A new wave of innovative, independent dancewear brands is taking the stage in Australia, founded by dancers and designers who understand studio style and today’s dancers. These brands prioritise inclusivity, sustainability, style and comfort without compromising on quality.
From custom-made leotards to studio-to-street activewear, Australian-born brands – Flex Leotards, AlcieMay, Physique The Label and Juliette. The Label – each offer a fresh take on dancewear.
Flex Leotards: Custom comfort and confidence
Born from a deeply personal experience, Flex Leotards is the brainchild of calisthenics dancer Ellie Wynhoven, who returned to the game in her mid-20s, solely to seek out that the dancewear business had few flattering, enjoyable choices for dancers exterior conventional sizing.
“Flex Leotards is a made-to-measure {custom} leotard and dancewear model with a concentrate on inclusivity and luxury that hopes to empower all dancers to really feel assured at class!” Wynhoven explains.
Unable to seek out leotards that match her personal physique comfortably, she launched Flex to fill a spot out there. Each bit is custom-made to order, with choices to tailor the leotard to torso size and bra measurement, in addition to select between common or high-cut hips. Dancers also can go for an in-built elastic shelf bra.
“I didn’t need anyone else to really feel this fashion when looking for leotards,” Wynhoven says. “That’s why I make every part {custom} and use tremendous smooth however ultra-supportive materials — so that you’re locked in but additionally tremendous cozy at class.”
We love any model that makes a dancer really feel welcome. You’ll be able to store each {custom} and ready-to-wear items at flexleotards.com, and catch behind-the-scenes content material on Instagram and TikTok.
AlcieMay Dance: Model, stretch and studio help
One other model creating studio model in each particular person and dance faculty design is Queensland-based AlcieMay.
“AlcieMay is proudly Australian-made dancewear, with a concentrate on stunning leotard match, consolation, model and a variety of colors, made for each particular person dancers and dance studios,” says Founder Alice Litzow.
Litzow’s background in stretch put on and trend led her to ballet, the place she fell in love with the self-discipline and its aesthetic. As dance colleges started approaching her for {custom} uniform designs, her ardour advanced right into a full-fledged model. “That’s after I determined to launch AlcieMay Dance, so I may create items that help dancers,” she says.
Every thing at AlcieMay is designed and made in-house on the firm’s Kelvin Grove studio in Brisbane. The color palette extends nicely past the fundamentals, and the model is understood for fast turnarounds and personalised service – whether or not it’s a single leotard or a whole studio uniform.
“Whether or not it’s one dancer or an entire studio, we’re right here to assist carry your imaginative and prescient to life,” Litzow affirms.
Dancers can explore the AlcieMay range online, go to the showroom in Brisbane, or join at dance occasions across the nation.
Physique The Label: The place activewear meets dancewear
Co-founded by skilled dancer and health coach Jessica Sturgeon, Physique The Label (PTL) is bridging the hole between dancewear’s flexibility and fitness center put on’s performance, with out compromising on sustainability or model.
“Physique The Label is an Australian-born activewear model merging model, sustainability and efficiency to empower motion and confidence throughout each facet of an energetic life-style,” Sturgeon explains.
PTL’s merchandise are crafted from high-quality recycled, natural and eco-friendly materials in ethically accountable factories. Designed to take you from barre to brunch and past, PTL items help, sculpt and flatter whereas withstanding the depth of each dance and fitness center coaching.
“We wish everybody who wears our activewear to really feel robust, supported and assured,” says Sturgeon.
The newest drop, The Aspire Assortment, options versatile bodysuits, crops, leggings and tanks in daring but refined hues like royal blue, vanilla and muted blueberry. This versatile assortment delivers for efficiency however with the aesthetics of the fashionable dancer inside and outdoors the studio.
“We designed the Aspire Assortment for many who transfer with ambition — mixing perform with model in a approach that feels easy,” Sturgeon says.
Browse the gathering and store worldwide at ptl-store.com.
Juliette. The Label: Minimalist however placing design
Founder Juliette Beninati brings on a regular basis consolation and reasonably priced model with Juliette. The Label (JTL) — a model constructed for actual dancers in actual life.
“Juliette. The Label (JTL) is a minimalistic, inclusive dance and streetwear model designed to assist dancers transfer with confidence, each out and in of coaching,” says Beninati. She created JTL whereas finding out enterprise at college, after noticing a spot within the dancewear market.
“Rising up a dancer myself, I at all times seen a robust divide in dancewear. Every thing was both tremendous female, elegant and fairly for ballerinas, or loud, daring and stuffed with vibrant patterns for industrial types,” she says. “I couldn’t discover something minimal and cozy that I may put on in and past the studio – till JTL was created.”
In simply over a 12 months, JTL has launched a group of versatile items that not solely look good, they really feel good. The model’s merchandise are designed to maneuver with you, with tremendous smooth materials and embody supportive built-in bras and outsized cuts to cater for all sizes and styles.
Proudly unisex and proudly totally different, JTL goals to interrupt conventional moulds of dancewear. The Adage vary layers completely over ballet uniforms, whereas the Signature and Tempo traces have turn into staples within the industrial dance world.
“It’s not nearly how our garments look; it’s how they really feel,” Beninati says. “Extra importantly, although, it’s how you are feeling if you find yourself carrying them. Assured, robust and utterly your self.”
You’ll be able to discover the complete vary at www.juliettethelabel.com.au or store in particular person at dance occasions and competitions throughout Australia. JTL additionally gives {custom} uniforms and wholesale choices for studios — get in contact at [email protected].
As extra dancers search individuality from their dancewear that higher fits their private model and a tailored look that flatters their physique, manufacturers like Flex Leotards and AlcieMay and PTL and JTL are discovering their area of interest. With their dedication to high quality, consolation and creativity, they’re serving to dancers of every kind really feel empowered – one outfit at a time.
Hold your eye on these on-the-move labels, staking their place out there, and uncover extra recent finds on your studio model.
It’s been thrilling to see these manufacturers showcased on the Victorian Dance Pageant (VDF) over the previous few years. Tickets are actually on sale for VDF26, the place you cannot solely take pleasure in wonderful masterclasses however store ’til you drop in Australia’s largest dance market and expo. For tickets and extra info, go to www.victoriandancefestival.com.
