Celebrating Straya Daze

Whatever happened to the cultural cringe?

Suddenly, the absurdity of retro-Australiana is something to be celebrated. We’ve seen it in the dedicated aesthetic of Client Liaison, the resurgence of Ken Done and now, Julie White is decorating our feet with prawns.

The designer and textiles Masters graduate has released her latest line of fashion accessories, which is inspired by the country she grew up in during the golden (Gaytime) age of the ’80s and ’90s. It’s called Straya Daze and is as sticky and sweet as watermelon dripping down your arms and as bright as the January sun in your eyes.

Like her first collection, Alter Native, created during her time at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art, White’s latest prints are each pieces of art in their own right. They are exquisitely constructed, meticulously detailed and feature banksias, waratahs, pavlova, kiwi fruit, iced vovos and more.

“Even though the Australiana aesthetic is very stuck in the ’80s and ’90s, I’ve tried to update it,” says White, who has done her research.

“For example, I’ve used camels, because there are now more camels in Australia than there are in Egypt.”

Based in Adelaide, White works on her label independently and is now stocked in Save Yourself Boutique, APOM, Katie Hosking and through her online store.

“It means a lot to be able to turn to our native flora and fauna,” says White. “It doesn’t have to be naff.”

juliewhite.com.au