Diana Klisaris is dedicated to creating elegant, considered and timeless pieces for empowered women. Diana Klisaris redefines traditional statement pieces through innovative craftsmanship and manipulation techniques to create transitional exclusive garments.
BEHIND THE BRAND
QUALITY – Garments of outstanding quality that deliver the highest value to customers. Working with collaborators to produce limited quantities of exclusive garments
INTEGRITY – Upholding the highest standards by sourcing materials ethically. The brand is committed to sustainable practices and environmental responsibility.
INNOVATION – The design ethos comes from creating new innovative designs and experiences founded in traditional tailoring construction.
Environmentally Responsible and Ethically Produced
FABRICATION: the fabric is sourced from mills that generate energy for production and heating sustainably. Renewable clean burn resources such as wood pellets and agricultural by-products like walnuts and hazel nut shells are used for production. The water used in all processes is strictly regulated so it can be returned to a neutral ph and used as drinking water. All fibre and yarn waste is over-dyed and rested or donated to like-minded industries for use as filing in furniture and bedding.
ETHICALLY AND LOCALLY PRODUCED: every garment is produced locally in Melbourne, which enables the brand to support local employers. This hands on approach develops strong relationships with every stakeholder in the production process. Every Diana Klisaris piece is created with local, industry leaders that create with integrity and ensure a high quality of ethical production practices.
A TALK WITH DIANA KLISARIS
Describe yourself as a creative and how your label was born?
I would describe my creative style as structured, timeless and sophisticated. I’m drawn to the emotional feelings that fashion brings to me and my life. These emotions guide and directs my vision in creating beautiful and timeless garments. The vision for my brand was born in Florence, Italy. This is where I designed my first collection under the scrutiny and mentorship of the industry professionals at Polimoda. This helped me to refine my style but also, after the advice of the faculty, gave me the confidence to create Diana Klisaris and bring the brand to life. The brand itself was born in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is where I assembled my production team, manufacturing partners and established the business.
What is the most challenging issue in for an independent label ?
The most challenging aspect of starting and developing an independent brand is reaching our target audience and building brand loyalty with these new and prospective clients. As we reach new clients, the challenge is creating brand loyalty and a sense of alignment to our values and garments. From this initial commitment, we see that our clients appreciate the quality and realise they’ve invested in garment that will last them a lifetime. My aim for the brand was to always produce small quantities with high levels of ethical integrity. Portraying this creates a challenge in itself because the market is shrouded with garments that look great online but are not manufactured responsibly with ethically sourced fabrics. Being conscious of this allows us to educate our audience, helping them to understand that garments like ours can last a lifetime and can be used across seasons and occasions. Hollie Mercedes is a great example of this trans-seasonal approach to our garments.
What’s the main impact of social media in both ways, buying and brand marketing?
Social media plays an important role in how clients discover, research and share information about products. For a fashion business, it allows for direct connection with a target market, freedom to express brand values and create a streamlined experience for clients to purchase products. The ability to target across platforms, reach a global audience and create many types of content creates a great environment for an independent fashion business. For Diana Klisaris, social media has created growth, more accurate targeting of prospective audiences and to share my brands values with the world.
How do you manage to choose your models in order to spread better the diversity issue through your label?
Diana Klisaris is a brand that was built on the basis of empowering all women and giving them timeless and sophisticated garments that last a lifetime. The empowerment of women is a diverse topic that covers the entire spectrum of a womans’ shape and culture. Our goal is to partner with women of all heights, sizes and race. Inclusivity is extremely important to our brand ethos and diversity is a continuum in which we are progressing through.
What do you think is the biggest challenge regarding your work?
Creativity in design is my passion however running a small business means that you wear many hats outside of this field. My biggest challenge is being across all of the components of the business and making sure that i’m there for my team. I’m conscious that i’m not an expert in marketing, finance or business in general. Learning how to make the right choice and lean on experts for decision making is a skill that I’m continuing to learn.
How do you think your label can play an important role in your daily client’s life?
We are dedicated to producing garments which play a functional role in our client’s daily lives, which can transition into a versatile, formal look. Our garments are designed and crafted for the everyday, working woman, who share the same passion in promoting slow fashion. I aim to create garments which alleviate the need to overbuy, ultimately promoting longevity in our garments. Our customers appreciate the quality, versatility and longevity that comes with our garments. We love to see them wear the same garment to a formal event as well as a casual outing on a sunny day.
What do you think about the opportunity of selling your pieces online nowadays?
Shopping is a sensory experience. Shopping online creates an environment where you are basing a buying decision purely on what you see. Shopping in a store is a more intimate experience, allowing you to feel the garment, try it on, truly understand it’s quality. This is an experience that can’t be replicated online. Considering this, there is an opportunity for to double down on your online experience and try to depict that quality in a virtual setting. Building that connection to the garment is more difficult but if you can pull it off, it’s much easier to create loyal customers that love your brand. Shop here: https://dianaklisaris.com/
Imagine that you must write a letter to your FUTURE SELF. What would you write?
Starting a business means that I’m constantly tripping, getting back up and having another go. This letter to myself would be made of:
A bucket list of practical tips that would have avoided my blunders
A section on soft skills such as focus, work ethic and listening skills.
A reminder to always stay happy, enjoy the process and to remember that times will always change (for better and for worse).
DIANA KLISARIS
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