What is Independent Fashion? An Australian Perspective

Abstract

What does it mean to describe a fashion business – a designer, a label, a store – as independent? And how does one recognize it as such? Unlike in other cultural fields such as music or film, there is minimal research offering a comprehensive overview of the concept of “independence” in fashion, despite the sector being highly creative, engaging strongly with cultural and social issues, and enjoying increased visibility and impact through digital technology. This article, based in the Australian fashion context, begins to address this by providing a typology of contemporary independent fashion businesses and describing and examining the characteristics of two types. A multi methods approach is used, incorporating semi-structured interviews with sector participants and thematic analysis of social media and website content conducted over a 12-month period. Findings show that independent fashion is not anti-fashion, but instead is fashion conducted by those who wish to retain creative control of their work and to develop and foster close personal connections with their peers and consumers. Findings also suggest that independent fashion acts as an incubator for creative ideas and trends that find their way into mainstream fashion industry practices.