Meet the Canberra tradie turned fashion designer with an international following
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How would your parents react if you told them that you had quit your day job to become a fashion designer?
22-year-old Kai Mckenzie has done just that – quit his day job as an electrician to pursue his dream of becoming a world-renowned fashion designer. And he’s already got an international following.
Over the space of 12 months, Kai has become a stand out in the Canberra fashion scene, amassing an impressive 76k followers on Instagram. The majority of his followers are based in the US, and Japan, which isn’t surprising, considering his label celebrates his Japanese culture, with subtle tributes in each of his pieces.
Kai’s Dad agreed to support him, on the condition he finished his apprenticeship, which he’s since done, so he had something to fall back on, if his creative pursuits didn’t pan out. The back half of his family’s garage is now dedicated to the design and creation of Kai’s label, Minami, his Japanese mother’s maiden name.
Kai embraces Japanese traditions without rejecting modernity.
Kai’s maternal grandmother lives in Japan, and she regularly sends Kai photos of materials, physical swatches of patterns and old kimonos she thinks he can use as inspiration for his designs. At 85 years old, Kai says she’s a pro when it comes to the ‘gram and is also pretty handy with a sewing machine. She’s regularly in contact with Kai, and his three brothers who are also here in Canberra.
A self-taught designer, Kai mastered the basics of sewing while studying fashion at Narrabundah College, and occasionally stealing his mum’s sewing machine. He says his love affair with fashion began in Year 11.
“‘I became good friends with this one guy, and he would dress really nicely. He was easily the best– dressed guy in school, and seeing how people respected him for that, I admired it. I was like, I want to be like that.” he says.
People have started noticing Kai. his most recent collection of his signature Tome pants sold out. Made to order, the pants sold at $638 a piece, to customers in Australia and the US. This month he’s traveling to Melbourne to visit a customer in person to design pants for his wedding. This customer has already purchased two pairs of pants designed by Kai.
When asked about the hustle of establishing himself as a designer, Kai has arranged his schedule to suit when he feels most creative.
‘”I’ll wake up at 10 am and go to bed around 2 am or 3 am. I feel most creative at night, when there are no distractions or temptations to meet a friend out for coffee, or head out. I’ll dedicate hours to being creative, thinking, and drawing designs.’
When he isn’t sewing or drawing clothing designs, Kai dreams of seeing his clothes walk the runways of Milan, Paris, London, and New York. Although he’s keen for more international recognition, Kai insists he wants to be a community– based brand, rather than just an item off-the-rack. His next collection – consisting of two tops and one pair of pants, is set to go live in late November.
The next Minami collection will be released in November.
“I want to be the designer for the coolest piece in someone’s wardrobe. If you go up to someone and ask them, what’s your favorite piece, and they pull out one of mine and say ‘This is my favorite piece’ that would be great.” says Kai.
“I don’t think I need people that are like Rick Owens fans where they just wear the one label. I want to be the designer people go to for a good investment piece.”
As for family members wearing his investment pieces, he says that his three brothers aren’t that keen.
“They’re supportive. But they don’t wear my designs. They prefer their regular sweatpants and hoodies.”
The only three people who regularly come into contact with Kai, and they’ve not taken him up on his fashion advice.
Talk about a fashion crime.
