Designed By Women For Women

Designed By Women For Women

We caught up with Natalie Knoll, Co-Founder of Australian Resortwear label Bird & Knoll, to find out more about the collections and overall ethos that makes it a standout globally for sustainability values and enduring style. 

Natalie! We're so excited to have a small edit of Bird & Knoll Resort and Spring/Summer 23 in the store.

Can you tell us a little about the inspiration and design journey behind these collections?
Macayla (the “Bird” in Bird and Knoll) is always inspired by travel – whether it is places that she has been to or destinations that she aspires to visit. Her studio walls are covered in images that tell a story of texture, colours and details that inspire and become a part of the collections. The terracotta of a wall in Marrakesh or the fuschia of bougainvillea in an alleyway in Greece – there is always an iconic or exotic destination that lies behind our palettes and detailing.
Bird & Knoll Lake Dress
Lake Dress - rose burnt umber

Tell us a bit about your label's ethos - when we buy Bird & Knoll, we're buying high-quality garments that can be worn season after season, aren't we?

Absolutely – this is slow fashion. We are firm believers in designing classic silhouettes that can be worn season after season. Our design is thoughtful with a focus on versatility ensuring that these are pieces that are multi-functional and meant to be worn for any occasion or destination. Vacation wear for everyday.

We like to look to Europe for sartorial cues... but what does your success in Europe and the US tell us about your label?

(Editor's note: the brand is stocked in Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods and Galeries Lafayette) 

While Europe may give clues about what lies ahead of us in the fashion world, we believe that it is the narrative of our coastal lifestyle in Australia and NZ which is infused into the brand and ethos that is a big part of our success in the US and Europe.

Australian resortwear is very well-regarded internationally. Our low key approach to creating that “dressing up with the feeling of dressing down and vice versa” look is what sets us apart from other international designers and I think what is also working for us is being a bit of a “palette cleanser”. Bird and Knoll focus on strong colour blocks in natural fibres – beautiful cottons and cotton silks with an occasional pattern introduced. Many resortwear brands are pattern heavy with lots and lots of detailing. Our thoughtful simplicity is refreshing and appealing and sets us apart.

Bird & Knoll Otto Maxi Dress
Otto Maxi Dress - le jardin de nuit print

The four key values guiding Hearth Co's curation are originality, community, mindfulness and provenance. We found a very natural fit with your label for our store.. how do you select your 'pay-it-forward' partners and projects?

We approach our partnerships and projects from a number of different angles. How can we pay it forward to a community, how can we keep the lifecycle of our garments going, how can we support women, how can we mitigate our carbon footprint as much as possible. These are all very important to us and our partnerships with Thread Together, i=change, Trace, Worn for Good and Airrobe are integral to Bird and Knoll and those values.

Which item from this collection are you wearing on repeat, and why? And what's been the best seller so far, and why?

My story skirt has been on repeat! I pair it with a plain silk cami or a white shirt or t-shirt and statement piece of jewellery and strappy sandals. J’adore!!

Bird & Knoll Story Skirt
Story Skirt - red stripe

It’s also been a bestseller for us – we are almost sold out! Rue has been hugely popular too with some customers coming back to get a second colour. It’s such a cleverly designed dress with the built in corset – It’s these details that really show that this is a brand designed by women for women.

I also recently wore the Atlas one-shoulder to a wedding and received so many compliments. Such a flattering silhouette – very elegant.

Thanks Nat!

Read more about Bird & Knoll's sustainability projects here. Shop the label here. 

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