C ONSCIOUS LIVING Bassike co-founder Deborah Sams on her

CONSCIOUS LIVING

bassike

This fashion label’s passion for ethical design is shaping Australian style while keeping an eye on the planet

A BOV E Bassike co-founder Deborah Sams in her office with Butch, her 12-year-old Pomeranian. RIGHT Butch gives some perspective to the company’s expansive headquarters in Warriewood, NSW, designed by Akin Atelier. The void in the roof was non-negotiable, says Deborah. “We had to have a lot of light and fresh air, even if it meant sacrificing some of the office space.” OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP Casual beanbags scatter the design floor. A Winter 2020 collection viewing in the showroom. Deborah at her desk with her essential design reference library. Business partner Mary Lou Ryan’s minimalist office mirrors Deborah’s space. S ustainability has become a generic term. “Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, so it doesn’t mean anything anymore,” says Deborah Sams, the co-founder and creative director of luxury fashion label Bassike, explaining that businesses in the habit of greenwashing have diminished the power of businesses that are serious about sustainability. “We have been working hard on doing it, not working hard on talking about it,” she says.

From the beginning, when Bassike launched with its range of twisted seam tanks and tee-shirts in 2006, the choice was there to either work with organic cotton – or not. It was a natural decision. “If we can actually make a difference on this Earth and still produce beautiful clothing, why would we not do that?” Deborah asks. Specifically, that meant using fabric made without pesticides (which can go on to contaminate the water sources of the small communities they’re made by) and sourcing cotton from crops that require 80 per cent less water.

Fourteen years later and organic materials are an integral part of the range, which includes luxurious linen grown from water-free flax. “We are trying to develop it into other categories and fabrications where we can,” Deborah says. “Fabric is going to change dramatically in the future. There are factories and mills I go to in Italy that are insane. What they’re doing is exceptional. It can be more expensive and more complicated, but it’s important. And I think natural organic fabric is more beautiful; there’s an earthiness and I like that feeling – I gravitate towards that.” Provenance was the next step. “It was a very conscious decision to produce locally in Australia. Over 90 per cent of our product is made here. Again, it’s more expensive, but gives us full transparency into our supply chain and we’re supporting local industry, plus it means we can reduce our carbon footprint significantly.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: BART CELESTINO Australian-made has now become a core part of the Bassike DNA. “When we started,” Deborah says, “people didn’t really care about sustainability – no one checked labels then. But now, with things like the recent bushfires, people are all across it and want businesses to be accountable.” Bassike extends this sensibility to its store design and interiors around the world, collaborating with acclaimed architect and interior designer Kelvin Ho of Akin Atelier on each of them, from Avalon to Venice Beach in Los Angeles. The alliance is a good one – Akin is of the same mindset, with a plan to take its own business carbon neutral by 2021.

Materials in the stores follow a refined and naturally sourced path with lots of calm, pale timbers (recycled where possible), flowing natural linens, floor-to-ceiling glass, found objects and ethically sourced marble and stone benchtops. It’s a strong visual formula: modern and minimalist.

“There’s a feel-good side to a purchase when you know you’re not contributing to toxic waste,” says Deborah. “And Bassike doesn’t follow trends; it’s not the sort of brand where you buy something one season and it’s irrelevant the next. I have pieces in my wardrobe from 10 years ago that are still good quality and look good. That is part of the whole sensibility of Bassike and how we design our collections – it’s not fast fashion.”

With new innovations in sourcing and fabrication happening constantly, a fashion label striving to do clean business and be accountable is impressive. “Of course, our main focus is always design,” says Deborah, “but with every business decision we can, we’re always going to make the more sustainable choice.” That’s good business.

“If we can actually make a difference on this Earth and still produce beautiful clothing, why would we not do that?” DEBORAH SAMS, BASSIKE

THE CUT

INSIDE OUT | PROMOTION

SPACE SAVING IDEAS Small wonders

USE CLEVER DESIGN TO MAKE A COMPACT KITCHEN SERIOUSLY STYLISH

Well-chosen details will always help make a kitchen as functional as possible – particularly when you’re trying to maximise space. Focusing on one design feature is an easy way to make a small space interesting. In this modern corner kitchen, the timber benchtop is extended to frame the cooking and preparation area (a bit like a picture frame). The rest of the kitchen is then downplayed with streamlined cabinetry and a neutral palette.

Need some ideas to tackle your kitchen or laundry renovation? Bunnings is now oering virtual consultations with their In-Home Kitchen Consultants to help you create your ultimate kitchen.

MODERN TOUCHES Timber? Marble? Terrazzo? Almost every natural material can be matched with a replica version to help you achieve your kitchen style goals across cabinetry, benchtops and splashbacks.

STORAGE SMARTS Choose soft-close drawers to soften the impact on cabinetry and help minimise noise in the kitchen – they can be fitted to any cabinet or drawer type. Eliminate kitchen clutter and free up benchtop space with pullout storage trays and runners that allow for easy access to everyday essentials.

A small kitchen can have a real wow factor when designed with a thoughtful choice of materials and colours.

Clockwise Kaboodle Meringue Glaze Modern Cabinetry, Dorf Vixen Retractable Sink Mixer $316 , Kaboodle 2 Tier Pullout Basket $537, Kaboodle Insert Tray $10.75 , Kaboodle Soft draw Runner 1 set $30.45 .

INSIDE

room to roam Visitors to this country home live in a world of their own Interior designer Louise Walsh and her team recently renovated a Federation-style house near Byron Bay, NSW, which included a special wing for grandparents and other guests. This room is the combined kitchen/living area, decorated with similar elements to the main house but with a more calming, neutral palette. The Vicki chairs by Design Kiosk, supplied by Project 82, are a modern twist on a farmhouse chair, inspired by the green hills just outside the door. Turn to page 36 for more.