Having recently relocated to Melbourne, young Kiwi designer Briana Cleverley is ready to cause a stir on an international level. Established after the first lockdown in 2020, her label Frazier (pronounced Fray-zer) came to fruition following her degree in fine arts at Massey University in Pōneke/Wellington, where she specialised in painting and sculpture.
She rediscovered her passion for garment-making after being given a sewing machine for her 21st birthday. “My mum got a sewing machine for her 21st, and her mum — it was sort of a tradition,” she explains.
Cleverley had been taught by her mother to sew at a young age. “It was an interest very early on in my life,” she says. Inclusivity and community are central values of the brand she subsequently built. These values and the brand’s name, a tribute to her late grandfather, inspired her to create clothing that can unite people and help them to cherish moments with the people they love.
Cleverley soon found a way to fuse her talent for sculpture with garment-making and began creating wearable, architectural pieces. In her final year of university, she sought inspiration for her graduate collection from a unique source, opting to base a piece on the underside of a mushroom cap. She has since replicated this structure in some of her Frazier pieces, including a frilled ensemble she designed exclusively for folk musician Jazmine Mary, one of several artists she’s collaborated with.
Form plays an important role in Frazier’s aesthetic. Tiered ruffles, asymmetrical ruching and puffed sleeves are all signatures, with pops of colour and prints making appearances throughout. For Cleverley, brands such as Chopova Lowena serve as a source of inspiration, particularly through their punk influence, folklore aesthetic and use of tartan.
“It’s important that I make pieces that can be shared, adjusted and manipulated.”
Frazier isn’t just about the aesthetics, though — Cleverley also prioritises comfort and inclusivity through her modifiable designs. “It’s important that I make pieces that can be shared [among friends] and are able to be adjusted and manipulated in a way that means people of different body sizes can wear them,” she says.
One of the key methods she employs to allow for this is the utilisation of elastic. She notes that in the fashion industry, elastic can be used as a cheaper design alternative, but that’s not the case for Frazier. Integrating elastic as a key feature of her designs, Cleverley’s garments achieve her desired flexibility as well as a distinctive look. A broader size range may also be on the horizon.
Standard pieces from her existing ‘one size fits most’ range fit sizes 6 to 12, but she says, “Going forward with Frazier, I’d like to expand the size range quite significantly”, once she’s settled in Melbourne. Cleverley only made the move from Pōneke/Wellington in November, so she and Frazier are currently in a state of transition.
While she searches for a new industry-based job to help support her as she grows her label, she’s also tasked with finding the perfect studio set-up. “It’s essential for me to start each day by leaving my house!” she laughs. Currently working out of her new home and operating Frazier on her own, she’s unsure when she might bring on employees. “I love having creative control over everything. I think it’s a big step to relinquish a bit of that control, so that’s what’s holding me back.”
Cleverley plans to maintain her connection to New Zealand and the community she’s built by keeping her prices the same and offering free shipping on both side of the Tasman. When asked about further expansion, she says she’s focused on Australasia for the time being. “I think for now, Frazier belongs in this corner of the world. But in five years time, I’d love to expand that.”
