Romance Was Born

With their fervent enthusiasm and sheer love for what they do, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales are the loveable design duo behind Romance Was Born.

The crafty pair became firm friends while studying at East Sydney Technical College and after graduation, the pair were selected to attend The Fourth International Support Awards in Italy where they famously turned down internships with John Galliano. Instead, their fashion fairytale had different plans.
The fashion mavericks fused their creative ideas towards launching their own label. A short time later, Romance Was Born. With a love of kitsch Australiana, crafty constructions and a strong passion which permeates their designs, Romance Was Born create clothes that are more than just a sum of their parts - they create a clothing experience. They are much loved for their original larrikin spirit, poking a
cheeky tongue at convention.

Their lavish aesthetic often includes a pastiche of craftwork-like applique, tie-dying and crochet - intricate hand detailed features that set their label apart from the flippant trends of the fashion frenzied crowd.
The fun loving Romance Was Born collections are filled with fabric and colour combinations, creating playful outfits where sparkle, texture and bold prints jostle together with the pair's technical pattern-making wizardry, resulting in a harmonious jamboree of style.

Romance Was Born's entirely Australian production adds another layer of integrity to their label as they insist on supporting the dwindling Australian manufacturing industry. In an industry renowned for compromise and cutting corners, they never do. Through their very personal approach, the inclusion of the community through ongoing collaborations and their overall love of Australia, Romance Was Born have remained honest to their brands distinctive style.
The drama and individuality behind the effervescent design work of Romance Was Born has seen them able to attract and dress the music industry's finest including Bat For Lashes, Cyndi Lauper,Debbie Harry, Lilly Allen, MIA, plus local acts including Architecture in Helsinki and The Presets.

The past three collections have seen them collaborate with Archibald prize winning artist Del Kathryn Barton, providing Romance Was Born with an exclusive treasure trove of digitally printed fabrics. For Autumtn Winter 2008, Romance Was Born and Del Kathryn Barton collaborated in a sell out exhibition 'The Garden of Eden', which showcased Barton's brilliant new works and twelve incredible one-off Romance Was Born outfits.

A stellar hit at the 2008 Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, the Romance Was Born
Spring/Summer 08/09 collection 'Namaste' celebrated ethnic craft through clashing textures and colours, beading, weaving, plaited fringing, and an array of intricate handmade detailing throughout.
The future is looking bright for this talented duo with a capsule collection for Sportsgirl dropping into store early 2009, a collaboration with Dinosaur Designs for their spring/summer collection, ongoing projects with Sydney Theatre Company and their forthcoming Winter 2009 collection 'Yeti Magic'.

Romance Was Born are flamboyant couturiers whose avant-garde use of fabric and colour is restrained only by the limits of their own imagination, which is boundless.
Romance Was Born is stocked throughout Australia and internationally in select boutiques including Ksubi New York, Stenbeck + Morse, Parlour X, The Corner Shop, Alice Euphemia and Fat.

We've got their Namaste collection in store. Oversized tees for the ladies.