Arnsdorf, one of Australia’s leading ethical fashion labels, announced its closure earlier this week.
The news follows a rack-full of Aussie brands that have folded in recent months – including high-street label Nique, swimwear saviour Tigerlily and Melbourne-born brand A.BCH, which announced in January that it would cease production.
Arnsdorf’s founder and designer Jade Sarita Arnott, who started the label in 2006, announced the decision via Instagram on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.
“My energy is being directed to other places and it’s time to make space in my life for this,” she wrote.
“I’m so proud of all that we have achieved together and honoured that the archive of the garments will live on through you.”
Arnott launched the label two years after graduating from RMIT, and quickly gained devoted followers in Australia and abroad (including Cate Blanchett and ex-Moloko lead singer Roisin Murphy).
Since then, the Melbourne-born label has become widely loved for its timeless silhouettes and sophisticated designs.
In a market flooded with relentless fast fashion giants, Arnsdorf stood out for its small-scale local production in Collingwood, use of natural fibres and commitment to transparency.
And it’s not the first time the label has shuttered. In 2012, Arnott put the label on hold after experiencing burnout and feeling overwhelmed by the fashion industry hamster wheel.
After taking stock, she relaunched the label in 2017, with a focus on sustainable fabrics (think hemp, organic cotton, linen and deadstock fabrics) and ethical local production.
Back then, Arnott joined a new wave of designers that were returning to local manufacturing in Australia, after much of it was moved offshore in the 1990s.
The continual rise of that wave is now uncertain, as designers struggle with the rising cost of materials and other overheads, and consumers tighten their belts amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The label will officially fold on April 9, 2024 and close the doors at its Fitzroy flagship. Before then, you can grab some of its timeless styles on sale.
