When I started Vestige Story, one goal I had in mind was to instill stories into the products I design. The idea sounded abstract then. While my pieces have always been inspired by artists, and are tailored to fit into a creative person's lifestyle — I wanted to take the storytelling concept one step further.

Hence, the making of our "Message Labels". Each piece of Vestige comes with a printed label with a short message tucked in its collar. 

I first had the idea when I read about shoppers finding SOS messages in Zara's clothes. Those messages read: "I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn’t get paid for it". I wanted to create labels that told the opposite message.

In 2017, publications were condemning fast fashion giants when the news of these SOS messages broke out. To meet the continuing demands of buyers and shoppers, big fashion companies turned a blind eye to poor factory conditions and worker's rights. Dismal working conditions included slave and child labourer, especially the exploitation of women and underaged refugees.

As a business owner myself, I too understand the difficulties of making ends meet in an ever-changing industry. This ultimately led to my choice of starting a slow fashion brand. Rather than adding yet another clothing piece to the billions of choices on the market, I wanted to create pieces that will invoke positivity and creativity.

Each Vestige message label contains a pun, and an illustration that relates back to the artists and creatives we worked with. Furthermore, typing in and searching for these messages on our website it will lead you to a feature article about the respective artist (we are in the process of adding these articles to our site). The labels are like an easter egg sewn right into your clothes.

On top of honouring our partnerships with these wonderful artists, I hope my puns will brighten up your day every time you open the closet.

The illustrations are all hand-drawn by our founder and designer Aileen Lee. She based the graphics on the stories each artist submits for our in-progress Story Book Project. 

 

Olivia Walker's story explores the process of decay, and how nature's textures inspires her work. 

Self portraits of ceramic artist Olivia in our Monad Jumpsuit is taken by herself for the upcoming Story Book. Visit her website for the full portfolio of her work.

In Rachel Saunders's story, she mentions a goat named Anna from her dreamy childhood. Influences from nature flow through her raw and natural aesthetics.

These are photos of ceramic artist Rachel Saunders in our Vitreous Silk Dress for the Story Book, shot by Guy Ferguson. Find these message labels in our current collection's pieces, now available via Vestige Stockists.