Since their inception four seasons ago, Strummer have gone from strength to strength with every new collection.  So we were very excited when their summer 10/11 look book, 'Home', first landed in our inbox full of what we call 'forever-classics' - those ultra-wearable pieces that you'll always love and will never out-date. 

Here we chat with designers Edwina Hagon and Gina Cole about how they got together, their favourite looks from collection and their importance of home.

- Tell us about where you grew up and how this inspired your designs this season?

We both grew up in Sydney. Gina on the northern beaches and I (Edwina) grew up in the eastern suburbs. We are both proud to be Australian. Last season we looked at influences from overseas, so we really wanted to look closer to our immediate surroundings this season and pay tribute to what we believe it means to be Australian - such as the long summer days, the richness of the Australian landscape, and the lifestyle. We were inspired by all of these things and the emotions that they made us feel. It motivated us to produce garments in natural fibres and textures that are easy-wearing, laid back and comfortable to wear on hot summer days. We also thought about what the diggers and women of the gold rush would have worn, while on the flip side we were also dreaming about what the hippies would be wearing in the 60’s and we endeavoured to capture that vibe and aesthetic. Our vision is always to create feminine, easy-wearing clothes that have “that” Strummer element.

- You’ve built Strummer's identity around a strong sense of nostalgia with a focus on classic and vintage inspired designs - what draws you to this aesthetic?

We are both romantics, we appreciate the style of the past and those classic pieces that just aren’t around these days. They’re the kind of pieces that you would see your mother wearing in those grainy sunlight photos with her big glasses on and that amazing crochet dress. We love bringing those kinds of images back to life and having them for us to wear in this day and age with an added contemporary flare.

Above: designers Gina Cole and Edwina Hagon.

- How did you come together to start a label together and what is the creative dynamic between you both?

We were working in the industry and we just hit it off straight away. We both had simular aesthetics and both shared the same love of music.
We bring different ideas to the design table, we mesh them together, evolve them, refine them, take them a step further. Above all we are always designing with our Strummer girl in mind, asking ourselves if she would wear this and where would she wear it. It’s a really fun process and the creative juices come very naturally to the both of us. We feel very fortunate to be able to design for our Strummer girl.

- Tell us about the key trends from this collection?

Crochet lace is always a key trend for us, and particularly in this collection it can be seen in the Opportunity Dress and the Tassel Tie Crochet Dress. The Opportunity Dress is a key style for us as it really covers the nostalgia look from the late 60’s/early 70’s love child vibe that we’re all about.

The sailor stripes on the Eyelet Tee with the red bow is super cute matched back with the denim culottes, I’ll be wearing that outfit with my Leather Buckle Stacks.

Hand quilted styles are also a must have for this season. We fabricated a classic feminine dress and great cut pair of shorts in this textured linen design.

- What are your favourite outfits to wear from the collection?

The Cascade Dress in the yellow stripe is a favourite with the Leather Buckle Stacks, the Denim Tunic with our Stitch detail Belt, and the crochet styles: the Opportunity Dress and the Tassel Tie Dress in the long or short version, depending.

- What are your plans for the summer?

We will both spend a lot of time enjoying what the summer months are about, there will be a road trip to Peats Ridge Festival and beyond. Many great days will be spent at the beach surfing the summer waves and riding our bikes over to friends houses. While always scouting for new inspiration!

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