The Return of Onshore Manufacturing: Introducing The Cause
Celebrating the brand’s 10th anniversary this year, designers Dale and Sharmaine Cornell of New Model Beauty Queen are driving the future of local manufacturing in the fashion industry. Dale and Sharmaine have previously operated out of the New Model Beauty Queen boutique retail space on Sydney Road, and also offer small-scale manufacturing and screenprinting services from the expansive double-story studio in Saxon Street, Brunswick.
Answering to the demand for their localized manufacturing capabilities, Dale and Sharmaine have now opened their second retail and manufacturing space, aptly titled ‘The Cause’, at Causeway House Basement, 306 Little Collins Street, Melbourne.
The Cause is a unique fashion hub in the heart of Melbourne, housing 14 industrial sewing machines, a fully operational sampling production floor, pattern drafting tables and spacious cutting zones. The conjoining on-site retail space also stocks the in-house sustainable and ethical brand, The Cause, alongside several other Melbourne-made brands, and the entire 200 square meter space will be proudly unveiled on August 31st at 6:30pm.
The increasing pressure on emerging labels from fast-fashion internationals has created an unbalanced playing field for Australian designers, however Dale intends to change this with the new location. “The Cause is a vehicle to project our own sustainable and ethical brand, as well as to promote other local labels, and to be a creative hub for the growing Melbourne fashion renaissance.
Sustainability is as an essential evolution for the future of fashion, as it is one of the great polluting industries and we will all need to respond to this question eventually. We truly believe in the philosophy of, think local, act global.” The bold, vibrant prints and versatile avant-garde designs of The Cause have already cemented the brand’s presence in the local fashion scene, and it’s commitment to local manufacturing, sustainable philosophies and ethical practices underpin the new location’s mission.
Both New Model Beauty Queen and The Cause are two of a very select number of brands accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA), and the announcement of the new multi-strata manufacturing facility is set to establish a precedence for onshore, sustainable manufacturing in the fashion industry.
The official unveiling of The Cause on August 31st coincides with the 2015 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week program, and will host a full introduction to the retail space and manufacturing capabilities, as well as an interactive runway with collections from The Cause, New Model Beauty Queen, Designed In Brunswick, Coco and Max, Straker and more, to the live sounds of local band, Dear Plastic.