The Social Studio

We’re very proud to be shortlisted for a Victorian Premier’s Design Award for our ‘The Moon Of My Heart’ Afghan embroidery collection! Thank you to our incredible embroiderers Zakera, Zakya, Sakina, Mashriqa, Khadija, Hanifa, Shakila and Shakeela, and bicultural worker .naseri_casey.council, for sharing your skills and stories with us!

Congratulations also to our friends , .homie and for being shortlisted too!

You’re invited! 🌷

Suzani Stories is a celebration of Afghan culture, heritage and community through embroidery. In collaboration with a group of 14 women from the local Afghan community, not-for-profit social enterprise The Social Studio developed a series of original self-portraits, illustration and poetry inspired by the lives and experiences of the embroiderers. 

Working with settlement service provider , which runs a number of groups and support services for the community, The Social Studio delivered a six month-long program of creative workshops to develop the exhibited works. Highlighting the centrality of embroidery and needlework to the cultural expression and craft practices of communities across Afghanistan, Suzani Stories honours the artistry of the women for whom it has been a lifelong practice.

Join us on Saturday, November 2 for the official opening and to celebrate! 11am-2pm at , Narre Warren. The celebration will include a market stall featuring hand-made homewares, fashion and accessories by a local Afghan sewing and craft group run by South East Community Links, as well as traditional Afghan food and drink. 

On Thursday, October 31 join mother and daughter collaborators, Mahboba + Somaya of and TSS graduate, at from 6-9pm, and learn to hand-embroider traditional Afghan motifs. Using different stitch techniques that hold deep cultural significance, workshop participants will also receive a booklet with instructions on how to continue their hand-embroidery projects at home. Free. Bookings essential. See link in bio.

Suzani Stories exhibition runs from October 31-November 10 in the Bunjil Place Foyer 🌷Border artwork by 🍃

Congratulations to our grad Aziza on the launch of her latest collection from her modest wear brand, !

To celebrate her launch, Aziza brought together her community of creatives and entrepreneurs in an amazing event at the Flemington estate last week, supported through the To-Leap leadership program. It was a beautiful event, full of generosity, and also featured collections from TSS grads .

We’re so proud of you, Aziza! 💜 Look out world!

School’s back! Our semester 2’s, Fadumo and Fatima, getting a refresher about thread tension on the overlocker before diving in to a new semester of learning in our Cert III.

We love having students back and seeing in our studio space! 🪡

The sun on our backs, warm wind in our hair - is it just us or has this cold snap got everyone fantasising about summer? With warmer weather on our minds, we’re starting to plan our summer collection and we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like
to see more of in-store at The Social Studio☀️🏖️👀

Join us on Thursday July 25 at our Collingwood Yards store from 6-8pm for a retail focus group that’s all about what we love to wear on sunnier days. Bring along your favourite summer wardrobe items (from any brand) and tell us what you love about them. We’ll also be asking for your feedback on a range of TSS styles. Plus, you’ll receive snacks, drinks and a $50 voucher to spend on The Social Studio brand products or TSS Mend services!

Sign up for the event by clicking link below:
https://events.humanitix.com/the-social-studio-retail-feedback-group-event-july-2024

Supportive. Caring. Home.

These are the words our students often use to describe the experience of studying with The Social Studio, and they're part of what goes into the secret sauce of our students' success.

According to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, the national average completion rate for a Cert III is 47.6%. At The Social Studio, it's 80%. How do we do it? We invest heavily in small class sizes, English-language support, wraparound psychosocial and pathways support, and a wonderful teaching team who are kind, empathetic, and responsive to our students' cultural, family and religious needs.

Our education and training programs for refugee and migrant community members are entirely free and have been since The Social Studio was first established in 2009. Our results speak for themselves. As the end of financial year comes to a close, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work into the future! 💜

thesocialstudio.org/donate

It’s cold! Layer up with The Social Studio 💜

Cut and sewn in-house at our Ethical Clothing Australia accredited manufacturing studio and utilising Australian milled dead stock fabrications 🪡

Merino wool and organic cotton rib basics to keep you cosy 🔥

Available in-store and online.

Our semester 4 students are making their final push ahead of their exhibition showcase this week!

We are so proud of all they have achieved and are preparing to bid them farewell after two years (more, in the case of some!) with The Social Studio.

Our education and training programs for refugee and migrant creatives are entirely free, and have been since we were established in 2009. If you have any capacity to donate to support our programs at this time, we appreciate any and all contributions. Bonus: The Social Studio is a registered charity so all donations above $2 are tax-deductible!

thesocialstudio.org/donate

Introducing our new collection, ‘Seam Work’, honouring the craft and components of garment making. Made entirely with deadstock and donated materials, we’ve brought the seams to the front for this one with pieces that hero binding, visible seams, patchwork and can even be worn inside out! 🪡 💛

Enormous thanks to TSS supporters, Sonia, Robbie and Maggie, for bringing this collection to life in our Collingwood Yards studio recently. The first drop of styles are available online and in store, with more launching in the coming weeks!

