Show Resources

Tony Instagram: @tonyrcp 
Ash Instagram: @ash_pierce
Vovo The Label: @vovo_thelabel

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - People Vultures (Costumes designed by Ashlee Pierce) 

Setting the scene

Hey everyone - and welcome to the very first episode of ‘Producing with Purpose’ - an ethical business podcast, hosted by Tony - one of the co-founders of Nōskin. 

In this first episode, we kick things off with a longer intro, focussing on who I am, and why I have decided to start this podcast.

As is the case with any entrepreneurial venture, there are problems that arise at every step of the journey. However, it’s all about remembering why you want to make this dream happen and forging ahead to solve these problems, that brings an ambitious project like Nōskin to life.

However, we aren’t the first ones to embark on this journey of creating an ethical business, and we certainly won’t be the last, so I’ve created this podcast to help me navigate some of the bumps along this road, and to also be transparent about the steps we’re taking, and dilemmas we face as we create Nōskin - sharing the ups and downs we encounter on our vision of being the largest ethical brand in Australia! 

The first guest we have on the podcast is our very own Director of Design, Ashlee Pierce.

 

Vovo the Label 

Ash and I get stuck straight into talking about her first venture into creating a fashion label, Vovo, who appeared on the Melbourne Fashion Week - Sustainability Runway.

We cover the ‘fastest slow fashion’ ever, where Ash and her business partner, Phoebe created outfits for Australian pop duo ‘The Veronicas’ in 48 hours. We cover the logistics of becoming a bespoke fashion label, creating one of a kind garments by hand, and the trials and tribulations involved in a boutique fashion label, even when designing for top artists such as ‘King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’ (See link in the resources for the video), ‘Courney Barnett’ and even Kaiit Isshe at the ARIA Awards. 

Speeding up the process at Lee Jeans Australia

Moving from the slow fashion processes of Vovo to the global market, we reveal some industry secrets on how mainstream brands need to meet the demands of the high street retailers, and where the compromises in production occur. 

Covering Ash’s time at Lee Jeans, we talk about the costing implications and production price limits, compared with the approach we’re taking at Nōskin to focus on longevity and durability with materials such as Recycled Japanese Selvedge Denim. 

We talk about some of the hard questions, thinking about whether we should aim to create more sustainable and ethical clothing, or if we should be reducing the amount of textiles being released into the market.

And of course, we talk about consumer perceptions and who holds the responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. 

Finding a happy medium, and the journey into Nōskin

Although Ash and I have been working closely together for the last 6 months, we recap on some of the design decisions and commitments to quality we have made whilst getting Nōskin ready for launch. 

Ash covers the hard truth that consumers need to “buy less and think more” and how we need to be more conscious consumers and buy well, pushing back against the flow of disposable fast fashion that has been prevalent in recent years. 

As this is episode 1 of Producing with Purpose, and we are releasing it via Nōskin, we couldn’t resist talking a little bit about Ash’s experience in the company so far. As surprising as it may seem with the beautiful design and quality that we’ve seen in the samples of our vegan leather boots, Ash admits that this is her first time designing shoes, which is why she’s extremely excited for our two models to launch in January 2021, which you can lear. 

Close out

Wrapping up the episode, I once again thank Ash for being patient with me, as we wrap up what in its raw form was over an hour long conversation in my apartment, interrupted on multiple occasions by my cats. 

If you enjoyed the episode, or have a suggestion of a guest you’d like us to feature, then please email me on tony@noskin.co - I’d love to hear your feedback.