So Linda, who is your style icon and why?

I feel like I don't have one specific style icon since my style changes all the time depending on whatever I feel like wearing!

I like to get inspo from accounts I see online. At the moment I've been loving @linmick and Paloma Wool. These accounts all have such unique styles and I'm really enjoying their imagery/content. It inspires me to be more authentic in the way I dress and to push the boundaries a little more.

How would you describe your own personal style?

I definitely gravitate towards 90's fashion. I get inspired by old 90's magazines/catalogues and movies. Recently though I feel like I'm in a place where I'm wanting to branch out a bit more and try styling new items that I usually wouldn't wear or haven't worn before. I guess I'm still discovering my individual style and it's definitely a process that changes with the seasons of my life.

I think my style will continue to change as I get older and keep growing more into myself.

What goes into creating sustainable fashion?

A lot of thought, time and effort goes into creating sustainable fashion! I think it's obvious why sustainable fashion is a lot more expensive than what you see from fast fashion brands. So much time goes into creating each item. From finding sustainable materials, to finding a process that limits wastage, to hand making each individual piece, it all goes into the cost of the item. In the end, it's definitely worth it though, as it's a piece with a lot of love and effort put into it and you know your money is going into something for the greater good.

What got you into fashion, and how did Ethereal144 come to be?

I didn't really discover my love for fashion until maybe high school? I have always been a super shy person but I remember watching a lot of Youtube around that time and stumbling into the fashion side of it all. Watching others be so confident in the way that they dressed inspired me to wear more of what I liked and to not care so much about what other people thought.

I feel like through fashion I was able to gain a lot more confidence in myself, which I hadn't discovered before and so I've always been very appreciative of it.

Ethereal144 was my lockdown baby! I saw that bleached jeans were becoming a thing and I remember just thinking hang on I could bleach actual designs onto them. I got a pair of my old jeans and just experimented by drawing hearts on them and posted a photo of them on my personal Instagram account, not thinking too much of it. I got messages asking about how I did it and if I'd ever start selling them and so I just thought why not!

I've also always been a massive op shopper and have been selling on Depop for years, I love the process of it all. Finding unique pieces that have lived a life before, styling it, photographing it and then passing it on to the next buyer.

This allows for clothes to get passed on and on and not add to the neverending landfill of textiles. So I started finding second hand jeans and drew up some designs I liked and just experimented with bleach. I think I have a pretty good bleaching process going now and try to stick to certain fits/styles of jeans that I personally like when I go sourcing.

Why did you choose denim specifically?

I think denim is super versatile and can be worn with pretty much anything. It's a staple in anyone's wardrobe. Creatively, I think it's a material that can be worked with pretty easily. Whether it be bleaching, painting or sewing it, it's a material that's pretty tough and can be manipulated in many ways.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

This question always gets me! I think in this period of my life I'm honestly a bit unsure about what the future will look like. I just finished my degree and am feeling pretty lost but I think I'm just trying to follow my intuition and not think too deeply about if a decision is right or wrong. I think in the next few years I'll be doing a lot of trial and error and finding out what sticks and what doesn't. I'm someone that needs to feel passionate about their work, so hopefully I'll be doing something that allows me to feel free, whatever that might be!

What is your favourite and least favourite thing about the Naarm fashion industry?

Hmm, this is a hard one! I think my favourite thing would be how creative and talented everyone is. I feel like Naarm is full of people with insane creative ideas and it's not like anything I've seen before from other areas. It's inspiring to see people express themselves and push the boundaries of design. I'm not really sure if I have a least favourite thing to be honest. I feel like I'm not fully in the fashion industry scene, with little experience in fashion I kind of just do my own thing, whenever I feel like it. I get inspired seeing what other people are doing and also all the creatives I've met have been super lovely so I don't have too much to say that's bad!

What advice would you give someone who wants to start their own fashion label but is intimidated by the highly competitive industry?

I'd say just do it. Even if it's a competitive industry, your creative ideas and individual style will be different from other peoples and there will always be someone that likes your items. Don't get too caught up in comparing yourself to other people and try to find your individual voice (I'm still learning this one). It's gonna take a lot of trial and error but just keep moving forward with whatever you're doing and learn from your mistakes.

You'll learn a lot about the industry as well as yourself, try to have fun with it and never forget the reason you're doing it all. <3