At just age nine, Co-founder and Maker at de Vol Clothing, Stacey Young, received her very first sewing machine. Inspired by Madonna, one of Young's earliest creations were lace gloves, which Young fashioned out of pieces from her mother's wedding dress. With both her grandmother and mother being sewers, stepping into the world of sewing and fashion was in Young's blood.
When Young finished high school, she first worked as a machinist, sewing for clothing factories like Halls and Stax around the country. However, Young felt called to design her very own garments, leading her to undertake a Diploma in Fashion and Design at a Polytechnic. It was here, during her studies, that de Vol Clothing was officially born.
One of the papers Young took during her diploma was about setting up a fashion label. After she finished the course, Young decided to make her label a reality. She began by making a few garments using recycled and vintage fabrics and selling them at a fair, growing her small business one item at a time. Fast forward to today, she runs de Vol Clothing alongside her partner Brendan Burke, who she met while working for Halls Manufacturing. Together, the pair design, pattern make and construct de Vol Clothing garments - which are sold at their stockist Frutti, located on Wellington's Cuba street, and online on the label's website.
Young frequently finds inspiration for her designs by flicking through vintage textile books. Many of her pieces are influenced by the details and silhouettes of fashion from the fifties, sixties and seventies.
"Much of what I make is something I myself feel like I need in my wardrobe."
She also takes pride in using a mix of new fabrics like linens, cottons, wool and rayon, as well as ends of rolls, incorporating modern and vintage silhouettes and designs.
Young focuses on creating interesting, but versatile and comfortable pieces that cannot be found in box stores, focusing on quality fabric, craft and nailing the fine details like attaching pockets to dresses and skirts.
"You could easily wear our range to work or casually depending on how you accessorise."
She also designs her garments with the Wellington climate in mind. Most of de Vol Clothing pieces are trans-seasonal separates that are ideal for layering.
"Our customers should be able to wear our garments for as much of the year as possible."
Young also works part-time at Frutti, which allows her to meet the label's customers face-to-face and ascertain what styles and pieces are in demand. When she has a new design in mind, Young will send a sample garment to Frutti for customers to trial and give her feedback. She finds it helpful to see her designs on various types of bodies, which allows her to make adjustments to the fit and sizing.
While Young adores the designing process, it is the relationships with de Vol Clothing's customers that bring her the most joy.
"There is nothing like someone falling in love with something you have made."
Outside of fashion, Young is also a ceramics artist and is currently working on introducing ceramic buttons into de Vol Clothing's range. She is currently in the process of phasing out plastic buttons and zips to make the label as sustainable as possible.
