HoMie

HoMie builds its design process around two major yearly collections; Autumn-Winter (AW,) and Spring-Summer (SS,) which are each divided into four separate “drops.” These collections are supplemented by collaborations with major partners, including the likes of Champion and Disney.

The design process for each collection starts six months in advance. The design team, made up of HoMie’s Creative Director, Creative Producer, and Graphic Designer, meet to have their first brainstorming session where they discuss broad themes and range plans.

Following this brainstorm, HoMie’s Marketing Manager and REBORN (HoMie’s upcycled label) Designer, are brought in for design camp. At design camp, themes, fabrics, and range plans are refined, while the Marketing Manager begins to build out content planning, the release calendar, and discusses sizing and order numbers. Previous collections are analysed for successes and failures, trend forecasts are reviewed, and colours are selected.

Alongside this, customers are engaged, being surveyed about potential collection ideas around colour and fit, and any external designers, artists, and illustrators are engaged to begin working on commissioned designs.

With the outline of the collection now in place, HoMie’s Apparel and REBORN Designer’s create ‘tech packs' to send out to manufacturers. Quotes are received from manufacturers, at which point colours, styles, and fabric choices are all decided upon. With major decisions finalised, full garment quotes are requested, including any embroidery and printing required.

With quoting finalised, samples are created, reviewed and adjusted as needed, before being sent back for production samples. When production samples are finalised and approved, the collection is then approved for manufacture.

Once received in Australia, it releases through HoMie’s retail and e-commerce stores per the calendar built out by the Marketing Manager. Any garments not sold are kept for REBORN, and for HoMie VIP Days. And then the process begins again.

Streetwear labels are dime-a-dozen. That HoMIe has been able to sustain, and grow, as a label, while also supporting extremely high-touch social impact programs is testament to the consistent excellence of the design.

Collections are built to be functional and unisex, designed and manufactured for the entire community. HoMie has been seen in editorials for Vogue and GQ, also appearing in The Age, Fashion Journal, Broadsheet, and Urban List.

HoMie is an excellent example of a project solving a legitimate problem, while also creating a new opportunity in a truly innovative and imaginative manner.

38% of Australians experiencing homelessness are under 25 years old. Young people need pathways out of homelessness and hardship, and there needs to be far great public awareness of the issues and circumstances that lead to it. HoMie aim to answer both of these factors.

Running a label, and a retail store, that is able to functionally run social impact programs that see young people engaged in employment and education, while raising public awareness of homelessness, has proved to be a unique, and highly effective, initiative.

100% of HoMie’s profits go towards achieving our mission in supporting young people affected by homelessness or hardship to equip them with the skills, confidence and experiences to be more work-ready and better prepared for their future.

HoMie does so by using the HoMie brand to make it ‘cool to care’, and through running our two social impact programs. The HoMie Pathway Alliance, HoMie’s own accredited retail training and education paid internship for young people (16- 25) affected by homelessness or hardship; and through HoMie’s monthly VIP Shopping Days, where young people are welcomed into the store to shop complimentary brand-new HoMie garments, beauty services, plus lunch with the HoMie team.

92% of HoMie Pathway Alliance graduates go on to either further employment or education 12 months post-graduation, comfortably above WISE-industry, and equivalent government program standards.

The success of the mainline HoMie label has enabled it to launch a sub-label, the upcycled concept REBORN, recipient of the 2020 Premier’s Design Award for Fashion.

As HoMie grows, so to will its social, economic, and environmental impact.