Walk us through your career in fashion so far. How did you get here, to be helming a clothing brand?

This is my 17th year in the fashion business. Ive designed for luxury brands in Australia and the UK such as Aje, Alice Mccall, and Victoria Beckham. I decided to start my own brand as I always felt unfulfilled. My passion was always streetwear and that whole world — it’s something I relate to via my personal style and it truly inspires me. I just felt like it was time to start my journey on a brand that represented myself and the people around me. I didn’t want to turn a certain age and regret not giving it a go.

Who is the intended wearer of Kourh’s clothing? What are they like, what do they desire, how do they tend to dress? 

The Kourh customer is strong, non-conformist and identifies from within. I don’t believe in putting labels or restraint on who I’m designing it for. Equality is at the forefront of every collection I put together. I think in this day and age, oldschool targeting of “who’s your customer and what does she do on the weekend” is outdated to me. It needs to be a lot broader — labels create restrictions, and what kinda fun is that? Be you, because ‘yolo’! Wear what you want to wear! My goal is to inspire people, not to dictate how they should dress.

Kourh feels very provocative — the functional construction of your garments is offset by flirtation, quirk and non-conformity. How do you balance wearability and frivolity in your designs? 

I always start with my own personal style and what I look for when buying clothes. I’m a super functional and practical dresse. That’s really important when I design and shop. But I like to laugh a lot and I’m a bit of a joker, so there was just no way I could create a brand and make it too “fashion serious”. Lastly, on being provocative, who doesn’t love sex?!

What does Kourh’s relationship/collaboration with Harrolds mean to you?

Wow, what can I say. Harrolds was the number one place I wanted to be in Australia and to be exclusive with them on my debut collection is so humbling. I am so grateful! It’s my favourite store in Australia, and it really means the world to me.

How would you curate an outfit with Kourh for an evening of hedonism?

A little bit of skin, a little bit of tailoring, and a lot of sass.

I truly believe Kourh is for anyone and everyone and whoever you feel inside

And what about for more daytime-appropriate wear? To work and beyond?

Well lets just say your boss would be a legend if they let you dress in Kourh!

How have you approached gender in your designs?

We do not use pronouns to describe the garments. I truly believe Kourh is for anyone and everyone and whoever you feel inside. Kourh is a safe place — no judgement, just love.

And sustainability? What should we know about Kourh’s fabrication or manufacturing processes?

As the brand grows I believe our efforts will get better and stronger. Right now 80% of the collection is made from designer deadstock fabrics that would end up in landfill. For the remaining styles I try to use organic natural fibres as much as possible. All our packaging is recyclable and compostable. I also have a special project in the works to do with our product lifecycle, but this is a secret for now so watch this space.