Photography by and Hair/Makeup by .makeup

The gêy kolôyta is a finely crocheted ceremonial hat unique to the Harari community of eastern Ethiopia, commonly worn by grooms. Husnia is one of the only people who can still make these for the Melbourne diaspora, each piece taking her several weeks to complete. We were so lucky to have Husnia (who is also an incredible basket weaver) visit the studio the other day and give us a peek into the colourful, rich world of Harari craft. It was a beautiful reminder that there are hidden creative talents all over this city - thank you to our student Aziza for bringing Husnia through!

✨We're hiring!✨ We're looking for an experienced retail manager to join our supportive, collaborative team and help bring our vision for our retail social enterprise to life.

Based at our Collingwood Yards HQ, retail is the public face of The Social Studio’s work and is an important vehicle for sharing our purpose and impact with customers and supporters. Good communication skills are essential, as is a passion for developing and platforming the work of First Nations, refugee and culturally diverse creatives, and cultivating a retail experience that is values-led. This is a part-time role.

See the link below for more 💛💜💛.

https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/tss/retail-manager?categories=30&locations=1

ENROLMENTS ARE OPEN! We’ve officially opened our books for the mid-year intake into our free, RMIT-accredited Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles. This two-year program provides foundation skills in pattern making, design and garment construction and is open to people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds with Australian study rights and a Health Care Card.

We support our graduates to:

Find jobs in the fashion industry 👗
Go on to further study 👩‍🎓
Start their own businesses 💼
Develop and extend their creative practices 🎨
Build confidence and connection 🫶🏽

And we do it all in a welcoming, culturally-safe space at our HQ surrounded by some of Melbourne’s leading artists and arts organisations! Email our Student Pathways Coordinator, Dinesha, via [email protected] to find out more or check out the link in our bio to lodge an Expression of Interest.

For the mother’s and others 💌

A bountiful selection of ethical and sustainable gift ideas to brighten your special person’s day 💛 Hand dyed silk scarves, crocheted hair accessories, ceramic earrings and brooches, locally made soap bars, cacao teas, hand woven baskets, resin coasters and soap dishes, cosy layering garments, hand quilted and embroidered zip purses… and lots more! 💜

Our store within is open 11am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, and we are always open online!

We're super excited to join this conversation with , and on Saturday April 20, moderated by the delightful !

As part of 's 10 Days of Global Action, we'll be diving into the stories behind our clothes, and the people who make them.

According to , there are upwards of 500,000 textile, clothing and footwear workers in Australia. Most work in manufacturing roles, 77% identify as women, and many are from migrant, refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds with English as an additional language.

Just like the global fashion industry, Australian garment workers can be part of long and winding supply chains, where one garment could be touched by many unseen hands – and where that lack of visibility can open the door to exploitation and poor working conditions.

We'll be talking about the work we do at as an educator, manufacturer and retailer and our vision for a fairer fashion system. Book via ECA: https://ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/fashion-revolution-panel-2024/

📣 Call out! If you’ve visited our Collingwood Yards shop or online store in the past 12 months then we’d love to hear from you ⭐️ We’re making some changes to our in-store and online retail offerings and we’d love to know what you like/don’t like/wish we did differently.

You can help us out in two ways:
1. By completing a 5-minute survey - click the link in bio to fill out.
2. By registering to be part of a special retail feedback group event at our Collingwood Yards store on Thursday 18 April, 6-8pm.
Register at the link in bio to be part of this special event where you’ll have the opportunity to give feedback on The Social Studio’s fashion range and retail offering in an intimate group setting. You’ll be able to try on clothes and talk to us about fit and style, as well as tell us what would be on your dream shopping list. Plus, you’ll receive snacks, drinks and a $50 voucher to spend on The Social Studio brand products on the night!

Your feedback will help us to improve how we do retail, which will mean we can raise more money to increase our work and learning opportunities for Melbourne’s refugee and new migrant communities. It’s a win-win! 💛

The Walk On Bag is back! From our 2021 fundraising collaboration with and 🌸🖤

To celebrate our inclusion in the touring exhibition: New Exuberance - Contemporary Australian Textile Design, we have re-printed and re-cut a very limited number of the much loved velvet tote bags featuring Atong’s hyper-local artwork, capturing her Merri Creek walks during Covid lockdowns.

The New Exuberance exhibition is currently on at and you will find a handful of the bags in their gallery store soon!

Ramadan Mubarak to our students, staff and community marking the annual Muslim fasting season.

We wish you strength through these long fasting days, and a strengthening sense of connection to family and community both here and abroad at this time.

We acknowledge that this Ramadan has another dimension, occurring in the shadow of global conflicts in Gaza and the occupied territories, Sudan and Congo with many, many casualties. We share your hope for permanent peace and justice for all.

