Since launching Alpha60 in 2005, brother-sister duo Georgie and Alex Cleary have marked a name for themselves in the Australian fashion industry. The label has come a long way since its inception, securing solo shows at Australian Fashion Week and collaborations with ASOS, Polaroid and Sportsgirl.
Describing themselves as “inspired by change and a rebellion against the status quo”, Alpha60 creates good quality basics with an edge. They take classic shapes and transform them into one-off pieces. The brand has extended from clothing to include sunglasses, shoes and bags with their footwear even being stocked in New York’s Assembly store.
Monochromatic pieces are synonymous with the label, making the designs timeless and versatile. You can find the quirky in four stores across Melbourne. They are located in Flinders Lane, Armadale and Prahran along with an outlet in Fitzroy.
Recently Alex took some time out from their hell busy schedule to chat about business.
How did Alpha60 come to life?
It all started because I wanted something to wear and didn’t have anything interesting. Georgie had been stamp printing stuff and decided we should print up an old business shirt. I still have that shirt hanging in the cupboard. At the start no two shirts were the same – they were all hand printed and customised. So, for the first year or so every surface in the house was covered with shirts drying. There was a long period of chaos.
As siblings, how do you and Georgie work together and manage differences of opinion?
We’ve been working together since we were eight and ten years old. Our first business was selling cut flowers on the side of the road. Admittedly, we had appropriated them from our parents farm, but we soon worked out that we liked working for ourselves. Over time we’ve made muffins, tea towels, skateboards, T-shirts, potpourri (it was the ’90s) and grown camellias, amongst other things. We’ve worked each other out pretty well by now. Actually, we don’t even fight. Aesthetically we’re similar and we have the same goals.
What's your highlight moment?
Patti Smith once got a Godard T-shirt to wear when she met Jean Luc Godard – she then gave him an Alpha60 Patti Smith T so he could wear that. That’s about our highlight moment.
Read our interview with Alex Cleary.