SYDNEY: Internationally renowned jewellery designer Zoe Sernack has revealed plans to enter the rag trade – with a little help from her friends.
The 31-year-old has well and truly made her mark on the accessories industry with her brand Zoemou, which has been showcased on catwalks alongside top Australian fashion designers. But she’s a newcomer to the fickle world of fashion.
While the Sydney-based artist stopped short of naming who she will be working with on her debut range, she has teamed up with fashion designers like Daniel Avakian, Sara Phillips, Shona Joy and Silence is Golden in the past, each of whom have contributed ideas to her jewellery range.
“I will have some of the top Australian designers helping me design the garments. My range will be signature pieces that you chuck on with jeans. They’re the sorts of pieces that you can wear for years that won’t date.”
Sernack’s foray into women’s apparel will hit shelves across the country early next year. The designer described the trans-seasonal range as “bold, stylish and versatile”. The collection will be mostly black and white and will consist of signature pieces costing under $200 each. The line will retail alongside Sernack’s jewellery range, which is stocked in boutiques across the country.
“I want to keep everything small, tight, graphic, strong and very themed. It will be high end and special in its cuts, shapes and artwork placement,” she said. Sernack plans to start small and gauge market response before growing the range. “Making sure I have the range right is more important to me than making a quick buck.”
She said she was keen to commit to manufacturing in Australia at a time when increasing numbers of brands cut costs by moving off-shore.
“You can’t control what happens when you manufacture overseas. If we manufacture here then I can keep it tight and manageable. It’s also quicker than sending it off overseas and waiting for a sample to come back.”