What identifies your brand? Who is your ideal customer/fan?
Neuterlab is identified by its monochromatic palette, androgynous silhouettes, and emotional texture. Our ideal customer is an artist, someone who treats clothing as an extension of their creative practice.
What is your brand’s mission within the industry?
To support emerging creatives through collaboration.
Tell us about the founding history of Neuterlab.
Neuterlab was founded in 2021, after years of self-portrait photography and visual storytelling. I transitioned from publishing Ninthsheep magazine to building a brand that reflected my own personal style. Highlights include our multidisciplinary launch in November 2023, and our shift toward higher-quality textiles and collaborative production with other creatives in 2025.
What is the overall visual identity of the brand, and what’s the production process like? What type of materials do you prefer working with, and what type of core values have you set?
Visually, Neuterlab is monochromatic, androgynous, and grunge-inflected with elegance. We work with a manufacturer in China who shares our commitment to small-batch production. We prefer working with cotton, rayon, viscose, mohair, and wool. Our core values are intentionality and emotional clarity.
What message do you want to convey with your collections, and briefly just touch on the different collections, and the thought process behind them. Is there a common theme or are you always trying to reinvent yourself with each passing collection?
The message behind Neuterlab’s collections is simple: self-expression without suppression. I want people to feel like they’re wearing something that reflects their inner world and not just their outer appearance. There’s a quiet rebellion in every piece and refusal to conform to trend and expectation. I’m not trying to reinvent myself with each release. I’m refining, deepening and expanding the same core philosophy. We operate with two collection formats: Mainline Collection – this is timeless and ongoing (limited batches). There’s no seasonal start or finish because we add pieces one by one, intuitively. It’s a living archive that reflects that brand’s DNA: monochromatic, androgynous, experimental, quiet rebellion with a touch of elegance. One-off series: These are unique pieces I’ve created myself or in collaboration with other Brisbane-based designers. They’re spontaneous, instinctive, and often born from a single vision or mood. Each one-off is a moment captured in fabric and singular vision.
Tell us about some of the motifs that you use.
We don’t use a lot of loose visual motifs. There are zippers, buckles, here and there however, our motif is absent… Solid black mainly. It allows silhouette and texture to speak louder than graphics. We focus on emotional motifs: softness versus severity, fluidity vs structure. It’s about how the garment feels and transports the wearer into our world.
Do you have any bestselling products or a product/products that you’d like to highlight? What is the design process, and why have you chosen these garments/accessories?
Our bestselling piece is the Flux Pants. It’s made from 100% rayon and features a wide, flowy silhouette that mimics a long skirt, creating an androgynous elegant shape. The design was born from a vision where I wanted something to look like a skirt but wasn’t. However, the piece that I enjoyed the most making is the Tar Top. That was a one-off piece where I needed to use a mannequin bust as my mould. I used expanding foam I got from a hardware store, then I painted it all black using acrylic paint, carved the shape with a kitchen knife, added straps and fabric lining inside for wearability. It took days to dry, respray of expanding foam, multiple paint layers and I was so happy with the outcome. When I shipped it to the buyer, I had it enclosed in a big box! That was fun!
With sustainability being a key question in the world of fashion, what are some of the measures you take to adhere to these matters?
Sustainability for Neuterlab is rooted in intentionality. We produce in small, limited quantities. We’re moving away from using 100% polyester and now work with higher quality textiles. Our manufacturer in China aligns with our vision for ethical small-batch production. We also prioritise emotional sustainability, creating pieces that last stylistically, not just physically. Our collections aren’t trend-driven, so they don’t expire. They’re meant to be worn for years.