Suzan Dlouhy from SZN on being part of the ReNique Renew initiative and staying small | Episode 1 | Seam Change Podcast

This is the
interview is the recording of episode 1 of the podcast, Seam Change, featuring Suzan Dlouhy. You can also listen to the full episode wherever you find your podcasts.Episode Notes:Suzan
Dlouhy is the designer behind Melbourne based fashion brand SZN, which offer
custom and one-off designs using unwanted materials. This episode focuses on
her collaboration with Nique, another Aussie brand, for their ReNique Renew
initiative where she pieced together their textile waste into a limited run of
oversized patchworked linen dresses. This project is only one part of Suzan’s
work with her brand SZN, which she started in 2012. Using textile waste has
always been a key part of her design approach, which has evolved into her
signature mismatched pieced fabric aesthetic which she showcases through loose
and comfortable styles. Like many creatives, she juggles her brand with a few
other jobs, including teaching at Second Stitch, a social enterprise which
offers fashion production training for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers,
and she also works as a DJ.

Suzan starts by painting a picture of the garments that she created for Nique
and discussing the various factors which shaped her design approach. We then
dive into the making process, talking about creative spaces and how running a
small business intersects with daily life. She also shares some thoughts about
pricing as a creative, and how she tackles this in practice. Finally, we dive
into what being small really looks like, and how her strategies have shifted
over the brand’s 10 years, as well as the advice she’d give to others who want
to follow in her footsteps.PhD Research Information:

This podcast is part of Julia English’s PhD
research at RMIT University. This research project has had ethics approval
through RMIT University (2021-24506-15223).Contact Information:Email: [e-mail]: _julia.english_Credits:Music by Frank Henry.This PhD research is funded by an Australian Research Training Program Scholarship.Transcripts:See attached PDF and Text files for transcripts.