For me, it always starts with the fabric. I design the print first, then let it decide what it wants to become, a cushion, a skirt, a length to sell by the metre. The clothing is deliberately simple. Clean shapes, easy silhouettes, nothing that competes with the print. That's not a limitation, it's the whole point. Keep the design simple enough, and a good fabric stays wearable for years, not just a season.
Whether you've been visiting us in Leichhardt for years or just found our prints online, I wanted to share a bit of the journey, and why staying local still matters so much to us.
From Scotland to Sydney
My love of pattern started long before Surface Art existed. I trained in textile design in Scotland, but it was moving to Sydney that really lit the fire.
In the 90s, I had the chance to work with Ken Done, translating his bold, sun-drenched art into fabric. It taught me what confident, expressive imagery could do, and it deepened my love for Australian light and colour.
By 2000, I was ready to do my own thing. Surface Art started as a market stall, selling handmade cushions and fabric I'd screen-printed myself. Small and personal, and the beginning of a twenty-year story built on nature, art, and pattern.
The 5km Rule
We stay local, on purpose, in an industry that usually chases the cheapest option it can find. About 90% of what we make is produced within 5km of our Leichhardt studio.
That's not a nice-to-have. It's fair wages, because we know our makers and know they're paid properly, working under Australian labour law. It's lower impact, because our garments travel down the road, not across oceans. And it's quality control, because being close to the process means every seam and hem meets the standard we hold ourselves to.
When you buy from us, you're not just buying a dress. You're backing a local network of pattern makers, cutters, and sewers, right here in Sydney.
Our Labels, Explained
People often ask what sets our three labels apart. They share the same DNA, but each has its own personality.
Surface Art is the original: our boldest signature prints, usually on natural fabrics like cotton and linen, designed right here in the studio. Everything else, the cushions, the clothing, the homewares, exists to give those prints somewhere to live.
Essaye takes its name from the initials of Surface Art, say the letters out loud and you'll hear it. It's built around timeless shapes and solid colours that sit alongside our prints, the foundation pieces of a wardrobe.
Theadora Jones is named for my mother, and it's the label closest to my heart. Small-batch fabrics, hand-selected rather than designed by us, with a slightly more classic, considered feel.
Come and See Us
A screen can show you a print, but it can't show you the weight of the linen or how a colour shifts in natural light.
Come and visit us in the Inner West. Try things on, have a chat, see how it all comes together.
184 Norton Street, Leichhardt, NSW
Friday and Saturday, 10am to 4pm
If Leichhardt's out of reach, the full range is online any time. Thanks for backing local making, and for being part of the Surface Art story. Here's to many more years of making things properly, right here in Sydney.
