Everything
ICON: Firstly, congratulations. Did you ever think that your knack for Hawaiian shirts would lead you to be awarded Australian Fashion Laureate Menswear Designer of the Year?
Double Rainbouu: “Thankyou! Haha, no and yes. We always wanted to do more than Hawaiian shirts, it was just a fun place to start. But given our casual origins and pretty casual present, we are humbled and honoured.”
How has the brand evolved since 2016, past its product offerings?
DR: “The biggest change is that the women’s business is now equal to men’s. We’ve also evolved personally to be able to manage the 360 degrees of the business, which has been both trialling and rewarding.”
What has influenced your most recent collection?
DR: “Our Summer collection that just launched today takes inspiration from all corners of the world with a particular focus on our Asia Pacific region. We had in mind the alt-tourists of the overland hippie trail picking up mementos on the way and weaving it into our ongoing narrative of travel and escape.”
How do you think the Australian fashion industry differs from that of overseas?
DR: “I like to think despite our connectedness that we still have a little bit of a creative bubble going on. There’s a certain romanticism to distance and things that come form a far away place and if we’ve lost that maybe we need it back?”
In March you told ICON, there is a “strong desire to do something a little bit more refined and a little bit more of a sophisticated colour palette.” Do you believe streetwear aesthetics in general are heading in this direction?
DR: “I think that was a more personal comment from our brands perspective. We’re always going to be colourful it’s in our DNA but we didn’t want to be pigeon holed into solely acid brights. It does seem like there’s a wider trend though for sure.”
Do you have a dream collaboration?
DR: “The Beach Boys. We just emailed someone about it.”
Are there any up and coming menswear designers you’re looking to at the moment? Of which are in the position you were 3 years ago?
DR: “Daniel Wait-Hughes our longest standing employee. He had his grad show recently and presented his contemporary take on country western dressing. At the moment he’s working under the name @clive.wait and doing custom, made to order and made local. He’s really talented and we couldn’t live without him so hopefully it doesn’t go that well (just kidding). He’s one to watch.”
What can we expect from Double Rainbouu in the future?
DR: “We just want to make things inspired by a life spent by the beach and that make people feel good. We would also like to be an iconic Australian brand and international household name. That type of thing.”
Visit the Double Rainbouu website, here. And see the full list of winners from the 2019 Fashion Laureate below.
AUSTRALIAN FASHION LAUREATE
LAURA BROWN
BEST AUSTRALIAN WOMENSWEAR
LEE MATHEWS
BEST AUSTRALIAN MENSWEAR
DOUBLE RAINBOUU (MIKEY NOLAN AND TOBY JONES)
BEST AUSTRALIAN EMERGING TALENT, presented by Etihad Airways
MATTEAU (ILONA HAMER AND PETA HEINSEN)
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION, presented by GlamCorner
ELK (MARNIE GODING AND ADAM KONIARAS)
MODEL OF THE YEAR
CHARLEE FRASER
OUTSTANDING CREATIVE
JILLIAN DAVISON
BEST AUSTRALIAN RETAILER
BASSIKE (DEBORAH SAMS AND MARY LOU RYAN)
BEST AUSTRALIAN ACCESSORIES
SARAH AND SEBASTIAN (SARAH GITTOES AND ROBERT SEBASTIAN GRYNKOFKI)
