Adelaide Fashion: Colleen Stewart of Addison Ash

“I couldn’t find anything that I wanted to wear, and so I created my own,” says Colleen Stewart, the creative genius behind the South Australian fashion label Addison Ash. What started as a boutique brand in 2015, Colleen has slowly introduced her craftswomanship to Adelaide and has been building a growing fashion herstory of her own.

Hey Paolo: What is Addison Ash?

Addison Ash is a local fashion label which is made and designed here in Adelaide. The designs are made to be timeless, ethically-made, and are created to complement your body and to make you feel confident.

Hey Paolo: What inspired you to start a career in fashion?

It was by accident… I have been sewing for a long time. I wanted to learn how to make my own patterns and so I went to TAFE in order to learn that. While I was studying and after I left my job as a nurse, I got a job with a local fashion designer and it all started from there.

Hey Paolo: What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is clothing that is timeless and can be passed on to generations. It basically means looking after your clothing and the environment and you can wear your clothes for a longer period of time.

Hey Paolo: Who are the women who wear Addison Ash?

They are driven, strong, and confident. They want a point of difference in their clothings.

Colleen also offers sewing classes and they run weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

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MY SEWING CLASS EXPERIENCE:

I recently attended a two-hour sewing session with Colleen one Saturday evening. I came in extremely nervous as I have never learned how to sew before. Will I get bored? Will I be interested in this at all? Will I ever use these skills in the future?

I’m a person who likes trying new things, but this one’s something I never thought I’ll ever do in my life.

Colleen was the most patient in teaching me her tricks. We used various machines, cutting techniques, and stitching methods — all in the span of just two hours. And I completely surprised myself that day. After a few tries here and there, can you believe I eventually made my very own tote bag? Here’s my cheeky “I accomplished something” smile. Thanks Colleen for helping!

Addison Ash. SHOP 38, Regent Arcade, 101 Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA 5000. M: 61 408 832 253. info@addisonash.com.