Fashion designer Remi Lane’s ethical mission

When Remi Lane made a discovery at 11 years of age, the rest of her life was decided before her eyes.

“I discovered that being a fashion designer was an actual job and ever since then it’s all I’ve wanted to do,” she told AAA.

After studying for four years at South Metropolitan TAFE in Bentley and learning about the gruelling conditions factory workers endure, she set out to create an eponymous brand where consumers could shop with a clear conscience.

“Remi is where people go to buy quality, luxury, ethically made pieces at an accessible price point, which I find that a lot of brands at the moment you’re either one or the other,” she said.

“You’re either cheap, fast fashion, or very expensive with high quality, we aim to hit that middle point.”

The 25-year-old designer, known for her casual resort wear, co-founded the brand with mother Carilyn Brown in 2018 and recently expanded into the booming athleisure market with a 70s-inspired collection.

The range titled Tempo Libero, which translates to free time in Italian, fills a niche gap in the market for retro-loving athleisure fans with an affordable price point between $80 and $110.

A decade on from realising her dream, Lane reflected on the most difficult part of her journey owning an ethical brand.

“The hardest thing was finding an ethical factory, it took us years to get the manufacturers we use now because we wanted factories that align with us,” she said.

Garments are made in Indonesian and China-based BSCI certified factories, which is an industry-driven movement that aims to improve workplace standards across the global supply chain.

On the back of her first activewear collection, Lane is set to release a size-inclusive resortwear collection titled Babylon on April 28.