WHEN Kate Hannah started sustainable fashion label P’JUNK two years ago, she could not have anticipated the meteoric rise of her line.
Next month, the she will travel to California, where she has been invited to exhibit at LA Fashion Week.
The Curtin University fashion graduate said she was excited for her first international show.
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READ NOW“It was a presentation I did at eco-fashion week Australia that they had seen when they contacted me, they said they had really liked what I was doing and they’d loved to invite me over to show with them,” she said.
Hannah said her goal from day one was to prioritise sustainable and ethical fashion and was proud those principles had been instrumental in the label’s rise.
“Everything is made here in Australia or in my studio, it’s sustainable in the sense it’s recycled textiles,” she said.
“Throughout my time studying fashion, one thing which always stood out to me was the amount of textile waste and amount people consume but will then throw away.
“I prefer to take the approach of things being made to last, made to be more of a special piece you buy and treasure forever.”
The Canning resident said she wanted to have fun with the clothes she designed and make them jump out, drawing on any recycled materials she could find.
“I buy a lot of second-hand stuff, heaps of jeans, kilts, t-shirts, toys, all sorts of fun stuff and I cut them up and make them into something different,” she said.
“Whenever people ask me how I would describe the label, it’s all of that, but also lots of fun, colour, a punk influence and reconceptualising all of that in my own way.”
While she said her rapid rise had been fun, Hannah also admitted the last two years had delivered a crash course in running a business.
“As with anything, there’s a learning curve, I know the creative side of things when you’re a designer, you don’t struggle with that,” she said.
“Having a business for the first time, learning the logistics, especially with going overseas, that’s the side which requires a bit of learning.”