Acler: Making Fashion Crystal Clear
Brought up from humble beginnings in 2014, Aussie label —Acler — has redefined minimalist fashion while maximizing its support all over the world. With a mission to “design products that are clean and polished,” Acler continues to create fashion for the woman who is clear on “what she wants, and she is going to get it!”
Photographer: Gretl Watson-Blazewicz | Palmera Blouse ‘Cream’ Polka Dot $350 | Thistle Skirt ‘Cream’ $320
Designing from a small studio in Adelaide, South Australia, two bold and dedicated women left the security of traditional career paths to pursue their passions. The driven designers of their dreams, Kathryn Forth (Kath) and Julia Ritorto (Jules) became the co-founders and creative directors of their fashion label, Acler, pronounced “ak-luh.” — an anagram of the word ‘clear’. “It was a cheeky play on words,” Kath reveals. The fashion label’s name is not only a clever rearrangement of letters but a guiding force for their mission. Since starting their brand, Kath and Jules have found “‘clarity of mind’ to be one of the most important philosophies that we have strived to achieve in our professional lives.” Kath continues, “It can be an incredibly difficult task to withstand the ups and downs of managing a growing business whilst also switching off to find the time to be creative.” Though it can prove challenging, Kath and Jules collaborate on all aspects of both the creative and business sides of their partnership. The two designers have always “been determined to be involved fully in both sides of the business,” Kath discloses, “and we think this has been the key to our success. That and the fact that we have each other.”
Their professional relationship is built upon mutual respect and creativity. When asked to describe themselves, the ladies switched roles and gave honest descriptions of one another: Jules described Kath as “bold, determined ,[and] brilliant.” Kath, likewise, described Jules as “caring, dedicated, [and] multi-talented.” To see two women supporting one another in such a positive way is a testament not only to their successful business partnership, but their success in designing carefully crafted clothing to further embolden and inspire “strong, sophisticated, and sociable” women.
It is no surprise that Jules and Kath continue to try and inspire other women, female inspiration was precisely how they found themselves hooked on to the fashion world. For Jules, it was the “strong and influential memory” of her mother. “My mum ensured my sister and I always looked our best because she made our clothes,” Jules recalls. “With patterns and pins, she would recreate all the trends in stores and make brides maids dresses and special outfits for cousins and aunts.” And while her mother was a huge influence, there is a specific moment that Jules became hooked on designing womenswear. “In 1994, when Elizabeth Hurley wore THAT dress to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral,” Jules begins, “you know, the Versace safety pin one... I was only 11 years old, but BAM! I was hooked. My eyes were opened to the power, glamour, and magic of women’s fashion and I knew from then I wanted in.”
Kath, however, took a different route to find her imaginative impulse to inspire women. “I was actually studying Medicine at university, but working part-time in a retail store and making my clothes to sell there,” Kath reminisces. “It was a twist of fate when my designs were noticed and I was offered a gig working on a new brand. I barely gave it a second thought, dropped my degree, and never looked back!” Kath’s ties to design can be traced back to the seams of her teenage years. “When I was 13, a school friend of mine gave me some money to make her a new wardrobe,” Kath begins. Without any patterns and a limited selection of fabrics from her mother’s collection, Kath felt overwhelmed. However, she persevered and discovered her passion. “I worked every night for weeks tracing around dresses in my wardrobe and cutting away or adding to the pattern pieces to try and make something new and unique,” Kath recalls. “I am forever indebted to that friend as she set the wheels in motion for an education in fashion.” The devoted Acler shoppers are forever indebted to that friend, too!
Having been so motivated themselves, the women behind Acler find it easier to soak up inspiration from everything. “Inspiration for us comes from many places,” Kath beams. “We find this question one of the hardest because there is no black or white answer. We have found inspiration from past eras, world art, and architecture, all the way through to music and literature. If there is one common starting point to the inspiration of a collection,” Kath reveals, “it is usually art or a beautiful print.” From there, the two designers can “curate the color palette around this and develop the silhouettes to best compliment the source material.”
Armed with inspiration, the Acler women steer their fashion label far away from the realm of fast fashion. By “taking the design process back to its tactile roots,” Jules asserts, “we are ensuring we design pieces and collections that can be worn and loved for years.” By forgoing the ease of computer-generated 2D design models and opting instead for hand-draping fabrics, Jules and Kath can guarantee their product. While their design process is a bit slower than the rapacious rate of fast fashion, their quality speaks for itself. “The result is Acler,” Jules certifies; “garments created by playing and manipulating fabrics with an open mind, seeing where it naturally fits and falls on the body to ensure each piece wears perfectly to fit the female form.”
Palmera Blouse ‘Fuschia’ $350 | Thistle Skirt ‘Cherry’ $320
Howard Dress $495
With their latest featured collection, Kath and Jules were mainly inspired by “some vintage photographs we saw of New York in the 70s.” “We love this era. We made a Spotify playlist specifically for when we were designing the collection. We wanted the energy of this era to translate into the collection,” Kath shares. “Floral wallpapers, hints of sparkle and gold, and volume sleeves — these key elements play hero to the collection,” Kath affirms. And while they were inspired by New York, their label is renowned globally. “Seasonality often plays a part in what sells in each hemisphere,” Jules admits, “but, that being said, a big portion of our collections are very trans-seasonal and timeless, which has always been important to us to cater to a global customer.” And while different continents tend to prefer varying patterns or colors, Jules assures that Acler “always balance our collections with both so the Acler customer has a choice;” and conscious design “for our global customers who value conservative garments” by “getting creative with detailed sleeves, beautiful high necklines, draping long skirts, and layerable pieces.” No matter where you are or your style preference, Jules and Kath have designed something for you.
As women who are unapologetic for “listening to my voice,” “taking a relatively blind leap of faith… into the unknown,” and knowing “in my gut it was right,” Jules and Kath made the clear choice for them and constructed their success with Acler. Striving for women “to feel assertive and in control” when they wear Acler designs, Kath and Jules daily embody the essence of the very women for whom they design. “The Acler woman isn’t afraid to push boundaries — she is assertive, she is determined and enigmatic,” Kath describes. “She values quality over quantity, timeless design over fads, she is always the most effortlessly styled person in the room.” That is true for Kath and Jules whether they are constructing timeless garments or not. With outside hobbies including baking, gardening, or home redecorating, Jules and Kath have both agreed that they just love “making things pretty.”
Lucky for the Acler followers, Jules and Kath have a lot planned on both the product and the personal front. “We have so many stunning pieces coming out in 2020,” Kath promises. “So many gorgeous fabrications and fun volume sleeves. Certainly, the collections coming out this year are my favorite yet.” And after the year that the world has endured thus far, Jules and Kath are designing with this in mind. “I think people are itching to have an occasion to dress up,” Jules reflects. “When events and weddings start to ramp up again, satin, pleating, and color-clashed styling will be popular for Spring.”
On a personal level, the Acler women have used this difficult time to better understand what their customers “are looking for in a fashion label as we enter into a new era globally,” Kath informs. “We have had so many requests to show more of the behind the scenes and to meet more of the talented women behind the business.” All of Acler’s followers “can look forward to learning more about the people and places behind the label” by following them on their Instagram @aclerwoman. While Kath and Jules want to express upon their audience how very grateful they are for continuing to follow their fashion journey during this difficult time, they want to “encourage everyone to do something kind for someone in their lives who might need a little love right now — send a book, bake a cake, or print a picture and put it in a frame for them. Little gestures like this go a long way right now.”
