Though it’s still in its early stages, Melbourne accessories label By Sienna has already made its runway debut at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival and into the wardrobes of some of our favourite style icons. When describing the label to a stranger, creator Sienna Barton says it’s like “that episode of Sex and the City where Jennifer Coolidge’s character makes a collection of deeply deranged handbags”.
The first step to creating By Sienna was making a scrapbook. The practice of printing and cutting out images and movie stills took Sienna back to her childhood, inspiring her to create a label that is playful, sustainable and handcrafted. “[It] seemed like a perfect medium to express a longing to reconnect with girlhood,” she reflects.
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As featured in Mutual Muse’s collection on the New Again runway earlier this year, Sienna uses a range of reclaimed and repurposed materials in both her art and her label. After sourcing handbags on Depop, she embellishes them with handmade charms and beads, giving them a new lease on life. You can also find naughties-inspired trinkets, charms, beaded jewellery and stickers on her site.
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Fashion Journal: Hi Sienna! Tell us about your fashion background.
Sienna: I’m an artist first but I’ve always wanted to make the leap from artistic objects to practical pieces that can actually be ‘used’. My sculptural practice utilises a range of new and vintage materials, with a focus on repurposing fabric that would otherwise get chucked out.
I saw on Depop that there were so many listings for handbags that had been purchased for a singular purpose, like a wedding or music festival. Often, they were from fast-fashion outlets, so no one was really buying them. By embellishing them with handmade charms and collected beads, I feel like I’m giving them a second life.
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Tell me a little bit about the process and the challenges of creating By Sienna.
My first step was making a scrapbook. I went on Pinterest, raided my screenshots folder and printed everything out. There were high-end references as well as stills from movies but overwhelmingly themes of girlhood started to become obvious.
I thought about things I used to make art with when I was a kid: puffy paints, air dry clay, stick on gems, Hama Beads. When I was little, I’d trace pictures of my favourite cartoon characters on shrink plastic, put them in the oven and keep them as little treasures. This seemed like a perfect medium to express a longing to reconnect with girlhood. In a time where everything feels so serious and bleak, I just wanted to play.
How has By Sienna evolved and what are you trying to achieve now?
It’s really still in its infancy and I feel like I’m in the stage where I’m just learning lessons. Things I thought would sell aren’t, while things I made on a whim are selling. As it stands, every piece (except the sticker sheets) are one-offs, which means the label can be difficult to scale. Eventually, I’d like to work directly with consumers to create custom or a-la-carte products but I’m still figuring out how that might work.
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How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?
A teenage girl’s scrapbook comes to life. Or that episode of Sex and the City where Jennifer Coolidge’s character makes a collection of deeply deranged handbags.
What are you most proud of in your work on By Sienna?
I get most excited when I hear that people are buying my pieces as gifts. It’s an honour to have people want to buy your work but to think that it’s good enough for a gift – get outta here!
Supporting mutual aid is really important to me because it helps reach people who might not qualify for any formal avenues of financial assistance. Five per cent of every sale goes to mutual aid campaigns but I’d really like that to increase when I’m a bit more secure financially.
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What do you wish you knew when you started?
No one is exempt from a bad economy. Sometimes people don’t buy anything and it’s not personal.
Who do you think is most exciting in local fashion right now?
There are so many cute micro-labels popping up, who offer custom sizing. I haven’t bought anything yet but everything Bonniee makes is so cute.
Who are you dream Australian collaborators?
There are so many! I love local labels Sister Studios, Hello Sisi and Katharina Lou. They’re all very feminine and fun. It would also be so fun to collaborate with a gallery, like the NGV, on a suite of art-themed charms.
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Who is in your wardrobe right now?
Suku Home, all day, every day. Sister Studios, Kowtow and Dominique Healy.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Via my website!
Find more from By Sienna here.
This article “A teenage girl’s scrapbook comes to life”: Meet Melbourne accessories label, By Sienna appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-04-09 11:59:00
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