TOP DESIGNS 2010 Inside Professional Practice CJ Baxter CJ Baxter runs the Melbourne-based fashion and accessories label Twisted Fig, which creates one-off and limited-run pieces, with environmental and ethical issues at the forefront of its design ethos. Often more costume than fashion, Baxter aims to ‘stitch stories into cloth’ and encourage a sense of wonder and imagination in the wearer- pieces that people will want to have fun wearing. With most pieces created using reclaimed materials and pre-loved existing garments, Baxter is passionate about operating her business in the most environmentally sustainable way possible, offering her clients a more ethical and imaginative alternative to main stream fashion trends. www.twistedfig.com.au How do you get new business? Firstly, I have a regular presence at Rose St Artists Market which is a fantastic opportunity to have direct interaction with customers. Also the power of social networking like Facebook is invaluable as a marketing tool as it gives me the ability to reach a large number of people without a big marketing budget. This is something independent designers in the past could only dream of. Also compiling a mailing list of customers and using Facebook to send updates and share news can bridge the gap between you and your customers and make them really feel like a part of what you’re doing. Having a strong online presence is incredibly important these days but word of mouth is still one of the most common ways I get work.
In the Twisted Fig Garden, © Twisted Fig 2010
Tell us about some of your clients. It constantly surprises me the variety of people that are interested in my work. I have teenage customers and elderly customers and everything in between! Sometimes I will be working on a piece with an image in my mind about what the eventual owner will be like and very often be surprised how differently it turns out. I believe my one-off pieces always have a particular person that they’re intended for even if I don’t know who yet- like a Cinderella’s slipper kind of thing. I also occasionally do bespoke work too, like a job I’ve just taken on to do an alternative wedding with 2 brides! ‘Sundance’ frock. © Twisted Fig 2010
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TOP DESIGNS 2010 Inside Professional Practice How do you establish the needs of your clients/products? When doing custom work for clients I find it incredibly important if possible to sit down with them in person to get a feel for their personality to help me to design a piece that will really suit them. It’s crucial to develop a very clear and detailed design brief so everyone involved knows exactly what’s going on. I also like to have ongoing contact with the clients throughout the whole production process to make sure my vision is aligning with theirs.
‘Hop, Skip, Jump’ jacket. © Twisted Fig 2010
How do you make use of design briefs in your work? When I’m designing for clients, detailed, specific design briefs are really important and need to address all requirements and specifications that have been identified in partnership with your client. However when I’m designing with no specific client in mind, I can be a bit freer and work from simple, unstructured notes and dodgy sketches. If I used proper design briefs more often though I would probably work more efficiently and get sidetracked less! Having said that some of my best work has been the result of mistakes I’ve made… ‘New Testament’ headpiece, © Twisted Fig 2010
What methods of research do you use? The kinds of research I do and whether or not I do research at all is really determined by the specific project I’m working on. I may need to do some research and testing on the suitability of fabric choices or if I’m designing a piece or range based on historical styles (I am particularly drawn to the concept of reinterpreting styles of the Victorian era) it may help to look into that. It can be a good idea to do some market research when you’re developing new ideas, just seeing what other designers are doing and getting a feel for colours or styles popular at the time. Keeping this in mind can be helpful but ultimately I find it best not to get too caught up with what’s on trend or ‘in’. I will still just follow my instinct and stay true to myself. If you’re creating things that you find beautiful there will always be someone else who finds it beautiful too. I can also test the response to new ideas and samples through Facebook and direct contact with customers at the market. ‘Carnivale’ © Twisted Fig 2010
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TOP DESIGNS 2010 Inside Professional Practice How do you develop your design ideas? It’s kind of an unconventional way of doing things I know but my design process is based mostly on the materials available rather than sourcing materials to slot into a particular brief. I try to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible in my approach to design, using mostly reclaimed and vintage fabrics. Creating one-offs by remastering pre-loved existing garments is also a big part of my business, embellishing them in a ‘collage’ style with seas of stitching, trims and found objects. Using this approach I kind of let things grow quite organically, allowing the fabrics tell me what they want to do! ‘Thumbelina’ skirt © Twisted Fig 2010
I will usually decide on a concept or theme before I start, often collecting inspirational imagery, fabric samples, textures or words evoking a particular feeling I may wish to portray. Particularly in the case of my one-off pieces, I will often delve into fantasy and dream up a character with a particular personality to use as a reference point when developing the design and putting together the garment. I tend to bounce ideas off my partner too but as I said before I really just trust my instincts and let things unfold. How do you decide on the best design option? When I do custom work the final decision is ultimately up to the client (although I can attempt to steer them in a particular direction!) Also: • Material and production costs can play a big part - if it costs too much to make it may not be a viable option from a retail perspective. • Whether or not it is suitable for the particular function it’s required for i.e. if it’s a dance costume, does it move with the body the way it needs to? • Is this the most eco friendly and/or ethical option available? If not, am I willing to make a compromise for the sake of the design or should I alter the design to accommodate a more eco or ethical option? All these elements plus many more play a part in determining my design choices but otherwise, when I have the freedom to I really just go with my instincts.
‘Ragdoll’ © Twisted Fig 2010
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TOP DESIGNS 2010 Inside Professional Practice How involved are you in the production of the final design? Until quite recently every Twisted Fig garment and accessory was made entirely with my own two hands. I still do all the more labour intensive one-off pieces myself but time restrictions after having my son have led me to develop more ‘short run’ designs that I can outsource to a fantastic local dressmaker. This has been an important lesson for me in recognising my strengths and weaknesses as a designer and to learn to ask for help more in areas I may struggle. This has been the only way to keep Twisted Fig a sustainable business financially while my own production is limited. It’s actually opened up more design possibilities too, because I’ve never enjoyed the precision required for more tailored garments so I have found myself avoiding them. Plus, even when it’s a limited run I get very restless doing the same thing over and over again! ‘Out with the Hounds’ © Twisted Fig 2010
Which other professional practitioners do you collaborate with? I’m lucky enough to have a creative partner to bounce a lot of my ideas off (Jeweller Brent Dakis from Depths of the Never Never.) He doesn’t work with textiles but he has a great eye and a fearless approach to design- when I’m wasting time procrastinating or torturing myself on an insignificant element of the process he whips me into shape and encourages me to just dive in! We have similar taste and a complementary aesthetic in our work so that helps too, and this has led to a collaborative project opening up a boutique/ gallery space in Belgrave. The space ‘Limerence’ will feature both our labels and 5-10 other local artists and designers. I look forward to working closely with these other artists too. I think it’s important to surround yourself with other artistic people from a range of mediums; it can be really inspiring and help to ward off that feeling of isolation that so often creeps in when you’re a sole trader. Beautiful jewellery from Depths of the Never Never. © Twisted Fig 2010
How do you evaluate your work? Whether or not I’m happy with my work depends on a few things• Whether the workmanship is of high enough quality. • Whether it says what I want it to say i.e. whether the finished product reflects the concept I was wanting to explore and it has come together in a cohesive way. • Whether I personally find it a beautiful object that I can be proud of- I like to be able to say regularly to myself, “Best piece ever CJ!” If I feel tempted to keep it for myself I know I’ve done a good job. • But most importantly the success of a design is determined by the response I get from my clients, by that precious moment when you see the face of a customer falling in love with something you’ve created with your own two hands.
‘Sundance’ in the garden.© Twisted Fig 2010
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