Welcome The Only Label
The Only Label has recently opened in Stall 137 in SO:ME Space. Here you will find our graceful trader Net, a calm and knowledgeable designer with a lifetime of personal and formal fashion experience.
With a background in upcycling vintage clothing, Net is passionate about combining street style trends with retro charms. From 60s geometric mod, 70s laid back bohemian through to edgy 90s grunge, The Only Label draws inspiration from the distinctive shapes and detailing of the past and recreates it with a modern twist, seen through up-to-date classic designs with a signature touch of yesteryear.
Net grew up in Thailand in a large family with siblings, many of whom now also work with clothes. Upon noting the curiosity of this, Net muses that her parents had operated a chemist, so from a young age, the children were familiarised with the retail setting as they helped out day to day. They also lived in proximity to fashion businesses and observed the transformation of garments, as fabric evolved into shapes, from close range. But, she says, her grandma was also most likely an influence. Her grandmother was formidable in her dress and only ever appeared in perfect tailored outfits, of a matching skirt and a top, and always with a complementary manicure.
This appreciation for superb fit is embodied in the stall today, the pieces are inspired by vintage designs which recognise, more than most modern-day clothes that are sold, how cut can celebrate form. Net’s business approach follows in this classicism, she explains to us how she goes about releasing designs and collections. The theme we notice among her decisions is that harmony between the garment and the buyer is priority. An exemplar outcome of this approach is when customers return time again for the pieces they love and trust, which have been remade in a new fabric.
Several of the well-proofed designs are sustained across seasons and years, and will only alter by choices of fabric; playful colours and prints are usual, polka dots, stripes and chequers. Net appreciates that the smallness of her business, and the South Melbourne Market setting, allows her to get firsthand feedback about her designs. In this manner, each collection is informed by the reception of the last, with minor adjustments made to the cuts or colour choices according to observation and face to face conversations.
On average each piece is made in a small quantity of 20-30 and a new collection is released approximately each season. Sales are avoided and are generally unnecessary. If Net sees that a design might be improved after viewing it on various bodies in her fitting room, she will physically take them back to Thailand on her next trip to visit family to have the pieces adjusted rather than put them on sale.
Most of the garments are made by a tailor in Pichit in North Thailand, who Net was introduced to by her sister. The dressmaker also works across evening wear, and these tailoring skills are well illustrated in the shapes and finishes of The Only Label. Net and the dressmaker communicate every other day by messenger app and this process is conducive to Net’s hope, to remain as a boutique label so that sustainability and quality can long continue. In this vein, The Only Label is grounded in the ideal of timelessness from both a design, and an environmental perspective. Fabrics are selected for aesthetics and durability, accessories are made not only to match clothes but to make use of fabric offcuts, and styles are optimised for the sake of silhouettes, yet also, to make a minimal yet cohesive wardrobe possible.
One of the stall’s specialisations is in clothes for people who are petite-statured. Net hopes that she can provide pants and jumpsuits for these people, at an optimal length and shape without needing alteration. There are however items for a breadth of sizes, from XXS - 16, elegant jumpsuits, pants and jackets, accompanying basic pieces, and vintage style dresses in delightful prints and colours.
Find The Only Label in SO:ME Space open every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am.
