As a creative medium, Fashion is inherently in conversation with the bodies that inhabit it. The designer makes choices that highlight the ‘best’ parts of the body, obscures perceived faults, and hopefully represents the personality of the wearer. All this while responding to the confines of the human body as inspiration.
KATALYST is finding new ways to break out of this narrow lens and proposes alternative approaches to the shape of clothing, informed by a broader definition of the body; a new silhouette from an abstracted body.
At the time of our conversation, Kate Evans, the brand’s founder and designer, had just launched her new Resort27 collection, alongside an exhibition of sculptural work in Sydney. We discussed the absurdity of the Body, the collection’s inspirations, and took a deeper dive into Evans’ creative practice.
PARELLEL LINES
The collection, Parallel Lines is a harmonious combination of Evans’ clothing design practice and her sculptural art practice, “I feel like fashion design and my more abstract sculptural work often come from a similar place, but in the past they have ended up being projects that I worked on one by one, rather than actively integrating them so much.”
[…] “the way the fashion industry has developed a design system for one body type.”
– Katalyst
Kate created distinct abstracted humanoid sculptures that she then draped fabric onto, as you would a mannequin or the human body, and the resulting pattern pieces became the architecture of this new collection. She wanted to play with “the idea of the alternative body”. The clothing has a playfulness and absurdity in the design that provides commentary on, “the way the fashion industry has developed a design system for one body type.” This echo of the sculpture in the garments allows the wearer to inhabit the clothing freely without comparison to a ‘correct’ body.
MATERIAL DRIVEN CURIOUSITY
Materials lead Kate’s practice. The fabric from the deadstock fabric store, the foam from Reverse Garbage, or the offcuts from the last collection, “I like to work with existing materials and respond to them, transforming them or finding a way to celebrate them.” This is not only an environmentally conscious design choice but begins the creative process. “With so many discarded materials and deadstock fabrics out there, and the challenge in working with them is a really inspiring design parameter.”
Allowing the garments to evolve through waves of experimentation and passive reflection, Kate finds the ideas reveal themselves. “Starting with a rough idea or a question like, ‘I wonder what would happen if I put this shape on a body’ or ‘how can I make a dress that utilised all of its offcuts within that style’. Almost like a challenge to myself”
ABSURD INSPIRATIONS
Magic Farm (2025) by Argentinian film director Amalia Ulman was a big inspiration for the collection. An absurdist comedy following a group of reporters visiting the South American town who are trying to interview a viral musician quickly realising they are in the wrong country. “The colour palette and storyline is bright, fun and absurd, and is juxtaposed with a more serious and complex underlying narrative. The way the film plays with these opposing ideas through a surreal and humorous lens is something that really resonates with me.” Using absurdity and humour allows the audience to let their guard down be open to new ideas.
CONNECTION WITH CUSTOMER
It feels as though we are constantly rushing through trends one after the other at ever more rapid speed. A constant onslaught for us consumers of fashion to engage with. KATALYST chooses to mindfully find ways of connecting with their customer base to create a deeper understanding of the making process and the value of the offering. “I think it’s really important for both customers and designers to stay connected to the process of making clothes – the skill, experience and materials involved. Keeping the production in house allows me and people who buy my clothes to develop a close connection and appreciation for each piece that is made.”
The brand continues to manufacture all clothing in their Brisbane studio, as well as stocks in multiple boutiques across Australia. “I really love the independent concept stores… where art and fashion are celebrated equally and in tandem – Kissing in Sydney is one of those spaces… I was drawn to how they celebrate experimental design, installation and print in fashion and art pieces, blurring the boundaries between them.”
Evans reflects further on the importance of physical stores for people to try on garments. “[It] feels radical in an age where people buy most of their clothes online, but I think it’s important for everyone to understand how clothes fit on their own body… and try things on as much as possible, no matter whether the clothes are obscure forms or traditional styles.”
KATALYST has just released their AW26 collection and is currently stocked at Sucker, Practice Studio, and Kissing.
