Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales: Romance and Revolution
VAULT spoke with Romance Was Born designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales about creating their Resort 2022 collection through the process of upcycling, and how a sustainability narrative seamlessly reinforces the brand’s enchanting theatricality.
Image credit: Romance was Born, Del Kathryn Barton collaboration. Photo: Charles Dennington
Here we go ‘round the merry-go-round ... Following the circle’s mystical locus, this favourite childhood frolic has no beginning and no end, each revolution drawing closer to the experience of pure joy and imagination. There was perhaps no centrepiece more fitting for Romance Was Born’s Resort 2022 show, presented at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney this year. The merry-go-round embodies the whimsical artistry of designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales; a child-like expression of boundless creativity expressed in the theatrical narratives of each garment. It is also symbolic of Romance Was Born coming full circle to where the brand began 16 years ago – upcycling, repurposing, mixing and matching garments and accessories in a glorious tribute to the handmade.
While many designers have recently discovered the magic of repurposing vintage and pre-loved garments, accessories and fabrics, the practice has been inherent in Romance Was Born’s unconstrained and experimental creative ethos from the outset. “It’s basically how we started our brand,” says Plunkett. “Luke and I were making everything ourselves in my kitchen. We would upcycle old dolls and toys, ’80s sequin tops, found fabrics from op-shops, jewellery, all that kind of thing.”
“Over the past 18 months we’ve been on our own timeline, and we’ve been able to explore making different things again like we used to. Luke is really hands-on, pushing boundaries and experimenting with different fabrics. You never know exactly what will come out – sometimes you just have to work with the material and see what happens.”
What happened in this case was not one but two collections – Arts & Crafts and RWB Forever – created almost ...Subscribe to read this article in full
