Designer love Venroy.

DREAMINGSICILY

From boardshorts on Bondi to the shores of Sicily, Venroy finds the perfect balance between a relaxed Australian attitude and the high-fashion sensibility of Italian design in their light-hearted leisurewear pieces. In a time where the travel itch is reaching fever pitch, discover the endless escapism to be found in Venroy’s latest collection as detailed by its founder, Sean Venturi.

By BETHAN WARRIOR

Hi Sean! Tell us about Venroy’s journey from boardies to now one of Australia’s most beloved resort wear labels... Venroy started as a passion project. My friend and I started designing boardshorts whilst we were studying full time and we sold our initial production run to a few friends. Word got around and people really loved what we were doing. During a holiday to the USA, it was decided that we would need a Northern Hemisphere business to sustain year-round trade, so I ended up staying on and meeting with buyers. There was a niche for an Aussie swim brand in the market, having been dominated by European labels for some time. Now, we have a full women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories business as well as six stores in Australia, with Byron on the way.

SEAN VENTURI

What is it about our Australian sense of style or way of life that resonates on a global scale? Australians really embrace travel and truly appreciate the unwind. I think this wanderlust approach to life is something that filters down to our wardrobes as we insist on comfort in our clothes, without compromising on style. There is a level of authenticity in our leisurewear, as we dress how we like to live and that is something that resonates globally.

How do your Italian roots inspire each Venroy collection? Like Australians, Italians know how to live their lives to the fullest. They understand the meaning of leisure, which is something we try to harness in our collections. From Spring ‘21, our collections have been based around a region there, including Amalfi, Puglia, and Sicily, pulling direct references from each destination. In our Sicily collection for HighSummer, for example, we pulled tiles from the famous Villa Tasca and translated the print onto our signature boardshorts.

Your pieces are often influenced by your travels around the world. In a time when globetrotting is a lot less accessible, how do you remain inspired? It can be challenging to remain inspired, but the team and I pulled together all the photographs we could, recalling memories whilst also referencing Italian art and film, to realise our vision. We had put a lot of faith in the local teams to execute the campaigns which they do so beautifully. The second the borders opened our design department went overseas to become totally ingrained in the destination for our holiday collection. There’s nothing like going there firsthand and hopefully, that will be felt through the collection when it debuts in the middle of the year.

Escapism and nostalgia are cornerstones of the Venroy aesthetic. How do you balance a retro feel while capturing the zeitgeist of 2022? We really try to stay in our lane and design what we love and what we know will resonate with our customers. We’ve come a long way

SPEED ROUND

Pasta or pizza? Pasta! A

vongole is my favourite. The Venroy piece you’ll wear for the rest of

your life? All our core linen pieces, including pants and tees. Signature scent? Aesop

Hwyl Eau du Parfum. Drink of choice?

Tequila on ice. Top fashion trend

for 2022? Bold, big splashes of colour, and craftsmanship – pieces of clothing that tell a story.

since being a boardshorts brand but I’m so proud of where we are now. Luckily, we’ve built a solid following who trust us and are happy to come on the journey.

Leisurewear has seen a grand expansion in recent years, what do you think has led to this surge in popularity for the consumers? I think there is an inherent appreciation for leisurewear in Australia and it is somewhat part of our sartorial DNA. Of course, Covid probably accelerated that sentiment and we saw a return of the ‘comfort is king’ ideal. I think with the opening of borders and the slow return to travel, leisurewear will once again make a resurgence.

What does the future hold for Venroy? We hope to open more stores throughout Australia over the next few years. We have our first Byron Bay store slated for August which is exciting. It’s our largest store to date and a footprint of what is to come. International markets are also a particular focus for us soon.

Venroy Scala Dei Turchi Unisex Destination T-Shirt $100

Venroy Printed Swim Short $120

Venroy Taormina Logo Cotton Cap $50