Purpose

We believe in the transformative power of clothing.

We believe that what you wear has a direct impact on the way you feel and your well being which has a profound impact on every aspect of your life.

As an Australian and New York-based brand we had been operating through the traditional fashion lifecycle and although our love for clothing and design remained true, we felt a growing sense of uneasiness around the way the fashion industry was set up. The lack of transparency; the outsourcing of production and ethics; the alienation of women; the environmental trauma and never ending oversupply and waste. It all seemed rigged and unavoidable. We put the label on hold in 2012.

Then In 2016 we started to envision another way to work and this formed the foundation of a new approach to women’s fashion, with a new set of standards. Welcome to Arnsdorf.

Here are the values we present to you as a modern womenswear brand.

A New Approach

We now release well considered trans-seasonal collections, producing limited runs of each item, along with our permanent collection.

We don’t hold excessive amounts of inventory and we never go on sale. We believe in creating a new form of long tail for fashion. For those who like precision, we have two stores in Melbourne where our personal stylists can tailor your pieces to your body. We take the time to get to know you and the wardrobe you are building.

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Transparent

Know who makes your clothes.
Know that you look good without making anyone else feel bad.

We’ve set out to create an environment that facilitates transparency, understanding and respect for the people who make our clothes and execute our vision. We’ve built our own factory in Collingwood, Melbourne. We’ve taken almost everything in-house, from design to production so we can ensure we can get products to you that are always of exceptional quality, ethically sound and always transparent. And we’re committed to transparency, that’s why when you browse our products, you can always know where they were made, the people who made them and at what cost.

We take our supply chain seriously and won’t outsource our ethics or your confidence in our standards.

Well Considered

Arnsdorf is based upon respect.

Respect for the women who wear our garments. Respect for the people who make the garments. Respect for the environment and sustainable practices. Respect for design, which ensures meaning and longevity in the lives and wardrobes of the women who wear our clothes. We donate 2% of every purchase to Kiva; an organisation that provides loans for women in developing countries to support them starting their own businesses to be financially independent and empowered.

Quality is not just a slogan to us, but something that is well made, with precision, integrity and consideration. Our team of women take the time to create the perfect, long-lasting garment. This includes the choice of the highest quality and the most sustainable fibres, the weight of each fabric and the actual time taken to construct a piece of clothing that can survive beyond one season in every way.

Why does it matter? We want you to build a long-term relationship with your clothes, not a short term fling.

Sustainability

Ethical manufacturing means living and working conditions are just, safe and dignified. We believe that knowledge and transparency are the greatest vehicles for systemic change within the fashion industry.

As part of our commitment, we source fabrics and fibres based on their transparency and sustainability, with the lowest possible environmental and human impact. This includes organic cotton and linen, tencel, hemp, wool and silk. We avoid using synthetic fabrics made from petroleum and non-biodegradable materials. We challenge industry standards by continually seeking out and developing the best possible practices from seed to garment. We’ll always ensure you know exactly what goes into your clothing, where it’s from, who makes it and its impact.

The Team

Arnsdorf is a woman led brand.

With a female designer at our helm, we bring our intuitive and lived experience to designing clothes for women’s bodies and lives. Our first-hand intimacy is translated into the garments.

Creative director Jade Sarita Arnott founded the label in 2006. After graduating with a Bachelor of Creative Arts from The Victorian College of the Arts, Jade went on to complete a Bachelor of Fashion Design at RMIT in Melbourne.

Arnsdorf was founded on the basis of Jade's multifaceted creative vision. She released highly acclaimed seasonal collections in Australia and New York up until 2012. She later studied at the International Center of Photography in New York, and studied Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute in New York before returning to Australia in 2015.

Gemma Cahill is our head of production. She developed a passion for sewing at a young age, and continued to hone her skills, graduating from a Bachelor of Fashion Design (Hons) from RMIT in 2015.

Thi Nguyen is one of our production machinists. Thi's parents were both tailors, and they taught her to sew from a young age. She moved to Australia in 1995 and she began working making clothes in 1997.

Annie Chang is a production machinist at Arnsdorf. She started sewing clothes when she was 17 in Vietnam, and came to Australia in 1989. She has been working making clothes here ever since.

Thi Ca is a production machinist at Arnsdorf. She moved to Australia from Vietnam in 1986, and she found sewing was a way that she could make money while learning English. She started making clothes professionally when her son was 6 months old, just a few pieces a week. Over time, as her son grew up, she worked more and more, and now works full time making clothes.

Peta Kelsey is our pattern maker and has over 30 years' experience.

We are always seeking like-minded people to join the journey. Contact us to find out more.

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