Okay bestie, pull up a chair. We need to talk.
You love Gorman. Of course you do. They've been waving the colour flag in this country for years and we adore them for it.
But if you're hungry for more bright prints, colourful clothing and full-blown dopamine dressing, there are five Australian designed labels you need to know about. Here's the thing that makes them special: Gorman collaborates with artists. These five are the artists.
Every print below was drawn or painted by the person who runs the label, from Variety Hour's crocs to the hand-drawn prints at FOKE. One artist, one studio, zero beige.
Here's who they are, and exactly why they deserve a spot in your wardrobe. (Yes, we're one of them. Our blog, our rules. :)
1. Variety Hour: for the crocodile-loving maximalist
Why you need to know them: Nobody does Aussie nostalgia like Variety Hour. It's a 90s Queensland holiday, in fabric form.
Home base: Fitzroy, Melbourne
Cassie Byrnes hand paints every Variety Hour print with gouache, inks and markers before it goes anywhere near fabric. She grew up in North Queensland, and it's all over her work. Crocodiles, reef colours, that sticky summer holiday feeling.
What others are saying: Broadsheet called it a joyful, print-driven label, and Peppermint magazine praised it for making the world brighter one snappy croc print at a time. They also gave it a big tick for growing its size range every year.
Cool fact: Before starting her own label, Cassie's prints were picked up by US brand Anthropologie and turned into ceramics and bedding. These days she runs the whole show with a small team of eight from her Gertrude Street studio.
2. Doops Designs: for the sunshine chaser
Why you need to know them: Dreamy nature prints on natural fibres, with a fan club of sewists who can't get enough.
Home base: Byron Bay hinterland, NSW
Jane Newham designs every Doops print from a home studio in the village she grew up in. Linen, cotton and silk, printed with water-based inks. Good for you, good for the planet, great in photos.
What others are saying: One of her fabric listings on Etsy sits at a perfect 5 stars from more than 500 reviews. One design blogger said her patterns look like jungle parties at sunset, which is spot on.
Cool fact: Doops started as a backyard experiment. In the early days, Jane exposed her printing screens in the sun in her own backyard, so her work literally depended on the weather.
3. Togetherness: for the secret country girl
Why you need to know them: Illustrated prints, Australian-made clothing, and a shop that feels like a treasure hunt.
Home base: Naarm / Melbourne
Esther Sandler is a textile designer and illustrator. Clothes, ceramics, jewellery, socks, tea towels. Every collection starts with her own hand illustrations. Roosters, wildflowers, gingham. It's cottagecore with a backbone.
What others are saying: Style bloggers have singled her out as one of the most talented creatives in Australian homewares, and indie boutiques around the country stock her work.
Cool fact: All Togetherness garments are made here in Australia, on purpose, to support local manufacturing.
4. FOKE: for the bold folk
Why you need to know them: FOKE isn't just a clothing label. It's art, objects and good energy, wrapped in some of the brightest hand-drawn prints in the country.
Home base: Macedon Ranges, Victoria
Here's the twist. Founder Holly Clinton never set out to be a fashion designer. She's a surface pattern designer, fine art photographer and visual artist who launched FOKE in 2025 with one big mission: to pour more colour into people's lives, and to help women feel bold enough to step into their full power.
Clothing just happened to be the perfect canvas. Holly hand draws every FOKE print in her studio, then brings it to life on whatever it suits best. Colourful dresses, tees, scarves, art prints, and plenty more on the way. FOKE is a playground, not a pigeonhole.
The name? A play on folk, as in your people. The ones who'd rather be remembered than blend in.
What others are saying: REN wearers say the fabric feels soft and luxe, the colours pop, and it's incredibly flattering.
Cool fact: The REN dress took six months of sampling to get right. It has deep pockets, runs from sizes 8 to 24, and was designed for every chest, including Holly's own, living flat after a mastectomy. Read the REN story, first sketch and all.
Shop FOKE's hand-drawn print dresses
5. Julie White: for the print-curious
Why you need to know them: Collectable silk scarves and socks, and the easiest way to wear art without going all in.
Home base: Adelaide, SA
What a story. Julie moved to Scotland to study printed textiles at the Glasgow School of Art, got hit with the worst homesickness, and started drawing Australian plants and animals to cope. Those drawings became her whole label.
What others are saying: The Adelaide Fashion Festival describes her scarves and socks as collectable and timeless. Country Road worked with her for a full year on a limited-edition throw collection, and their team called the collab transformative.
Cool fact: Her red waratah print, inspired by an Aussie take on William Morris, once covered an entire wall at the National Gallery of Australia. Big deal, much?
Why Gorman fans love these five
- They're the real deal. The artist and the label are the same person.
- Bright prints you won't see everywhere. Small runs mean no outfit twins at brunch.
- You're wearing real art. Every print started on a studio table, not a trend report.
- Your money stays local. Every order keeps a small Australian studio drawing and making.
- Dopamine dressing, sorted. Beige is cancelled. Wear the wild stuff.
Sizes and ranges change, so check each brand's website for the latest.
Now go be loud
Found a new favourite? Tell them we sent you, tag them, and send this to the friend who's been wearing the same black dress since 2019.
And if FOKE's bright prints caught your eye, come say hi. We're real humans over here.
For the bold. Always.
