parades, designer meet-and-greets and exhibitions.
“Making the transition from their studies to becoming fully fledged designers can be a real challenge, particularly in the current retail climate,” Wayte responds when asked about the main issues facing emerging designers and their labels.         “It can be hard for small labels to compete with national retailers and more established brands. To be successful, they need to be commercially viable. Hatch will assist emerging designers by providing them with an interface with the public which wouldn’t usually be possible in such a centralised space. Shoppers can meet designers in person, be inspired by events held in the store, and be a part of supporting the local fashion industry.”
Stocking work by the likes of Zhivago, One Fell Swoop, Steph Audino Designs, Catini, Zsadar, Bhalo, Sewellery, Generics, Martini + Coz, Alister Yiap, Daniella Caputi, The Butcher & The Crow, Tindale, Zanthus, Harmony & Lawson, Little Gracie and plenty more, Hatch provides designers with a platform to build their careers, ensuring a viable and sustainable future for the West Australian fashion industry.
As a designer in the early stages of her career, Steph Audino knows all about the challenges facing new labels and the individuals who drive them, and believes that initiatives such as Hatch are absolutely vital.
“I thought it was a great opportunity for designers to showcase their talents, so I was so happy to be asked to be a part of it,” Audino says of her involvement with Hatch.
“It’s really hard work getting started,” Audino explains of launching a label. “You have to stick to it. You need to know about the business side because it’s not all about the designing and the creativity; you have to be able to run a business. I think Hatch is really good because with our first collections it isn’t easy to find stockists, so Hatch is amazing for designers starting out.”
Alongside collections from other West Australian designers, garments from Steph Audino’s Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections are on offer at Hatch, inspired by glamorous women and the places they travel.
“My Autumn/Winter collection was inspired by this idea of a fashion forward woman jet-setting around Europe, so it’s ve\ry romantic and girly. The girl that I design for is confident, and she loves fashion and wants to look her best; the collection suits a lot of different body types.”
Next time you’re on the hunt for a new outfit, or a gift for someone special, bypass the chain stores and head straight into Hatch – you’ll come out looking and feeling good, safe in the knowledge that you’re supporting the next breed of WA design talent.
Keep up to date with all things Hatch via facebook.com/hatchshop.

_EMMA BERGMEIER