Espire Clothing
CREATIVE WARRIOR SERIES
“Clothing brands should know how to make products themselves, in the most ethical and sustainable ways possible.”
Balin Foley, founder
Did anyone know there was a fashion label based in Bright? Well, not many people do, until you head inside the Espire Clothing store and meet its founder Balin Foley, who you’re most likely to find out the back quietly hand-sewing his pieces together.
With sustainability at the heart of the company's vision, Balin doesn’t waste a thing. Leftover dyes used for clothing are stored in bottles to be reused for tie-dyes and lighter-coloured fabrics; spare packaging from any other brand is encouraged to be brought into the store for reuse, and used Espire Clothing garments are even exchanged for a discount in-store. Foley assures us that not one scrap of material ever goes to waste.
When we needed t-shirts for Britt White Studio, we grabbed a coffee and chatted to Balin about his journey from a brand that started as a last-minute gift idea in 2014 to become an inspirational leader in the community’s push toward protecting the beautiful environment we live in. Each product they design always allows the final touches to be the customers’ choice, such as the colour and size of the button on a shirt, or the style of the neck on a t-shirt. Espire Clothing is really pushing the envelope for locally-made daywear, read on to find out how.
How would you describe your creative or design aesthetic?
We design and create what we want to wear- all of our team members collaborate together in our workspace and bounce great ideas off each other until we land on something we all love. One of the unique factors in the Espire Clothing process gives you, the client, complete input into how your item will be created - from paper, to sample, to finish. Made from 100% Australian-sourced materials (excluding the Belgium linen), customers are able to choose several options from buying directly off the shelf to customising any garment with different base fits, body lengths, neck shapes, colours, buttons and pockets.
What part of the creative process is most exciting for you and why?
The early development stage of a garment is always a fun process - from choosing unique natural fibre fabrics and colours to doing the research and discovering what relationships we can build with unique fabric suppliers, we really love sourcing the best and most sustainable products for our garments. We aim to only supply fabrics from Australian manufacturers, including the wool used by my Nana to make the range of handmade beanies we sell in-store. They may be more expensive, but they are supporting Australian made from sheep to my nana’s knitting needle!
Where do you find your inspiration?
There are so many great people around the world inspiring us to be a better, more sustainable label- that's the core of what we really want to create. Locally though, growing up around my mother Jane’s sewing machine, I guess I’ve always been inspired by her. She’s a big part of the Espire brand, even before it was what we have today.
Describe a garment you are most proud of and why?
I recently watched a movie called "The Great Escape" and I loved the Tee Steve McQueen wore in the film. The process of developing a shirt inspired by but uniquely different from his original one has been a fun process. We've now got an awesome product line named "The Great Escape" that's made from unbrushed Australian woven organic cotton, each one being uniquely hand-dyed.
What makes you unique and sets you apart from your peers?
Making our items in-store allows us to give customers a real personal touch on the products - from choosing trim colours on hoodies to having shirts fitted perfectly to them.
An example of a client’s custom choice in colours for their New Yorker snowboard hoodie.
Jane, the mother of Espire Clothing. She manages the patterns, technical design work and construction.
Tell us a little about your creative journey and what led you to live and work in our stunning region.
I was born in Bright so when I began working on Espire Clothing bringing it home to Bright seemed like a perfect fit, even though I was living in Melbourne at the time. I have always believed clothing needed to become more sustainable and I reached a point in believing that building up a label myself would be the best reality of that happening. Being surrounded by my mother’s workroom as inspiration also helped! We started at local markets and grew into a pop-up store, then after that opened a full-time store on the main street in Bright in 2016.
For young creatives starting out, what's the best piece of advice you would give them?
Start small, think big!
Britt White Studio wears Aspire Clothing on installation days. Start your design journey with us.
You’ll find Espire Clothing at www.espireclothing.com | espireclothing@gmail.com or visit their store at Shop 4, 87-89 Gavan Street, Bright VIC 3741
