B GOODS and Kara Town: a sustainable collaboration

Founded in 2012, Anny Duff’s B GOODS LABEL has gained an expanding fan base of fashion-conscious individuals with her sustainable and handmade clothing and accessories. A new collaboration with Kara Town (of AHD Paper Co and Nest Together) sees these ideals merged with their shared love of architecture, furniture and fashion resulting in a limited edition release using hemp denim – one of the most ecologically sound fabrics. The collaboration was a simple decision for the duo, as Town explains. “Anny approached me about designing a jumpsuit in collaboration with her for a limited edition release, using the hemp denim fabric she had sourced, and given the amount of jumpsuits I wear and own, it was an offer too good to refuse.” Duff continues: “I’ve loved working with Kara. The opportunity to bounce ideas off of someone you really admire has been an invaluable process for myself and for the direction of the label. There are a lot more collaborations to come in the future, we hope.” The design process started with the fabric. Duff describes how it quickly became the perfect fit for the collaboration. “I had discovered the most glorious hemp denim. Hemp has superior insulation properties; is as soft as many other natural fibres but boasts unrivalled durability. It both breathes and is biodegradable. The natural strength of hemp, when combined with the soft elasticity of cotton, and the timeless look of denim – the perfect fit for our design collaboration.” Taking an old jumpsuit pattern that she had lying around, Duff worked together with Town and edited the original to suit their combined design aesthetic. “We got together a few times, processed and workshopped the details and altered the design until we had the sample. Kara also had an idea for the perfect hat. It was such a thrill when we received the finished pieces in the hemp denim, and they were as we had imagined.” The duo is influenced with the functionality of clothing above anything else. Town adds, “When we decided we’d like to design a jumpsuit, we immediately thought of the traditional worker’s coverall – both practical, functional, robust, timeless and easily adaptable into a modern silhouette and lifestyle. The hat is of the same practical nature. There is something to be said for time-honoured clothing. So much in today’s society is of a disposable nature, and both Anny and I, in both of our individual businesses, attempt to deflect this where possible.” This collaboration is only the beginning for Duff with a new range of bedding due to be released shortly, fittingly entitled Sleep Good. Working on the bedding collection with her mum, Duff cites her as constant inspiration. “She is undeniably talented at everything she puts her hand to. She has been a huge inspiration and support for B GOODS LABEL since day one. We recognised the properties of one hundred percent hemp would make for the best bedding, but it was just a matter of sourcing the wide sheeting fabric at the perfect weight. “It’s thermo-regulating and perfect for all seasons – you will never feel too hot or too cold, and it only gets softer with time. The collection will be available for pre-order in the near future, in three colour ways, and made locally in Australia.” Town remains busy working on Nest Together where she will be continuing to expand its original content. “It is foremost a Journal, and will continue to remain the same. As far as AHD Paper Co. goes, we’ll be expanding our coverage in the overseas market this year, presenting our current collection at a the National Stationery Show in New York in May, with plans to export our Australian-made product to more countries of interest in the near future. The new limited edition release will be available at Duff’s Open Studio space – a workshop, retail and gallery space for a number of designers and artists to showcase their work. The collection on show in the space has an emphasis on nature, the environment and the use of natural materials. Located just off Sturt Street in the CBD, Open Studio also features a range of publications including Kinfolk, Hessian and Cereal magazines alongside B GOODS LABEL. bgoodslabel.com nesttogether.com