📷 from of a Hajj certificate, ca 1950. Lithograph. Harvard Fine Arts Library Special Collections, HOLLIS 990140326530203941

To the women of ! To our students and staff, our collaborators and friends, to the woman who founded us and the women who lead us - we adore you all.

‘The moon of my heart’ is a collection of hand-embroidered garments and accessories developed in collaboration with eight talented women from Melbourne’s Afghan community and The Social Studio 🌛💘

The Summer Fruits Dress features hand-embroidery by Hanifa 🪡✨

Recalling summer days in their home villages in Afghanistan, many of our embroiderers would dry fruit grown at home or in local orchards 🌞

Important to them were cherries, apricots, apples, grapes and figs, the dried fruit sustaining them through the cold Afghan winters. Dried fruit is also important during nowruz, Afghan New Year, when it is added to water to make the special dish hafta mewa. 🍒🍎🍇🌷

This bias cut dress style has spaghetti straps that can be tied in different formations. It is mid-length and features a split at side for ease when moving. Covered in hand embroidered fruits on front and back. Available in an off-white stripe linen and navy linen/rayon deadstock fabrication. Created in our accredited studio. Very limited units available!

The Social Studio is a proud participant of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Independent Programme for 2024 ✨

We’d love to see you at one or all of our events this year, see below for what’s happening!

🪡 Community Threads : Afghan Hand Embroidery Workshop
➤➤ Saturday February 24, 2pm-5pm
📍The Social Studio Workroom, Collingwood

👀 The Ethical Fashion Experience Tour with
➤➤ Saturday March 2, 9.30am
📍Various locations, including The Social Studio Workroom, Collingwood

🧵 Survival Sewing Workshop
➤➤ Saturday March 2, 11am-1pm
📍The Social Studio Workroom, Collingwood

🗣️ Fashion Talks : Conversations across cultures, presented by Museums Victoria.
➤➤ Tuesday March 5, 2.30pm
📍Melbourne Museum, Carlton

Tickets are available via the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s website. Link in bio.

Starting the year on a high with the launch of upcycled patchwork towelling hats, in collaboration with ! 🩵🧡🤎

After doing a production run of towelling cushion covers for Lucy Folk in 2023, we had a bunch of offcuts leftover. Instead of tossing these aside, we wanted to find a creative way to re-use the textile and produce a unique and sustainable product that not only gave the scraps a second life, but also a way to support the work we do here at the studio. Lucy and her team loved our concept and so our team got to work in cutting and sewing up the patch-worked hats just in time for Summer 🌞

The Australian lifestyle brand is generously donating all profits from sales of the hats to us here at The Social Studio. Thank you LF! 💛 You can find the hats on the webstore or in their NSW Bondi shopfront 👒

CEASEFIRE NOW

It’s official! We are thrilled to announce that we are finalists in this year’s Victorian Premier’s Design Awards for our fashion collaboration with and .abude 💙🤍🖤

This project's aim was to bring an emerging artist from a culturally or linguistically diverse background together with an established fashion label to showcase local manufacturing, art and design, and support The Social Studio's work and training programs for refugee and migrant creatives.

Inherent in this was to find collaborators whose work was enhanced by the other, whose values and practice aligned with The Social Studio's as well as create products with wide market and storytelling appeal.

In the striking artwork of Filipino-Australian artist Kay Abude, which explores the economy of labour and the work of work itself, Alpha60's sleek silhouettes were a natural fit. And as an organisation which ordinarily works with deadstock and donated fabrics, devising a creative solution for the textile waste generated through the project was also essential for us here at TSS.

Production off-cuts were salvaged and turned into limited-edition zero waste bags and hats featuring hand-crocheted straps made by TSS staff member Michelle Phan, of .c.c_ . Manufactured by The Social Studio's in-house production team, 100% of proceeds from the collaboration support the Studio's work and training initiatives for refugee and migrant creatives.

The 2023 Victorian Premiers Design Award winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in March 2024 🤞

Thank you to and to Kay, Georgie + Alex, Kelvin and for your support and generosity 💙

💛 The festive season is upon us, and what a better way to introduce some of the newest artists and designers pieces that we proudly stock in our sunny shop at and online! 💛

In the lead up to Christmas we will be opening the shop on Tuesdays from 11am-5pm and next Saturday we will stay open a little later to join in the courtyard market vibes with our friends from , .in.exile and ✨

There’s 20% off our in-house label until Christmas (excluding our new collection) plus our Alpha 60 x Kay Abude collaboration and Kate Beynon Peace Silk Scarves! 💟

PSA! Our mending and alterations service won’t be taking on any new jobs for the year from December 8. We will open up our books again on January 11 💜

We’ve worked on 150 items since we launched the service in May this year. Thank you to everyone who has supported this new venture of ours, we’ve been blown away by the love! We are excited to continue to grow the offering and partner with more local brands and retailers in the new year to help create a more sustainable and mindful future 💛