Argo Studio: behind the brand
Interview with Tenya & Lotus - Founders of Argo Studio
How did the idea of your brand come about?
We had always been friends but it wasn't until we went to Greece together in 2019 where we bonded over a mutual love for travel in fashion. We find inspiration from the places we travel to and design with a vision of where we would wear it in mind. It felt like there wasn't quality clothing that was not only affordable but also ethically and locally produced. We wanted to be able to provide this and so began the early stages of the brand. In between uni classes, and our casual jobs we would meet and plan the business we now call Argo Studio.
Whats your favourite moment working on the brand so far?
My favourite moment has been working on and releasing the dress i designed and had made in Kurdistan, Iraq. Visiting the country my dad was from gave me everlasting inspiration and it was amazing to see that this dress was as loved by our customers as much as me.
What is your future vision for Argo?
Our vision for Argo is constantly expanding. We want to continue to grow our community and create clothing that inspires our customers making them feel apart of something bigger. Our identity is shifting as we grow and develop as individuals. We are constantly inspired by the world around us and love to express this through fashion.
Did you have any set backs in building your brand?
Manufacturing in Australia does have its challenges. We've had issues with the speed of production and trying to keep up with demand as well as difficulties finding the fabric we want to use because domestic fabric supply can be limited.
What were the first steps you took?
To be honest we were pretty clueless in the beginning. We kind of did things backwards. So we stated of by designing a 6 piece capsule collection of wearable timeless pieces and then after that we used our connections to find our manufacturer in Melbourne and our pattern maker who happened to be located super close to where we both grew up in Brisbane. It really just felt like we were having fun until we had to start paying for the sampling costs then we were like okay now we are actually doing this.
