Internet romance is pretty common these days. And love indeed blossomed that day Candice slid into our DM's.
Fashion label Candice have been producing some beaut products and designs for some time now. Browsing through their page you see a heap of colour, graphics and fun! Pretty rare these days from a label coming out of Melbourne.
We got to sit down with founder and creative director Nick to talk about the day to days of a local streetwear label.
Candice (ANDI(-) Crewneck
S+W: G'day Nick! Hey tell us, who is this Candice and when did it all begin?
NICK: Candice is a creative hub where the three of us can express ourselves however we want! Throughout high school we had a brand called ‘Candy’. We had a logo which was a drawing of a lady, who we nicknamed ‘Candice’. Once we got to the point of wanting a change, It was quite obvious that Candice was gonna be the new name. A lot of our designs feature personification and we draw a lot inspiration from human emotions. I always loved the idea of having a human name for the brand.
S+W: Looking at the life of Candice you can see that graphics play a huge part in the formation of the label. Has it always been the fashion world that you’ve wanted to explore or have you detoured a bit from a graphics based world?
NICK: I’ve been in love with fashion since I was quite young. I did first get into graphic design with the idea of being a graphic designer, but quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I love clothing, I love that there is no right or wrong and you can truly do whatever you want. Graphics will always be a huge part of what we do, but we like to play with that line between crazy and clean.
S+W: I’ve got my eggs in a few baskets outside of Smile and Wave because I find it hard to concentrate on the one thing without my head exploding.
Do you have any ‘side hustles’ (as the kids call it)? Or is it Candice all the way?
NICK: Hahah, umm there is definitely a lot of different things I like outside of clothes and there’s always new things that pop up and I tend to get obsessed with (I’m a pretty obsessive person), however I try to bring all of them together into Candice. I don’t think of Candice as just a clothing label, but more of a multifaceted platform to unleash all creative ventures.
S+W: I love that having a label you can branch off down so many different creative avenues.
For me, with Smile and Wave I want to eventually use it as a hub for all creative things I like.
Do you think with Candice you’ll keep stretching the possibilities and adding more creative outlets? If so, what do you have in mind?
NICK: Absolutely. Like I said in the previous question, Candice goes far beyond clothes and is an expression of all the things we enjoy as a team. There is no boundaries or rules over here so we will continue to just do and make whatever we love. We like being erratic with what we release. We’re just as obsessed with home goods as we are with clothes, so expect more of that!
Candice Interception Rug
S+W: Nice! I can't wait to see a full house loaded with all Candice items.
So over the past year I’ve seen Candice being a great activist for a few social issues and charity causes. How do you think as a clothing label, you can help elevate the voices of others?
NICK: We always try to play our part where we can and push others to follow. There are a lot of issues in this world that need to be fixed. Why have a platform and a following if you aren’t going to use it to do some good in the world? We are always thinking of new ways to elevate the voices of others, whether that be collaborations, charity products or just raising our own voice in hope others will follow.
S+W: With Smile and Wave things, I find it hard to gauge when to hold back my personal beliefs and values with things going on in the world at the moment. Do you think it’s important to voice personal views of the people behind the brand or should brands just concentrate on what they do best?
NICK: Great question and I feel the same sometimes. I think voicing a personal opinion through a brand is an extension of the brand beyond the products they sell. I personally love brands where the owner uses their platform to speak honestly and transparently with their customers and followers. There is no right and wrong here though, it depends on the issue at hand and what the owners are comfortable with - but to me it’s important to hear what a brand has to say, just as it is important for a brand to speak up. If people want to unfollow us or stop buying our stuff because we speak up, then good riddance!
S+W: Bye byyyye! Haha, that's my opinion too. Sometimes I think, if someone's opinion is the complete opposite of mine (in terms of human rights issues) then I don't really want you walking around with Smile + Wave printed across your chest. So best that I do my thing and they do theirs.
So we’ve seen some big things come from Candice lately, what have you got in stall for us next? Any collaborations? Bloody everyone seems to be collaborating these days :)
NICK: Hahah yeppp, we are always looking for brands and people to collaborate with, especially locally, whether that be clothing or other items. We also have a big winter collection releasing in July, along with a bunch of other products, accessories and home goods planned for the near future.
Candice Rhythm 1/4 Zip
S+W: Nice, can't wait to see some heavier items this winter. Lastly, you guys probably get the emails and DM’s of youngsters wanting to know that dang old question, how do I start a fashion label???
From your experience so far, what would your advice to be for these little fashion kids?
NICK: Don’t spend too much time planning how you’re going to start, because a lot of the time things don’t go to plan. Just start designing and creating things you personally love and let the rest flow naturally!
S+W: Good advice. Thanks so much for having a chat with us Nick. Looking forward to July to see that winter drop!
NICK: Thank you! Keep up the great stuff you have been doing!
Catch Nick and the team at Candice on the link below