Bye Bambi is the Ultimate Sustainable Chic Fashion Line Dream

Bye Bambi is the Ultimate Sustainable Chic Fashion Line Dream

Beauty & Style

November 03, 2020

A dreamy chic apparel line based in Australia with absolutely gorgeous and sustainable items, Bye Bambi is quite the paradigm of aesthetic.

Meet Bye Bambi

Andi is the young, local fashion designer who opened Bye Bambi in 2018, operating through two factories in Melbourne and Canggu, Bali. The brand takes pride in how they exist in regard to “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

In 2020, the Bye Bambi team made the decision to no longer release collections, releasing items in smaller drops and providing pre-orders, in an effort to reduce overproduction and prevent textile waste. All Bye Bambi orders are also now sent using fully compostable mailers and postage labels, with a shift to 100% sustainable packaging occurring in the near future.

As the world adapts and changes, Bye Bambi strives to not only adjust with it, but to help, to enhance and to create a better place than we left it. We understand that we have many ways to go but hope you will come with us on our journey."

Starting Bye Bambi

When asked how the brand came to be, Andi replies, "My grandma Lynette is an incredible dressmaker who made the most beautiful wedding dresses, she hated using patterns and cut everything free-hand relying solely on her mind for direction. Some of my fondest memories reside in catching a 2-hour v-line train down to Ballarat (a country town outside of metropolitan Melbourne) to spend the weekend learning to sew with her as a young and curious child."

From then on, the rest is history!

Embodiment

Bye Bambi is the exact incarnation of a daydream. When asked her hopes of what the brand embodies, Andi has a clear answer:

"Uniqueness, inspiration and empowerment."

"Since then I would sew my own clothes, draw countless doodles and sketches and allow my brain to imagine. Eventually, after the right door opened and I was awarded an opportunity to test my passion and began the brand Bye Bambi."

The Design Process

"My overall design process can at times look quite scattered and messy, however, the heart of it can be seen across three main platforms. My sketch book (which often takes the form of loose A4 sheets or the back of lined note paper), the folder on my iPhone labeled 'Clothing Inspiration' and my master design folder," says Andi.

"The simplified process perpetuates from an idea that might come from touching a new fabric or driving mindlessly in the car, to pen to paper sketching in my book or the nearest paper piece I can find, to looking through the thousands of photos in my inspiration folder to source any relevant research and reference images, to collating and correcting all this information into an organized and annotated document on Photoshop to add to the master design folder."

Interest in the Fashion Industry

So, how did Andi's dive into the fashion industry begin?

"By the events detailed in question 1, along with undertaking art, fashion and media-based studies at school and allowing myself to be creatively inspired and inclined," she answers.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a core value of Bye Bambi, each one of their items made to the ethical standard.

Their ideal version of the future includes an entirely ethical fashion industry–one cannot empower a person while exploiting them.

"This year we have introduced 100% compostable and recycled packaging (it's pretty and pink as well), as well as compostable postage labels. We have made an effort to source and select fabrics made from recycled fiber where possible, however, this is something we will to continue to improve on and prioritise as it can prove quite difficult to choose the least environmentally harmful fabric while maintaining our design standards," states Bye Bambi. "We have recently employed someone who will be helping us with this and will continue to research and seek out expert advice."

A Typical Day

"A day at the Bye Bambi HQ would involve packing and sending orders, customer service, stock and samples management (to make sure our garments are kept in beautiful and safe conditions), design and marketing meetings, sending out PR packages, working alongside our garment manufacturers, fabric sourcing, mood board and content creation, product or campaign photoshoots, etc." writes Bye Bambi.

A busy day filled with fashion!

Inspiration Draws

Bye Bambi's inspiration draws from an array of various ideas:

"Bambi, the dear from Disney (hence why I named my dog Bambi, hence why I then named my brand Bye Bambi), [is where I am inspired from]," remarks Andi, "Disney in general [is also one.] Bella Hadid. Supermodels from the 80s era. Old runway shows. Alexander McQueen. I draw my inspiration from everywhere, it doesn't have to be fashion; it could be a film or an artwork or even a butterfly."

Dream Collab

When asked what future collaboration dreams they had, a figure of Bye Bambi's inspiration is also a hopeful possibility.

"Bella Hadid," answers Bye Bambi, pointing towards the supermodel well known for her fashion taste as well.

In The Future

We had to know: Is there anything in store for Bye Bambi, such as a storefront or collaboration?

"Bye Bambi will continue to be online for the duration of the near future, with the exception of my Chapel street studio/office," Andi says, "I plan to open up my studio's garage door for occasional showings and pop-ups post Covid-19. However, one day I'd love to open a concept store in New York."

A Personal Favorite Piece

"My favourite piece doesn't exist yet, it is beautiful, under construction and coming soon," says Andi.

"I am often full of many design ideas and get excited by the future. It is a very special feeling to have an idea that does not exist outside your mind until you work through the process of making it a reality. My favourite pieces are most often the ones yet to come, as they most accurately reflect my growth as a designer."

Keep Up With Bye Bambi

Make sure to check out the shop here.

To browse their dreamily aesthetic Instagram, find them @byebambi_!

Sophia Zhang
20k+ pageviews

Writer since Jun, 2020 ยท 11 published articles

Sophia Zhang is currently a student residing in Chicago, IL. She says a lot of words, and if she's lucky, they sometimes make sense.

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