Shawna (L) and Natalie

I’ve never stepped foot into the studios of Toronto Fashion Incubator so finally being on site to interview the design duo behind LABEL Clothing was a tiny thrill. 

Canadian-born and Toronto-based design darlings Shawna Robinson and Natalie Sydoruk opened their doors and gave me a sneak peek of their Fall 2012 collection before sitting down to chat about their label. Using sustainable materials like recycled lamb leather, hemp silk tulle, cotton, and virgin wool the upcoming collection is a sea of black. 

“We’re pretty conservative when it comes to colour,” Robinson said as we sat in TFI’s pristine white kitchen while Natalie finished pattern work. “We don’t think of ourselves as super trendy, we want to create pieces that are transitional and can move from season to season and work with everything in your wardrobe. With LABEL our concept is to make durable clothing that you wear again and again. We like neutrals, navy, grey, black but we always do a pop of colour.”

Pairing up in 2009, both designers come from fashion backgrounds. Robinson, a freelance wardrobe stylist and aspiring artist, and Sydoruk, a Ryerson fashion design graduate and model, came together to design clothing that combine comfort, sustainability and wearability for the style-minded woman. Shying away from overly structured garments, LABEL provides customers with closet building blocks perfect for boosting their already formed wardrobes. Besides an attention to quality, Robinson told me her and Sydoruk are passionate when it comes to fit. 

“We want everything to feel good on the body and easily fit different body types,” she said. “Natalie and I have very different body types (5’4 vs 5’11) so if something looks good on both of us then we know it’s going to look good on a majority of people too. We want to honour consumer’s intelligence and make things that are up to their standards.” 

Fall 2012 is a mixture of staples. Combining materials to create texturalized pieces, the collection is loosely based on psychoanalysis, fetishes and mental instability. Adding to the tone is a truly unique pattern brought to life by local graphic designer Corey Gibbs. Taking ink blot images from the Rorschach Test and silk screening or dyeing them onto white shirts, the pattern (done in deep berry) is the only splash of colour included in the line. 

When I asked Robinson about the difficulties that come hand in hand with running a brand as a duo she thinks for a second and then laughs.

“It can be difficult,” she said. “But obviously we work through it. We can have a huge fight then go out for ice cream together. We’re just really passionate about designing and keep collaborating until we’re both in love with something. I think that’s why we produce something we’re both really proud of. It’s challenging but we recognize the value of it.”

Plus their roles differ greatly. While Sydoruk does the pattern work and construction of the sample garments, Robinson takes care of the marketing, international sales and social media behind the brand. Collaboration between the two begins before conception when Robinson vocalizes her vision and continues with giving her input after Sydoruk has brought the ideas to life.   

With their Fall 2012 collection barely shipped out to stores (Homegrown Boutique in Yorkville, Bicyclette on Queen and Lost & Found on Dundas), Spring 2013 is already 70 per cent finished. Inspired by a Southern California look, pieces will be comfortable yet polished, modern but not too girly. Colour will make a rare appearance in the forms of navy, tomato red and acid kelly green alongside LABEL’s favourite neutrals. 

“The idea behind the business is that our customers are paying for quality and not just a name,” Robinson said. “We always try to give our pieces something that makes them unique. We design for the woman who needs functionality and comfort but has an eye for style and sustainability.”

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Bianca Teixeira writes about style for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at @BeeLauraTee.

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