The colourful sister duo behind The Good Garment, Danita and Bianca, chatted with us to share the hustle of mask making, made to order and their all-time inspiration Marimekko! Plus, find out who they are excited to see when they join us at Brisbane Finders Keepers 15-17 October!
Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you got started?
We make clothes in fun, bright prints that are in easy-to-wear styles. Made-to-order is the core of our business and this enables us to make some customisations to garments so they fit the customer better. Danita cuts out all garments and they are sewn in Queensland by Linda and Marion, who both have decades of experience in professional sewing.
How has your business evolved over the past year?
We are so thankful that we are a fully online business and weren’t affected by lockdowns in the way brick-and-mortar stores were. Right at the beginning of the pandemic we made some scrub caps and face masks for some friends in the medical profession. We sent some face masks to Clementine Ford and once she wore them in an Instagram post, the mayhem started. We pretty much just made face masks for all of July and August 2020. Danita cut out every square of fabric for literally thousands of masks and we recruited some extra home sewists to help us out. Bianca was in charge of labels, packaging and website updates. Luckily we had a friend come to stay for a week or so and she helped us out. We were working 18 hour days, but it was quite exhilarating and we felt useful.
What keeps you inspired and motivated?
Our enduring inspiration is Marimekko. We want to make clothes that are ‘every day’ wearable, but interesting and a bit fun. Like anything creative, there are times when you feel a bit burnt out, but just remembering what it is like working a ‘normal’ job, gets us back to it. The flexibility and self-determination of having our own business is so gratifying.
What do you love about Brisbane and what other makers are you looking forward to visiting?
We grew up in North Queensland, so Brisbane was the ‘big city’ to us as teenagers!! Most of us and our friends made the pilgrimage to Brisbane for University, and so it feels like our home city now. It probably goes without saying that during the pandemic, Brisbane is the place to be! We’re looking forward to catching up with Debra Hood Art, The New Devine and seeing what Claire Ritchie has in her stall.
What can shoppers expect from your stall at this event? Tell us if you’re bringing anything new!
We will have some of the ‘favourites’ for sale but also quite a few one-off pieces that we don’t offer on the website. The new ‘Blue Fields’ collection will be released at the market and we’ll have some new accessories launching at the market that are especially great for gifts.
Stay connected with The Good Garment on Instagram @thegoodgarment and catch them at Finders Keepers Brisbane!
Make market plans and join us for an inspiring three-day shopping event that features our curated lineup of independent art, design and food stalls! Tickets are only a click away, Simply purchase your allocated ticket time here and show your mobile device on entering. We can’t wait to see you there!