I’ve had very few items of clothing sewn solely for me. The list isn’t long — it’s mostly made up of bridesmaid’s dresses in a variety of oyster and pastel hues, all special items that were crafted for a particular purpose and worn only once or twice.

There is one exception, though. When I was a kid, my mum uncharacteristically told me and my sister that we could each get a skirt made — any skirt we wanted! I recall going to the fabric shop at our local mall and poring over packets of patterns and rolls of fabric.

Later, we stood in our singlets and underwear while a dressmaker took our measurements, gently stretching the cool tape from hip to ankle and around my waist. But mostly, I remember the finished product, and how proud I was to have a garment made just for me. That black, floral, to-the-ankle skirt with an elasticated waist was my most treasured wardrobe item, because I knew no one else at school (aside from my sister) had one.

Cut to today and it seems as if made-to-order is having a bit of a renaissance. In our Rediscovery issue, we look at the art of slower-paced fashion as Fashion Director Danielle Clausen investigates the rise of the made-to-measure movement, and meets the new crop of local designers paving the way by producing purposeful pieces on demand only (page 50).

We take this conversation further on page 46, where we examine the role of fashion in the metaverse. For this story, Creative Services Director Courtney Joe takes a deep dive into crypto-clothing and the role that fashion — a traditionally tangible entity — has to play in our increasingly digital world, asserting that “the concept of purchasing pixels over thread is no longer a dream from a ’90s movie scene”.

She’s right, of course, but something tells me that I’ll always prefer the real thing.