Inspired by vintage trends and muses, TORANNCE is an Australian contemporary label that manages to weave together bold and eccentric prints into their timeless designs – making every piece completely wearable yet still eye-catching.
With a strong focus on quality, TORANNCE garments are made with premium, sustainable, and ethical materials, and we’re proud to have them on board at Style Theory. We sat down to learn about the inspiration behind the label with TORANNCE founder and designer, Julia Torannce Hemingway.
Hi Julia! Could you tell us more about how you got started in fashion, and what inspired you to start your own fashion brand?
Julia: I’ve always wanted to work in fashion. From a very young age, I’d always raid my mother’s dress closet and play dress-up, dreaming of what I’d wear when I grew older! However, the real desire to start my label began when I started working in the fashion industry. I was designing clothes based on someone else’s brief for several years, which left me in a creative void. It made me desire being able to design without restriction, and to create the pieces I had been dreaming of!
TORANNCE has been around for 7 years! How has the journey been so far? How has TORANNCE style evolved since the first collection?
Julia: We have definitely evolved. TORANNCE used to be a be centered a lot more around evening wear, and we’ve evolved to a more elevated, contemporary resort wear. However, our core principles have never changed – we have always been a quality-focused brand. We only use natural quality fabrications and we design clothes that last a lifetime, avoiding fleeting trends.
You founded TORANNCE with the goal of pushing design boundaries without limitations in mind. How do you keep TORANNCE on the right track towards this goal?
Julia: I design pieces to stand out in a crowd. I don’t think I have ever worn a TORANNCE piece down the street, without someone saying “ I love your dress”… I want my customers to get these same compliments. I once had a customer write to me and call it “ the TORANNCE effect”… this put a huge smile on my face.
Give us a sneak peek into your typical design process as you start a new collection!
Julia: It all starts with our prints. We will plan our print direction for the season, and then I design from these prints, using beautiful quality natural fabrications. We always pull inspiration from vintage shapes and muses – usually from the 60’s & 70’s. Ensuring each design will stand the test of time.
Who are your personal style muses when you design for TORANNCE? Where else do you draw fashion/style inspiration from?
Julia: My personal style icons are; Anita Pallenberg, Edie Sedgwick, Brian Jones, Jane Birkin, etc. However, inspiration for me often comes from vintage photos or moments. For example, a whole collection was once designed around Slim Aarons’ collection of photos in his book: Women – By Slim Aarons.
If you could describe the aesthetic of TORANNCE pieces with 3 adjectives, what would they be?
Julia: Timeless, Quality, Fun.
We’re proud to partner with TORANNCE through our Sustainability Alliance. What does this partnership mean to TORANNCE?
Julia: We design our pieces to last a lifetime. Therefore, we love that this program gives further longevity to our pieces.
Rent TORANNCE styles with a Style Theory Membership! With the Style Theory Apparel Rental Membership, you get to rent from a collection of 40,000+ apparel pieces, with plans starting from S$79/month. TORANNCE collection is currently only available for our Singapore subscribers Download the app and create a free account to explore the Infinite Wardrobe now.
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