An interview by Ivy Nina Valentina xx
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IN2ART. Into Art. Inter(viewing) Art(ists).
As is evidenced by ‘THE MOOD’, my collation series displaying my current interests and inspirations, I am constantly creatively influenced by the world around me. These inspirations are broad in category, but often feature art in its various forms. However, I felt in myself a want to dig a little deeper into these works. I wanted to find what was at their crux, to discover the motivations behind them and the ideas and integrity of the artists producing them.
Enter IN2ART.
A new series where I will be interviewing artists to find out what makes them tick. Where their passions lie. What creates that spark. How they started making art and how they keep going.
I am absolutely thrilled to be kicking off this series with the words and wisdom I garnered from the phenomenal Stella Reardon of the fashion label Interstellar (@iinterstellarrr). Stella is a fierce fashion designer who I’ve been following the work of for quite some time. With a focus on sustainability and honouring her creative flow, the works of Interstellar are gliding down the runway and soon to be reaching the hands of consumers with the imminent official launch of her brand and website. Interstellar is the product of an unmatched work ethic paired with a distinct voice that comes from a deep connection the artist possesses with herself and the world around her.
Stella and I sat down for a coffee last week and I had the absolute pleasure of delving into her work and the fire and drive behind it…
Ivy: Let’s begin with an overview of your practice, how would you describe what you do?
Stella: I definitely think my practice is always a reflection of my internal world and what I’m going through at that time, or even across those years. I feel like the last few years have been very much about me trying to have less stress in my life and become more in touch with myself. I’ve been doing more meditation and journaling – it’s been very reflective.
I’ve also been envisioning how I want the world to be. There’s so much we need to change in this world. Obviously, we all want peace. I don’t like destruction and violence and that really reflects through my work. It’s very romantic. It’s very soft and organic. It’s also very sustainable because I feel really connected to nature. On the other side, there’s also this really feisty, fiery part of me that has come through in other creative forms, but I want to bring that through more in my clothes as well.
Another thing I’ve always been fascinated with is textile manipulation and design. Whether it’s gathering, pleating, smocking – there’s a technique where you cut holes and thread the fabric through like a ladder – all of these are either key in my practice or avenues I want to further explore. Especially the ladder technique, that’s what I want to use for the more fiery stuff.
Ivy: We met when you were still in uni, but I could already tell even then that you had such a distinct vision and clear voice which is very hard to achieve. I believe this is down to the strong sense of self you describe as well as your integral values. Would you say that producing sustainable fashion with waste minimisation is key to the Interstellar name?
Stella: Yes, it definitely is. I want to do a collection that is fully zero waste, similar to my grad collection which was almost 100% zero waste. In this collection I’m releasing for my site and label launch, I’ve tried to minimise fabric waste as much as possible with one piece being completely zero waste. I want to somehow find a way to recycle all the scraps, so I’ve kept and sorted them into their individual fibre types. Maybe I will use it for stuffing or in some other way. And I don’t like using polyester or synthetics, that’s something I’m really strong about.
Ivy: What else inspires and informs your designs?
Stella: Other than my inner journey and my vision for how I want the world to be, textile design and using and subverting historical techniques informs my designs. I love textile design because you can digitally print whatever you want on the fabric and I love the freedom of that. You can choose the colours or print words or music notes on the fabric – you can really have full control. It’s also a modern technique which I think would be a good way to bring some of that fiery energy into my work.
Contrastingly, I’m also inspired by historical techniques – which was a big thing that I looked at in uni. Techniques from the Victorian era but more specifically techniques that helped to free women from the corsets of that era. Still creating feminine silhouettes but in ways that aren’t restrictive. I used to make corsets a lot when I first started and now I have no desire to make them. Even though they’re not used in the way they were in the 1800s, we still have waist trainers and corsets are still so trendy in our society today despite being so harmful and restrictive to women.
Ivy: That’s so interesting! The body politics that goes with choosing what you’re going to design and create must be huge.
