NATURAL SUCCESS

AS ASSEMBLY LABEL CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, CEO LEE THOMPSON REFLECTS ON THE BRAND’S JOURNEY FROM AN IDEA BETWEEN FRIENDS TO THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN AUSTRALIAN FASHION SENSATION IT IS TODAY.

- JULIE COOPER

Meet Assembly Label, the iconic Australian fashion label. Homegrown in Bondi Beach, it is revered for its minimalist designs underpinned by sustainability and quiet luxury. For this brand, it’s all about easy-wearing, timeless pieces crafted from natural cotton and breathable linen in a palette of muted colours and classic monochrome, inspired by Australia’s relaxed coastal lifestyle and built on friendship.

In 2011, the refreshing brand came to life when friends Daniel Oliver and Damien Horan saw a gap in the market and had a brilliant idea to fill it: a high-quality, low-fuss menswear line influenced by their sun-kissed, beachside surrounds.

“Among the three of us, who have all been very close friends even before the business started, we saw an opportunity to create a set of products with a certain handwriting that we found appealing,” shares Assembly Label CEO Lee Thompson.

Starting in wholesale, Assembly Label quickly took off. It turns out the aesthetic that appealed to their friendship circle was just as appealing to the masses. By 2015, the brand expanded to include a women’s clothing line, which was crafted in a rather unique fashion.

“We didn’t take into consideration what the market probably wanted from us. Instead, we created our womenswear line based on what we wanted to make,” he admits. “We looked at our lives and the lifestyles of those within our friendship circle, and thought of the people we were inspired by and decided to make a range for that audience. Our womenswear line was created off more of a brand emotion than anything else.”