Our story
Collective Closets is a Melbourne-based slow fashion label connecting the talent, beauty and rich history of Africa to empowered, worldly, self-aware women of all ages.
a women-led melbourne brand
Collective Closets was founded in 2016 by sister duo, Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako. Paying homage to their late mother and talented seamstress, Stella, the brand was born as a way to celebrate the women in their community. Together, the pair are passionate about telling stories, giving back and uniting women through a universal sartorial dialogue.
connecting african artisans to australian fashion
Collective Closets was created to fill a gap in the Australian market – one that connects to the talent, beauty and rich history of the African continent. Each Collective Closets collection is a celebration – of both the incredible artisans who make our threads and the beautiful people who wear them.
This is a brand passionate about designing clothing with intention.
empowering clothing for every body
The Collective Closets woman is empowered. She’s worldly, self-aware and youthful no matter what her age. She wears clothing that makes her feel good; her wardrobe tells a story through pieces created with purpose and intention. She’s forever learning, never hiding and always willing to join the conversation – at every stage of her life.
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Our ethos
Inspired to share our culture and empower women to feel good in the way they dress, we design clothing we want to wear. Each fabric is hand-selected and tested by us, created to flatter and illuminate the beauty of the female form. Bold while still being versatile, our small-run collections are produced in sizes 6-22.
Championing the unique beauty of our fabrics, our seasons start with an idea – movement, wisdom, tradition – and blossom from there, influenced by the lessons we’ve learnt over the years. Our lines of communication are always open, and our community informs an integral part of everything we do.
Conscious and considered
Opting to create only three seasonal collections a year, we have a focus on intentional and timeless design, with pieces crafted from fabrics made to last. Using Oeko-Tex 100% certified linen and artisan-made African fabrics, Collective Closets creates clothing with a story; pieces you’ll want to wear over and over again. Unlike other brands, we design compatible collections – pieces that work together and apart, that fit into your already-existing wardrobe with stylish ease.
women-run, locally-made
Women are the backbone of everything we do. Based at the iconic Collingwood Yards, our Collingwood Yards Studio is where you’ll find the wonderful members of our small all-female staff. Working closely with our Kenyan-based production team, we produce our collections in small runs of 20 to 200 units. We support and encourage our suppliers to employ their local communities, building strong and ongoing relationships.
BOLD & TIMELESS DESIGN
We focus on intentional and timeless design, with pieces crafted from fabrics made to last. We create unique garments with a story; clothing you’ll want to wear over and over again. Our promise, every season, is to sell through all our stock. We don’t like the culture that surrounds sales and try to avoid them unless completely necessary.
Our commitment
Our community is an integral part of the Collective Closets journey. We promise to invest in artisans who choose to preserve traditional production techniques, always sharing their stories in the way they’d like them to be told. In an effort to slow the impact of the increasing trend cycle, we will continue to work on educating our customers on how to get the most life out of their items.
COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY
We’re committed to accessibility, to keeping our pieces affordable while always paying our makers the wage they deserve. Collective Closets will continue to give back to our tribe, working to give diverse voices a seat at the table through our series, Collective Conversations.
COMMITTED TO IMPROVEMENT
Our commitment is to changing the way people purchase fashion, helping our customers build conscious, timeless wardrobes. We pledge to be thoughtful and kind to the earth, working to reduce our carbon footprint in every aspect of our business. From biodegradable postage bag to paperless POS systems, we will continue to listen, learn and improve.