Stella: Yes, that’s why I like shirring which is the technique I use to do the gathering in my designs. It’s also stretchy which is more inclusive. It allows the fabric to move with a fluctuating weight without contorting or restricting the body which is something I really value. You want to be comfortable and to have that freedom of movement. I know I’ve worn corsets out before and have literally felt sick.
Ivy: You share a studio with some incredible artists, do you find that they also influence your work?
Stella: Yes, definitely! People are amazing and I’m really inspired by the designers I’m around and the creative community in Melbourne. Often, I will see the things my friends are making and I’m like: “That’s so good! I need to up my game!” And that’s what has pushed me to want to do a bit more of this kind of fiery, edgy stuff. I’m really grateful to be surrounded by such talented people.
Ivy: So, you have a practice that is heavily centred on various textile techniques as well as the world around you, the people in it and your place moving through it. I’ve seen that you’ve been producing some rap in your own time and I was wondering do you also tap into other art forms like music and visual arts to aid in the journey of Interstellar?
Stella: Definitely. I definitely think they all come together. For the last couple of years I’ve really had a vision for music and fashion to come together. Fashion I’ve studied and I love so much, so I can see it as a foundation – it can be a business as well as a creative practice. I think combining that foundation with music would be really cool. Different practices will highlight different things that are in me. So my rap is very much the fiery energy, while the fashion is slower and more hands on. Fashion also connects so many people which is why I talk about fashion as a bridge to utopia. It was actually one of the first topics I covered in an Instagram reel.
Ivy: I’m really interested in this idea of fashion as a bridge to utopia. Is utopia your idea of the perfect world?
Stella: Yeah, the perfect world! I don’t know, a world where there isn’t war and slavery and horrible shit. I mean, my idea of utopia is not the only definition, it’s so multi-faceted. But we can’t have people dying and all of this suffering. The fashion industry involves a lot of people from the farmers to the manufacturers and the wearers and I really want to make an impact in the system of fashion. I have so much faith and hope that we can heal everything but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and imagining systems that can actually benefit everyone.
We’re the lucky ones. We’re safe and we have food and shelter. We have to remain hopeful because we have the power to make an impact. And we can do that if we ground our work in these ideals that focus on making positive change.
Ivy: I can undoubtedly see the ways that your work is grounded in these ideals of productive change to the systems of the fashion industry. Your works have gone on to dress the runways of Melbourne Fashion Week via the Emerging Artists’ Collective (EAC) Runway and Melbourne Fashion Festival via the St. Kilda Gatehouse Fashion and Fauxtails Runway. What was it like seeing your work up on those bigger stages and how did that recognition feel?
Stella: The most recent runway for St. Kilda Gatehouse was just awesome. It looked beautiful, the experience was beautiful and I was surrounded by beautiful people. I was so happy – it just felt like a dream! Especially the last walk I did with all of the models. I also really liked the first EAC Runway. It was pretty small but I was really happy with everything and I felt really connected to the community. It was just a really good vibe.
I’ve done four runways now, but I can still be really self-critical. I’ll sit there and I’m like: “Oh my God! This doesn’t look good, this is what I need to do next time…” I’m very self-critical, but I also love being self-critical because it pushes me to be better. But you definitely have to celebrate the good moments and St. Kilda Gatehouse was one of those moments.
Ivy: It makes sense that you currently place such a big priority on de-stressing because if you’re a really critical person, which I can relate to, you can go a bit crazy without those practices.
Stella: If I didn’t have my practices I would genuinely go insane. But I’m always trying to be healthy and zen. I feel like if you’ve got good energy it rubs off on the people around you and it goes into the clothes I’m making.
Ivy: Energy and textile have such an intriguing relationship. You’ve talked before about the frequencies of fabrics and said earlier that you feel very strongly about not using polyester. Do you avoid synthetic fabrics due to their low frequency?
Stella: Yes and because of their microplastics. So, polyester has a frequency of 15 Hz which is literally nothing compared to natural fibres like linen, silk and merino wool which all have frequencies upwards of 5000 Hz. It’s a wild jump and I can just tell the difference when I’m wearing these fabrics. If I’m wearing silk I just feel so good, it’s so nice on the skin. Some of these natural fibres also are meant to potentially help with circulation and work in synchronisation with the magnetic field around our heart rather than bring it down.
