Designer DETAIL - sass & bide

It's Lovehawk Season.

Let’s face it. True love is a pair of East Village Misfits, and whether you are rarely seen non-hipstered, or you save yours for a wild girl’s night out, the sass & bide jeans are now a staple in the Aussie wardrobe.

The buck doesn’t stop at delicious denim for this Brisbane duo however. The quirky dresses have been spied on the likes of many an A-lister, the girls have made stirrup pants cool again, and the new range of sunglasses will surely be gracing the shores of ‘Glamarama’ beach this summer.

Love at first sight.

Heidi Middleton and Sarah Jane Clarke were first introduced in Brisbane, where they were working to complete uni degrees; Heidi’s in graphic design and Sarah Jane’s in business. The two hit it off instantly, discovering they were both fascinated with fashion, and they were in awe of each other's eclectic style.

Flatting together a few years later in London, Sass (Sarah-Jane) and Bidey (Heidi), were still working in their repective industries and dreaming of producing the fashion and the style they loved to wear themselves.

Opening a stall on Portobello Rd Markets, the girls sold reworked denim to an evergrowing group of devoted fans. The overwhelming response gave them the confidence to follow their dream of designing and they begin their own label on their return to Australia in ’99.

Heidi elaborates. "SJ and I used to say we felt it was almost not pre-written, but we were being carried along this path and we had to act on it," she says. "We had this passion, we were doing what we loved, and we really believed there was a niche and a market for what we had to offer. And we did envisage that we wanted to build a global brand, and what's there to lose? If it doesn't work it doesn't work."

The denim on everyone’s hips.

From this point on, the only way was up. The cornerstone of their success was a pair of sexy, low-slung East Village stretch jeans with a five-centimetre zip. The oh-so-low hipsters flew off the shelves and cemented their place in the Australian fashion industry. In 2001 they started to move beyond their infamous denim, with a catwalk debut of the Lady Punk collection at Australian Fashion Week.

In ’03, the girls made their international runway debut, showing a Mad Max-inspired collection of sequin-studded warrior dresses at London Fashion Week. The following year they began a serious American assault, showing at New York Fashion Week. The critics raved about Love, Hope & Madness, a modern-day punk and 1940s-inspired collection, describing it as ‘sexy, in your face.’

‘Tis the Season.

The Lovehawk took New York Fashion Week by storm last September, and we are eagerly awaiting the collection’s arrival in Oz boutiques from July.

“The Lovehawk Season captures relaxed luxury through vintage embellishment and free silhouettes, aesthetically crafted around the artistic expression of repetition and reflection. It is more a spirit that we had in mind when designing this collection. It is someone who is strong willed and free with a passion for challenging social conventions,” says Heidi.

Fall in love with the black sequinned dresses, save the metallic gathered mini dresses for a special occasion, and play around with the vests, harem pants and printed tee’s to create a never-ending selection of combinations.

“It's about being different, a little bit brave, expressing and celebrating individuality, seizing life and not being afraid to do things outside of the box" Heidi finishes.

Next on the sass & bide horizon is the launch of a range of sunglasses (they'll be in stores in September), plus more emphasis on the Play and Denim ranges.

Visit the sass & bide flagship boutique on 132 Oxford St, Paddington NSW, and the new boutique at 46 James St, Fortitude Valley, QLD.