CHELSEA FARQUHAR: A YEAR IN FASHION

Words: Marianne Astrid Close // Main photo: Emerging Artist Collective Runway for Melbourne Fashion Week, 2025, with models Abbey, Maddi and Freya by Carly Stella Kyberd

Chelsea Farquhar’s eponymous label is steeped in historical fashion – 1770s circus costumes, French bodices and ruffs are reimagined in a modern context.

One year after launching her label, the 29-year-old is gearing up to unveil her first ready-to-wear collection in Adelaide.

The pieces will be available at Shop Pond in the East End in the coming weeks, showcased at the West End gallery and studio Household’s Designer Showcase Runway on Wednesday 19 February, and featured in Household’s subsequent exhibition.

“The ready-to-wear collection consists of five items, two of which come in different colours,” Chelsea says.

“I made all the clothes, sampled the sizing and moved on to the photography stage. I’ve also put together a line-sheet, which is what gets sent to retailers.

“It can be quite a regimented process from start to finish, but I’m really happy with what I’ve produced.”

Last year, Chelsea made the bold transition from the arts to fashion – and she hasn’t looked back.

“I made the switch out of pure enjoyment. I was really enjoying making corsets and working collaboratively with friends and stylists. I thrive on it,” Chelsea explains, whose art practice ranges from sculpture, costumes, performance and video.

“Being from an arts background, applying for grants and programs is really second nature to me. That really helped me access the support I needed to keep growing.”

Chelsea has completed residencies with Adelaide Contemporary Experimental, Guildhouse and Watch This Space.

She applied for a runway in Melbourne with Emerging Artists Collective, which snowballed into two additional runways. She also received an Arts SA grant, which enabled her to spend more time in the studio.

“When you apply for these kinds of things, they want you to have a lot of ideas that you can then execute in the program,” Chelsea explains.

“Because I had spent the years prior focusing on my sewing ability and building technical skill, I had so many ideas and all of this research behind me.”

She sent out over thirty submissions to various magazines in her first year, and received a lot of press.

“I think young designers and makers can spend a lot of time in their heads, so casting a wide net can be really helpful. You only need one bite.”

 Chelsea completed Honours at Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 2020.

Chelsea completed Honours at Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 2020.

“When I did my Honours, my thesis was about time distortion. I take these historical garments and bring them into contemporary life,” she says.

“It’s about looking backward and forward at the same time. I’m really obsessed with 1770s French bodices at the moment, and the other day I found a black velvet horse riding hat, with a hand-sewn brown ribbon at the back.”

Chelsea finds inspiration in historical silhouettes, surrealist perspectives, fashion storytelling and the creative process itself.

“There’s this group of 18th-century men called the Macaronis, who dressed in this really absurd, flamboyant way that I draw a lot of inspiration from,” Chelsea says.

“They were ultimately beheaded because it was essentially class mocking. But they looked amazing!

“I think that you can build a life that is filled with art. For example, I worked on the install of the AGSA Radical Textiles Exhibition, and I got to unpack this archival Vivienne Westwood gown that Kate Moss wore in the ‘90s – it was so emotional!”

Making clothes as a young designer is notoriously labour intensive, but Chelsea manages to walk the line between labour and craft.

“I make a lot of one offs, so I’m lucky to be driven by craft. But when you have to manufacture and make money, I think that’s where the labour begins,” she says.

“I don’t want to make things simply because they sell. Customs and one-offs will always be a part of my business model.”

When it comes to the business side of running a fashion label, Chelsea approaches the challenge with a sense of playfulness.

“It helps if you can make a bit of a game out of it. Every time I finish a garment, I get to add it to the spreadsheet, which is when I feel a massive sense of accomplishment and satisfaction,” she says.

“It can be tricky to swap between the creative and business sides, though. I’m working on a lending contract at the moment. It can be really disappointing when people return garments with make-up on them and don’t respect the countless hours that I’ve put into the clothes.”

Chelsea believes that while setbacks and disappointments are challenging, they are ultimately part of the process.

“When the business gets really difficult, and it feels like there are all these walls, I just go back to the studio and try and enjoy myself again,” she explains.

“The things I make that get the best feedback are usually the things that I find the most exciting. So that gets me out of my head and starts the process of enjoyment again.

“Art and fashion are really as challenging as each other. Sometimes you can work for months on a project that doesn’t come to fruition. But then sometimes, a stylist will borrow your clothes and they’ll take some really beautiful photos. There are a lot of ups and downs.”

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Shop Chelsea Farquhar’s latest collection soon at Shop Pond, and view it at Household’s Off Beat Fashion Runway on Wednesday February 19.

Chelsea Farquhar: Website // Instagram