Ivy: Do you have plans to bring more of these high frequency fabrics into your work?
Stella: I actually wanted this whole collection I’m launching to be made from linen, silk and merino wool. Probably about half of it is. Then the other half is made from cotton jersey which is a bit more affordable. One of the garments is organic and then one is deadstock. I tried to find ways to remain sustainable and use good quality fabrics but also keep it affordable for people. If I just chose merino wool, that’s like $50 a metre, so it wouldn’t be as economical. But there are definitely a lot of natural fibres and good materials in this launch.
Ivy: Your label is forward-thinking in a lot of ways and some of your designs I would even describe as futuristic. With artificial intelligence being present at the forefront of conversations about art and our future, I was curious to know, what are your thoughts about the use of AI in the fashion industry?
Stella: I think like anything, there’s good and bad to AI. It just depends how we use it and what we’re using it for. A friend who used to be in my studio, they’re in London doing their Masters of Fashion and they are using AI to generate design lines based on prayers and it’s turning them into circles and lines and stuff. I don’t know how, but I think that’s like genius level stuff.
Using it to create lay plans of how we can cut the fabric with all the pattern pieces in the most efficient way? Amazing. But if we’re going to start using it to come up with designs that are then just copied? That just takes the creativity out of it. I think it might be a threat to some of us, but I know that humans appreciate people who are genuinely making something authentic. So, I’m not too stressed about it.
Ivy: It is such an interesting concept to me because I’m pretty anti AI from a creative stand point. I understand that it can be helpful for certain groups of people in other aspects of life, but at its core, I see AI as a piece of technology so I think, how can it be creative? But if the AI is specifically made and manipulated to serve your purpose it can be used as a tool.
Stella: Yeah, I think if you’re using AI to replace your own creativity, then I don’t like that. But if it’s allowing you to explore your creativity in a way that still honours the human spirit, then I think that’s okay. Also if it’s going to help us with some of our problems like sustainability in fashion, then that’s great. But we don’t want it to replace artistry.
Ivy: Such an interesting and relevant conversation. We’re getting close to the end of the interview but before we go I wanted to touch on your upcoming launch! I was wondering, do you want to take Interstellar down the line of couture or commercial fashion?
Stella: For me, a true fashion house does both. They do their couture and let their full creativity shine. Then they do their ready to wear collection that takes elements from the couture and transforms them into a more wearable form. This allows people to buy it and wear it and it sustains the business whilst also putting the designs of the label out into society. So I think both. And I love that! I usually err more on the side of more wearable clothes. But I think it’s an important thing in a fashion house. It’s what separates them from streetwear brands.
Ivy: Finally, tell me about the Interstellar launch!
Stella: I’ll be launching my brand and website on the 14th of November! The launch is going to be at my studio so you’ll be able to see where I work from! It’s very much the birthplace of Interstellar. You get to see the raw bones of where it’s made. I’m not going to do anything too crazy, but I’ll have the clothes available so you can see them and also some DJs. I just want to celebrate all of this hard work because your mama needs a boogie and a break! And it’ll be so fun to bring people together!
To see more work from Interstellar, visit the website interstellarrr.com.au or Instagram @iinterstellarrr.
Thank you so much for reading this through to the end! If anything here piqued your interest, leave a comment sharing your thoughts!
Image sources:
Interstellar: Emerging Artists Collective Runway (2023), Photo by Sophie Smith (@sophiesmith.photo), featuring Kylah Owo (@kylah_owo) and Andrew Temple (@andrew.templee)
Interstellar’s Angels, Photo by Dylan F Warren, (@dylanfwarrenphoto), featuring Belle (@pseudoselfaware), Billie-Eve (@billie_eve), Mei (@b3bys__realm), Bee (@honeybbbbbee), Anvita (@anviiitaa) and Faith (@chocolatekrispykream)
All photos of the artist and her workspace taken by Ivy Nina Valentina (2025)
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