About Us
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The Kargede Story
The Brand, The Story, The Vision And The Team Behind It All
Who we are
Kargede is a design and passion led Sydney atelier making high-end women’s fashion, expertly: designers on the machines, every stitch in-house. We build truly original pieces with architectural precision, and an emphasis on timelessness and quality.
Our customers love us for our originallity, commitment to craft and vision for the industry. We love them for their willingness to express themselves meaningfully, and the trust they put in us to help them do it.
Our Mission
Fashion was meant to be craft; not a circus of trends an abstraction or a conveyor belt of sameness. Honestly, we’re tired of the theatre.
Clothes are visual communication. They shape how we feel and how we move through the world, yet the industry keeps nudging everyone into the same safe lane and stripping the meaning from everything meaningful.
Most recently, “sustainability” has become a niche to buy into. But here’s the truth. An “eco” slogan isn’t the same as a garment that’s built to last and actually slows consumption.
We’re here to reclaim the craft and the point: original design, made to be worn, made for identity – not made to be thrown or consumed.
Our mission is to put design and making back in the same room. Designers on the machines. Patterns drafted by us. Stitching done in our Sydney atelier. Limited runs so identity stays intact. We price for labour, time and technical mastery. If a brands CEO/Owner is driving a Lamborghini , you’re paying for that, not better stitching; a dress that should be $400 becomes $4,000 because that same car needs fuel. We’d rather invest that margin in training emerging makers on real construction, not busywork. We manage waste because it’s discipline and respect, not PR. We work in controlled volumes because clothes should feel personal, not like content. If we’re not proud of a seam, it doesn’t leave our hands.
The outcome we’re driving toward is simple: wardrobes built on pieces you choose for who you are – original, wearable, repairable, and worth keeping. Ultra-fast fashion harms the planet and flattens identity; we answer with longevity, fit, structure and a Care & Repair culture that keeps your garment alive.
We do this because we honour the craft and the people it was always meant to serve.
When you buy Kargede, you’re not buying into a season. You’re backing a different system: design-led, maker-led, honest about cost, and built to give you original and beautiful clothing that earns its place every time you wear it.
The Important Bits
What does Kargede mean?
Yes, it’s our Creative Directors surname but the word came long before the brand. During WWII, Julia’s grandfather, Johanni, was sent to Sweden as a small child while his parents served. He barely knew them. In a defiant act of self-determination, he invented a new surname – Kargede – a play on Karjalainen. It was his way of reclaiming an identity he felt had been taken from him.
We chose Kargede to honour that spirit. It doesn’t translate to a literal meaning; it stands for something bigger: your identity is your own, and you’re allowed to claim it. That’s our north star. We design original, wearable pieces so you can dress as yourself – not as a trend – and we run our business with the same conviction, choosing craft over corporate theatre. Kargede is not about naming a label after a person. It’s about naming the courage to be one.
Why do you want to change the industry?
We’re passionate about our craft and the beautifully unique people it serves.
The current model harms people, planet and identity. Luxury sells status. Fast fashion sells churn. We sell design, fit and longevity. Fashion should respect the wearer and the maker – and we want to honour that.
How are you different from other fashion labels?
Passion leads here.
We cut and sew in our Sydney atelier. Limited runs. No factories. No shortcuts. You talk to us, not a call centre. We don’t outsource. We don’t do trends. We act on our promises. We price for quality – not prestige, not for competition. We provide meaningful rights. We manage our waste effectively and transparently. We keep an open dialogue and we speak a blunt, honest and easy to understand truth without the marketing slogans.
How are you making a change?
We keep design in-house. We train local talent on real machines. We refuse trend churn. We work in Limited Runs. We price for labour and materials, not hype. We support meaningful initiatives. We teach care, repair and rewear. We have genuine ethics and sustainability naturally built into the forefront of our operations, not because they’re trending terms. We keep an open dialogue and we speak a blunt, honest and easy to understand truth without the marketing slogans.
Above all, we design with relentless passion, and it translates through our work, inspiring each person along the way to make a meaningful switch and claim their identity back.
As we grow, we will use our voice to push for better standards across education, policy and supply. Right now, we are proving the model works and our wonderful customers are noting the difference.
Who is your creative director?
Our Co-Founder, Creative Director and Visionary – Julia Kargede.
Born in Sweden, raised in Australia, Julia Kargede has always had a sharp eye for design. Calm but certain, precise but never rigid.
Before the label had a name, she already had a clear sense of direction. Fashion, to her, was never about status or noise. It was about meaning and about creating something that resonates with the person wearing it. She saw how the industry could empower or exclude, uplift or imitate, and she decided early on to do things differently.
Formally trained in design, she brings structure and discipline to her work, but it’s instinct that defines it. She designs like someone who listens closely. There’s no ego in her process, just a deep attention to detail and a trust in what feels honest.
Her Swedish roots gave her an appreciation for balance and restraint. Australia added boldness, warmth, and a willingness to take risks. That contrast, between stillness and movement, is something you’ll see again and again in her work.
Kargede doesn’t design to impress. She designs to connect.
Her pieces don’t demand attention, they hold it.
They feel lived in from the first wear, like they already understand something about you.
She never set out to be a “creative director.”
But the team couldn’t be happier that she is.
How do I know you’re any different?
Try us. We have a clear returns policy. We tailor. We repair. You can feel the difference in the cut, the structure and the finish.
How do you achieve exceptional quality?
We keep the entire process in-house and in sync. Qualified designers draft the patterns, grade, cut, sew and finish under one roof in our Sydney atelier. There is no outsourcing to shave costs, no fragmented handoffs, no disconnect between vision and execution. If a piece does not sit right with us, it does not leave.
If your prices are lower than big luxury, how can the quality be good?
Price is not quality. Big houses price in brand overheads, retail mark-ups and image. You pay for the logo and the lifestyle. We price for pattern work, construction time and fabric. That is why our pieces feel better on the body.
Why buy yours when I can get a dress for under $100?
Cheap is not cost-effective. It is just cheap. Five fast-fashion dresses still cost more than one well-made dress that holds shape, fits right and can be repaired. Our clothes are built to last and are supported by Care & Repair. That should say it all – we’re confident enough to guarantee you a right to a repair years later.
When you shop with us the per-wear cost drops. The experience rises.
Where are your clothes made?
In Sydney. In our own atelier. Designers on the machines. Drafting, grading, cutting and sewing under one roof.
Why do you work in limited runs?
To protect identity, protect quality and prevent waste. Each piece should feel like yours, not like content. Read about it here – it’s a meaningful initiative, and something that you genuinely benefit from.
Who cares if my clothing was sewn locally?
You should. Sewing at this level is highly technical work. It takes years of training. Professional quality needs professional skill. Our team drafts, patterns and sews every day. The result is construction you can feel and trust. It is not about “Made in Australia.” It is about “Made properly.” and “Made to Last” both physically and fashionably.
What does the future of Kargede look like?
We will grow – not into a factory, but into a larger atelier and then a design collective from there. The vision gets bigger; the rules stay the same. More designers on the machines, more apprentices becoming makers, more original pieces released with the same tight control, the same insistence on fit, structure and longevity. We’ll put profits back into people, tools and cloth so the work gets better, not louder; expand into new cities without outsourcing our hands; widen our Care & Repair so garments live longer; and use our voice to push schools, suppliers and policy toward craft over theatre. That’s how we change the industry: by scaling proof, not slogans. We won’t dilute, chase trends or price for ego – we’ll keep making clothing that lets you feel singular, made fairly and honestly, and fueled by creative passion, the way fashion should have been all along.
