Constant Distraction is a relatively new apparel brand. How did the name come about?
Constant Distraction is a personal brand, designed to have a unique, artistic measure on fashion. Through every year of childhood, the words ‘constant distraction’ was negatively used by others to describe me. I used what I was notorious for, and turned it into something beautiful.
You have a clear mission to communicate your brand values. What five words would you use to get across the unique essence of your brand?
Through each design, I strive to support and portray the core values of equity, quality, impact, connection and diversity.
Perth, Australia, must be a fantastic place to live but it's a long way from stereotypical fashion centres - like New York, Tokyo, London and Paris - do you see that as a strength or a weakness of your brand offering?
There are clear positives and negatives to building a fashion label in Perth. I count myself lucky to be here, but it definitely presents some challenges. Something I experience is difficulty finding a location that perfectly captures the exact aesthetic I’m after, so shooting takes a lot of thinking outside the box. A big advantage is with Perth still starting to develop its high-end fashion sense, it gives my brand the chance to introduce something new and exciting.
Your website features mostly monochrome images. Do you have plans to extend your colour range - and if so - what would be the direction of distraction?
Our webpage, just like our social media platforms, is an expression of our current vision. I was inspired to go with a black and white aesthetic and lots of grain and film for a vintage look. We will always be coming up with new ideas, so our future images will reflect this, whatever that entails.
As a young company and brand, what are your long-term plans? Would you ever look to rival the big players, or would you prefer to stay as a niche youth-based clothing brand?
My Long-Term Plans And Goals Will Always Include Bringing Change And Helping Be The Voice To The Voiceless. I Want To Stay Unique. I Don’t Want To Blend Into A Category Where I’m Purely Known As Another High-End Fashion Label. I Want To Attract An Audience Of People Who Genuinely Have The Same Values I Portray. If This Means Having A Smaller Audience, Then So Be It.
What three things would you change about the industry as it currently functions?
If The Whole Industry Was In My Control, Firstly I Would Want It To Be Completely Ethically Run. Meaning Fair Wages, Safe Work Environment, Sustainable Materials And Honest Work. Secondly, I Would Ensure That No Animals Are Used In The Production, Testing Or For The Materials Of Any Products. Lastly, I Would Want The Opportunity Of Working In The Industry To Be Inclusive For All Races, Educational Backgrounds And Experience, So No One Misses Out Because Of A Reason They Have No Control Over.
ARE THERE ANY PIECES OR ONE PARTICULAR PIECE IN YOUR CURRENT RANGE THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? IF SO, WHY IS THAT?
I WOULDN’T RELEASE A PIECE I’M NOT TRULY PROUD OF. IF I HAD TO PICK ONE THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST FOR ME, IT WOULD BE MY ‘THROUGH THE WIRE / BEHIND THE BARS’ HOODIE. THE DESIGN, FIT, IMAGE, AND NARRATIVE IS A TRUE REFLECTION OF THE BRAND. IT IS THE COMFIEST PIECE OF CLOTHING IN MY WARDROBE.
If you could collaborate with anyone, anywhere? Who and where would that be, and why?
That’s hard. Collaborating for me isn’t about exposure or money. I would want to collaborate with a brand that has aligning values. If you look back at Balenciaga's world food programme, and their efforts to build awareness around global hunger, that was really motivational for me. This is something I would love to be a part of a collaboration. Another is Yohji Yamamoto in the 90s. His design levels were revolutionary. To be a part of a collaboration where both design and message matter is my aim.
As a young company and brand, how do you reconcile and balance the desire to grow your business with the urge to do the right thing for the youth generation?
I stepped into this industry fully knowing and accepting it would be difficult to grow. Like any business, making an income does play a factor, but I don’t ask for an unreasonable amount. I want the prices I charge to be worth it for the quality and the messages I illustrate. Trust is a massive thing to me, so I don’t work dishonestly, and I constantly ground myself, so I don’t have money at the forefront of my mind, and rather as the bonus. I want to be a role model to people of all ages. That’s my true ambition.
Do you have any plans to extend your product range beyond the current offerings, for example, into swimwear, footwear or other fashion accessories?
Yes, I eventually want to design and release clothing for every season. Ranging from footwear and socks to denim and knitwear. It’s challenging as a new brand to do it all with a tighter budget. Once I begin to sell collections faster, i’ll be able to open up to supplying various types of apparel to target people all over the world.
