The part-time Canberran putting her heart into couture
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At just 21 years of age, Jodie Tian has already created a design legacy that’s making waves – one focused on the philosophy of heart-led, sustainable, and emotionally resonant couture.
As the founder and designer of Heart Couture, everything she creates comes back to the brand’s namesake.
Describing her opulent, maximalist, and feminine designs as romantic and whimsical – with design nods to the iconic Vivienne Westwood as well as Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei – Jodie says that her opulent, maximalist and feminine designs are inspired by the world around her.
Based out of both Canberra and Melbourne, it only makes sense that as Jodie splits her time, the in-betweenness is reflected in her work, creating something that sits between couture and ready-to-wear, as well as between high-fashion and heartfelt.
“I have two branches of my creative practice,” she explains.
“I have my couture pieces, which are one-off, very time-consuming and opulent with lots of handling and crafting by me. Then I have my ready-to-wear diffusion line, which is upcycled using materials found at thrift stores.”
Jodie grew up instinctively drawn to art and making things with her hands, and says it’s the mix of sculpture, movement and handcrafting that inspired her to pursue fashion and study at the Australian College of the Arts (also known as Collarts) in Melbourne.
Moving part-time to Canberra earlier this year to live with her boyfriend, she says she is inspired by the local second-hand scene and can often be found scouring stores and the Old Bus Depot Markets for buttons, fabrics and deadstock to create new looks.
The results are a blend of vintage and fantasy-inspired handmade pieces that can be purchased at Braddon’s Blonde Concept.
“Most of my materials and designs are made from dead stock and op shop fabrics. The fast fashion industry is so devastating, and I think it just makes sense to use stuff that is already existing,” she explains.
Since moving to Canberra, Jodie has also collaborated with another local designer to grow her roots. She has reconnected with longtime friend Adele of Knit By Peonies, and the duo has been creating crocheted rosette brooches, bonnets, keyrings and scarves that straddle the line between Austenesque charm nd contemporary romance.
“She does the crochet and knitting, and I add lace and buttons,” explains Jodie.
“We both use our skills on the one product. We’re selling our products in three different stockists: Blonde Concept in Canberra, So Familia Store in Sydney and Waxy Apple Vintage in Melbourne. We’re looking to keep expanding as well.”
Still completing her degree, Jodie isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Later this year, she’ll travel to live in Paris for five months to study fashion marketing at the ESMOD fashion school. When she returns, she plans to spend more time in Canberra and keep building Heart Couture.
She’s also working on an online store so customers can easily access her work, hopes to be involved in runways, and is looking to start a career in fashion marketing. But the one thing she doesn’t want to do is lose sight of why she started Heart Couture in the first place.
“When I started this whole thing, I just wanted to make one person’s favourite outfit…Now, I’ve been able to do that for more than one person,” says Jodie.
“I think the whole point of fashion and creativity is to connect people and make people feel seen through creative designs. I feel like I’ve achieved that, and I hope to keep achieving.”
“I don’t want to lose sight of my roots, and I want to keep being an ethical brand and making sure that no one’s hurt in the pursuit of beauty and art, because that defeats the purpose.”
Heart Couture is deeply personal to Jodie, in more ways than one. Not only is the brand name a play on the words ‘haute couture’ and a nod to her love for design, but it also incorporates her cultural and family background.
Bringing everything back to the heart, her brand is ultimately a love letter to the industry, her family, the planet and herself.
“It’s my version of couture because it comes from my heart. I think that sometimes fashion feels super exclusive and hard to reach, so Heart Couture is trying to democratise the idea that couture is only exclusive,” Jodie explains.
“My Chinese name means ‘heart’ or the core of something, so I brought that from my Chinese culture. I try and do everything from the heart, and I’m quite led by my heart and intuition. The ‘Heart’ of Heart Couture is also like the love for the planet and being a sustainable fashion brand in the best way I can.”
Follow Jodie at @heart.couture_.
Images supplied.
