Word's getting around. People are Googling FOKE, and we're not mad about it.
Here's the lowdown on who we are, what we make, and where to get your hands on it.
What is FOKE?
FOKE is a print-led lifestyle and fashion label from the Macedon Ranges, Victoria.
We make bold, joyful things. Dresses. Scarves. Tees. Art prints. All of them start in the same place: a hand-drawn print, made in my studio.
Print first. Everything else second.
What does FOKE mean?
It's a play on folk.
As in, your people. The ones who get excited about a clashing colour. The ones who'd rather be remembered than blend in. The ones into the same wild stuff I am.
FOKE isn't just a label. It's a collective. A community of bold folk who wear their joy on the outside.
Wallflowers need not apply.
Where's this dress from?
If it's covered in a print that stopped you mid-scroll, it's probably the REN dress.
I designed the REN myself, with technical help from Melbourne's Jamie Ferris-May Studio. It was built for real bodies, sizes 8 to 24, and every chest shape, including mine, living flat after a mastectomy.
Comfortable without being frumpy. Easy to wear, easy to love, and easy to live in.
But let's be honest, the print is the hero. The dress is just the stage.
Where can I buy this?
Three ways to get your hands on FOKE:
- Online at foke.com.au, any time, pyjamas welcome
- In person at my studio, by appointment
- At events when we pop up (follow @foke_store so you don't miss one)
How much is it worth?
The REN dress is $189 AUD.
Now let's talk about what that actually buys you. Because this isn't a "wear it twice and it's a rag" situation.
At FOKE, two things are non-negotiable: quality and comfort. If it doesn't feel good and last the distance, it doesn't get our name on it.
The fabric
The REN is made from 190gsm cotton stretch jersey. That's 95% cotton, 5% elastane.
GSM means how heavy the fabric is. Think of it like paper. Cheap tees are printer paper: thin, see-through, done after a few washes. 190gsm is more like a nice card stock. It has weight. It drapes instead of clings. It hides what you want hidden and moves when you move.
The cotton keeps it soft and breathable. The little bit of stretch means it hugs your curves without squeezing them.
That 5% elastane isn't just for stretch. It's like the steel in concrete. It keeps the fabric stable, so the REN holds its shape wear after wear instead of going baggy and sad.
It's also pre-shrunk, so the dress you try on is the dress you keep. No nasty surprises after wash day.
The print
Every print starts as a drawing on my studio table. I draw it by hand, then it's translated onto fabric. So the colour you see isn't a trend someone picked off a mood board. It's art. And the colours come out bright and punchy, the way they were meant to be.
The build
The REN took six months to get right. I designed every part of it, then worked with the brilliant Jamie Ferris-May Studio to turn my vision into a tech pack, the technical blueprint a factory builds from. Six months of samples, tweaks and fittings to nail the balance between a shape that flatters and a big, bold surface for the print to shine. Every curve had to earn its place.
Where it all began. The REN's very first sketch, back when it was just an idea, a print and a whole lot of arrows.
The REN is shaped like a flower about to bloom.
- Tulip shape at the hem. It skims where you want skimming and flows where you want flow. No clinging, no tent.
- Gathered bodice. A little cinch up top that shapes and flatters without squeezing a thing.
- 3/4 ruched sleeves. Soft scrunched detail down the arm, and they sit exactly where they should. No tugging, no pushing up, no fuss.
- Deep pockets. Phone, keys, lip balm, snacks. Your hands are free, and so are you.
- Relaxed, roomy fit from XS to 3XL (sizes 8 to 24). Check the size guide to find yours.
- Graded properly. Lots of brands just make a dress bigger by stretching it longer and wider everywhere, like blowing up a balloon. That's how a size 22 ends up with a hem at the ankles and a waist at the hips. The REN is graded so every size fits where it should. Shoulders, bust, waist and length all scale in proportion to real bodies.
- Made for every chest. Big, small, or living flat like me. The shape was designed to sit beautifully on all of them.
The making
We make in small batches with one small, specialist factory. I chose them because they meet my standards on sustainability and on how their people are treated.
It's a tight-knit team of around 30 skilled makers who focus on short production runs for Australian brands like FOKE. Think boutique workshop, not giant warehouse.
Here's what that means in real life:
- Fair pay. The makers earn a living wage, around five times China's minimum wage.
- Good conditions. A safe, clean workplace, paid holidays, and overtime that's optional, never forced.
- Checked, not just promised. The factory is independently audited to the SMETA ethical trade standard, one of the most widely used workplace audits in the world.
- Nothing wasted. We use every part of the material we can, so as little fabric as possible ends up in the bin. Like cooking with the whole pumpkin, skin and all.
Fewer dresses, made better. That's the deal.
Made to live a long life
I don't want the REN to be a one-hit wonder. I want it to have MANY lives.
Dressed up with heels for a long lunch. Dressed down with sneakers for school pickup. Worn on the good days, the flat days, and every day in between.
And when you're done with it years from now? I hope you pass it on and it starts a whole new life with someone else.
Buy it once. Love it for ages.
The real maths
Wear your REN 50 times and it costs you under $4 a wear. That's cheaper than your flat white.
Don't just take my word for it. Julie, one of our REN wearers, told us the fabric is soft and luxe, the colours are vibrant, and it was extremely flattering to wear.
Look after it and it'll look after you: cold hand wash, roll in a towel, dry flat in the shade. Treat it like the art it is.
Where to buy similar?
Here's the cheeky truth. You can't. Our prints are ours. Drawn here, by me.
But if you love bold, colourful, independent fashion (and clearly you do), here are some other legends worth a look:
Indie designers: Variety Hour, Togetherness, Doops Designs, Obus, Nancybird, Arnhem, Julie White
Bigger names: Gorman, Marimekko, Kip & Co
Want the full lowdown? Read our guide to brands like Gorman, featuring five artist-led Aussie labels you need to know.
Go support them. Just come back to us, yeah?
Find your FOKE
Stop Googling. Start wearing.
Grab the REN before someone else in your group chat does. Or join the newsletter for first dibs on new prints, studio secrets, and the occasional unhinged email.
For the bold. Always.
