Fusing luxury and streetwear with a directional approach. Joseph Carl is the Australian emerging designer to watch. Creating stories through clothing, while drawing inspiration from tailoring to create versatile made-to-order and ready-to-wear pieces for the modern wardrobe. We caught up with Carl on the release of his third collection 003, design signatures and why producing in Australia is so important.
Talk us through your latest collection ‘003’ release…
Our latest collection, 003, is inspired by tailoring, infused with a directional edge. It was important to create contemporary, luxury streetwear which will last for years thanks to the high-quality fabrics used. I had a lot of fun playing with the proportions and silhouettes – mixing cropped styles with oversized counterparts to create a dynamic yet functional collection of wardrobe essentials – perfect for everyday dressing whatever your mood.
What was the inspiration?
I took a lot of inspiration for this collection from the idea of dressing seamlessly from day to night, with an array of styles that embody a quiet and subtle luxury. The Joseph Carl brand is known for fusing the worlds of streetwear and luxury, so the journey in creating this collection was influenced heavily by what these two often juxtaposing aesthetical concepts mean in the world today, and indeed, for the people wearing them.
What is the Joseph Carl signature?
Our design philosophy centers around the idea that streetwear can be as luxurious as anything else in your wardrobe. It’s about finding high-quality, well-made pieces which add style and versatility to your wardrobe. In terms of a signature look, think an oversized t-shirt styled under a bomber jacket with a pair of directional trousers and a pared back sneaker – very easy to put together, yet defined by the subtle details.
How important is it for you to manufacture your designs within Australia?
We are really fortunate to work with some incredibly talented companies in Australia to produce our collections. I think in recent years, with mounting pressures on production and deadlines, it has been easy for designers to forget how much talent and passion there is in Australia for creating beautiful clothes, so it is great for us to be able to showcase Australian made.
How have you found navigating your small business during this time of global unrest?
Like most brands, we have had our fair share of challenges this year. We are so lucky to have a loyal community who support our limited-edition releases. We have always produced our collections to order to try and combat over-production and waste, and this strategy has really helped us to consolidate our business during this unprecedented time.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
I hope to see the label continue to grow and consistently bring on-trend and exciting collections to our loyal customers. In the longer term, I would love to be able to present a collection on the runway, continue to build the label’s presence internationally and one day, perhaps, produce a show globally.
Collection 003 is now available from the Joseph Carl website.
