Recognised for their popular purpose-driven apparel and accessories, Clothing The Gaps has grown into a movement.
Fresh off the back of a successful sitewide sale, this month Clothing The Gaps returned to the Melbourne Fashion Week runway, presenting pieces from the Not A Date To Celebrate and No Room For Racism collections.
Chief executive and co-founder, Laura Thompson, spoke with Style Up during Melbourne Fashion Week.
"It's been a big few months for us. In September we ran our Spring Sitewide Sale, and behind the scenes we've been building towards MFW with a project we're really proud of," Thompson said.
"We've partnered with BLAKLIST to bring seven up-and-coming Aboriginal models to Naarm from across the country.
"They'll take part in a photoshoot with us, sit front row at the Street Style runway, and join an upcycling workshop with Salvos Stores, where we're turning secondhand pieces into something new using our Clothing The Gaps statement designs.
"On the advocacy side, we've kept pushing the Australian Long Weekend, our proposal for an alternative to celebrating on January 26. When the City of Melbourne voted to backflip on its decision to stop celebrating on January 26, we spoke up and started a letter-writing campaign to City Councillors.
"That's what we're about: using fashion and our platform to keep these conversations going and to get people to act."
Thompson said being valued alongside other brands on the runway matters.
"Our fashion is designed to spark conversation. Fashion Week runway is another chance to get our messages in front of people who might never walk into our Brunswick store or find us online," she said.
"Our clothes are made to be worn every day: on the street, at the footy, at a rally, at the café and in community.
"Being valued alongside other brands on the runway matters.
"It says Blak fashion belongs here, not on the sidelines. Seeing our pieces next to brands we admire, and alongside fellow Blak brands like Gammin Threads, is really special."
Presenting nine looks from two different collections, Clothing The Gaps showcased their brand on the MFW Street Style runway on October 24.
"We're showing nine looks drawn from our different messages and campaigns, including pieces from our Not A Date To Celebrate and No Room For Racism collections," Thompson told Style Up earlier in the week.
"It's about wearing your values every day, with messages that start conversations wherever you go especially in this political climate."
Having also participated in the M/FW Conversations panel, Valued and Visible, Thompson was eager to engage with audience members and speak on the importance of First Nations communities and their role in fashion.
"Women over 50 are underrepresented in fashion. That's never been our problem, because in our Communities, matriarchs are at the centre of everything," she said.
"They're our knowledge holders, our leaders, the ones who keep family and community together. So of course they're at the centre of our campaigns too.
"We don't call them models. We call them role models. We choose people for what they stand for first and what they represent.
"If people trust our role models, they trust us. Our Aunties lend us their credibility, and that's not something you can buy. And honestly, they have presence. They're funny, they're powerful, they own the camera. They sell clothes and of course they are beautiful.
"The fashion industry tells women they become invisible after a certain age. Our communities have never believed that. Our Elders are the most visible people in the room."
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