Fashion designer Kym Ellery evolves her luxury brand – and the world is in love

As one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion exports, Kym Ellery has done what few have managed in just 11 years in retail. She’s taken her luxury clothing brand from its humble beginnings in Sydney to Paris and wooed a celebrity client list that includes Beyonce, Bella Hadid and Chloe Sevigny.

The Perth-born 35-year-old relocated to Paris in 2016 to grow her business abroad. With more than 90 per cent of her client base living in another time zone, it made perfect sense to pack her bags and quit taking midnight calls in Australia.

Best known for her sculptural ready-to-wear pieces, Ellery has since branched into shoes, jewellery and eyewear in a bid to steer her classic modernist point of view to more followers.

She takes a lesson from art, a directive from philosophy and imbeds her collections with a vision that comes from the heart – we all know she loves a flared sleeve and ruffle too.

Ellery is also one of only three Aussie designers invited by the Chambre Syndicale du Prét à Porter – French fashion’s governing body – to show on schedule during Paris Fashion Week three years ago. She follows in the footsteps of Collette Dinnigan, who was honoured in 1995, and Martin Grant.

Now it seems the French have fallen head over block heels in love with Ellery’s tailoring and oversized silhouettes, which are giving Parisian chic a new reason to seize the day.

What’s more, she channels an intellectual French bon viveur spirit in her latest eyewear range with Specsavers – a partnership which is now in its third year.

Ellery reimagines cat-eye frames with a graphic wonder, while large square and round styles flirt with a ’90s retro feel.

“Eyewear can be a very intellectual piece of fashion,” Ellery says while on a trip to northern Italy with her mother, Debra. “My inspiration comes from my intimate moments in Paris, from living there to seeing beautiful women in glasses.”

Ellery is also ever intrigued by the way French women interact with one another – from fashion to political discussion.

“The way Parisians think and speak fascinates me,” she says. “They’re philosophical and different to what we’re used to in Australia. We aren’t encouraged to speak our minds as much as they are.”

Her latest Spring fashion collection is inspired by The Sound of Ice Melting – a 1970 installation by conceptualist artist Paul Kos, who set up a block of ice among a sea of microphones to capture the sound of ice doing just that.

“I liked the existential nature of his work,” says Ellery. “For me, it was about looking at the idea of ice and how it links to icicle embroidery or the interior of a freezer in silver to the melting of water and how that could look as a scarf draped onto tailoring.”

As a result, Ellery’s ready-to-wear items are captured in sequins that form snowflake patterns and in dreamy, icicle-inspired fabrics in dusty peach, white and streams of silver.

She thanks her mother, Debra, an art teacher, who encouraged her to use her imagination as a young child growing up in remote Western Australia.

And in a perfect throwback to how it all began, she is taking art classes with her mother again.

“It’s how I started my creative journey so it’s nice to step back in time and relive that moment,” Ellery says. “Mum is my greatest muse and I don’t see her as often as I like, but right now we’re in Italy together and it’s amazing.”

When Ellery takes a moment to come up for air, she reflects on her achievements with gratitude.

“It’s kind of strange to realise I have achieved what I set out to when I started this brand. I’ve ticked all the boxes,” she says.

“I wanted to create a luxury brand in Australia that would become internationally known, would show on schedule in Paris and be on the world stage. I did for a moment think maybe now I can slow down a bit, but not really,” she adds, smiling.

It’s business as usual – that’s two collections a year, collaborations with Specsavers and dressing celebrities.

“It’s incredibly tough to survive in this business,” Ellery says. “You have to be aware of what’s happening in the market and remain relevant.”

She says the digital world is still very new and people are learning how to navigate it: “It’s an ongoing challenge for any fashion brand and I am proud of what I have achieved but there’s more I want to do.”

While celebrity endorsement isn’t the reason anyone gets in the business, Ellery is certainly thrilled by those who ‘fan-girl’ her collections.

“I have ‘wow’ moments all the time,” she says. “Seeing Beyonce’s team come in and order my collection is up there in terms of wow. I mean she can have anything she wants and they choose Ellery. I also met Bella Hadid at the Louis Vuitton menswear after-party and she was so gushy and a huge fan.

“Hearing it first hand from them is what makes it feel surreal, but it’s very flattering.”