Mirroring environments; raw intuition; free flowing unrest; torment and serenity; plasticine planets and under-represented communities. Meet Domenic Roylance.

“I dreamed of a woman who wanted to seek joy, to escape into clubs and dance – but I knew I had to also embrace the dishevelment and exhaustion that comes with that.”

What was the last song you listened to?

‘Your sweet love’ by Lee Hazlewood.

You went to university in Sydney, at UTS. How did you find it there?

I loved it. Maybe I am looking at it through a nostalgic lens, but Sydney was a great place to start my creative journey and learn who I am as a designer. It was a very safe and supportive environment. Even though I enjoy living here now, London is a much more challenging and demanding environment.

How do you feel about the arts scene in Sydney, and Australia generally?

I always enjoyed going to art galleries and creative events in Sydney, as well as other places in Australia. I appreciate the diversity in perspectives and backgrounds, and of course, there are also the unique expressions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. I wish there was more international attention to what is happening in Australia culturally.

What made you decide to move to London?

I applied and got accepted to the MA at Central Saint Martins in womenswear, which is an opportunity that you can’t really pass up. I was really questioning my plans at some point because I had to move here in the middle of the pandemic. I am glad I did though. Living in London has completely changed me as a person.

What’s your favourite snack?

I really like French fries.

Would you say you have any pinpointed transformative moments in your career or the development of your work so far?

As I mentioned, moving to London had a great impact on me and my work. I turned to a more experimental, ‘messier’ aesthetic that probably reflects the environment here. I imagined the streets of London, and all the unrest in people’s lives, accentuated by the pandemic. I dreamed of a woman who wanted to seek joy, to escape into clubs and dance – but I knew I had to also embrace the dishevelment and exhaustion that comes with that.

What are some key references for, or influences on your work?

My collection at CSM was deliberately raw and intuitive because I wanted to experiment and pursue more unconventional silhouettes. I did not use existing references. The collection was created in collaboration with Julia Rusevica, who is a queer dancer based in London. Julia used her body and movements to draw free-flowing patterns that I cut and draped to create the collection.

How do you let off steam?

I really like to go running at the Parkland Walk or Highgate Wood. I love forests, so it’s great to have access to such environments in London.

How would you describe the relationship between your work and emotion?

Emotion is really important to me. I would hope that my garments evoke a sense of emotion, whether that is through wearing them or looking at them. There's probably a sense of frustration and torment in my MA collection, which I’ve learned to accept and embrace rather than ‘burry’ inside. Having said that, I would love to explore the complete opposite of that - a serene collection hopefully!

You like to focus on unconventional silhouettes. What attracts you to this approach to shape?

I just get really bored looking at the same silhouettes season by season. This is what frustrates me most about the fashion industry, though I understand the realities behind it. But pursuing unconventional silhouettes does not necessarily mean coming up with something interesting every time; most of the work you would just reject. Conventional shapes are tried and tested so the risks are very low. Perhaps I like taking risks.

Your looks are very textured, bright, and have often been described as “explosive”. How do you think your five senses influence your work?

I mainly use touch and vision to choose fabrics, drape, pattern make and cut fabrics. But if I am researching a specific subject in depth that inspires my work, I try to be swallowed up by it. For instance, my BA collection at UTS was based on yiayias, the Greek word for grandmother. My partner is Cypriot and part of my research involved visiting yiayias’ homes in Australia and Cyprus to speak and spend some time with them. That experience involved all my senses – smelling flowers in their gardens, eating treats, listening to their stories – and those found a way into the collection.

If you had to live with only one of the five senses, which would it be and why?

My vision! It’s so integral to my work. The amount of imagery I look at in a day is crazy. It’s something I enjoy and I wouldn’t want to lose that.

What do you think of the fashion industry in London as it stands today?

I love that London represents something that, in comparison to the other major fashion capitals, feels raw and ‘messy’. I would like that to be taken to even more extremes. London should embrace its messiness. It’s beautiful.

Where do you want your brand to lie in the landscape of fashion? What type of influence do you hope ROYLANCE has on the industry?

I want to push for more experimentation, craft and artistic expression. I would also love to explore further and specialise in some of the techniques that I have experimented with, like quilting and free-form cutting.

If ROYLANCE embodied a world or a planet of its own, what would this world look like?

It would be an ever-changing and ever-morphing place. A planet made of plasticine.

What’s next for you and what’s next for ROYLANCE?

I am currently packing and moving to New York City next week! I am nervous but excited. I will be at Oscar de la Renta for six months as part of a scholarship I received from the Australian Fashion Foundation. In the meantime, for my own work, I need to figure out a way to buy an industrial quilting machine and have it fit inside a studio apartment!