Word on the street with Damien Horan of Assembly Label
Community
September 16, 2020
Community Conversation
James Street (JS), Damien Horan (DH) – Co-Founder and Designer of Assembly Label
Less is more is the ethos that guided friends Damien Horan and Daniel Oliver when they founded Assembly Label in 2011.
Capturing the essence of coastal cool clothing for men, women and children, Assembly Label continues to specialise in garments made with quality material and refined detail. This considered design and decision process, has led to the label becoming synonymous with laid-back lives lived between the city and the sea.
So, what does it take to become one of Australia’s most recognisable labels? We spoke with Co-Founder and Designer Damien to find out and chatted about supporting local, collaborations, James St and everyday essentials.
JS: Both you and co-founder Daniel, have expressed, Assembly Label was founded on the ideal to create purposeful wardrobe essentials for men and women. Nearly nine years later, the strong sense of ‘purpose’ continues to hold true for the label. This especially in the Choose What You Pay initiative, where customers can shop consciously and chose the price they pay while supporting the Australian Red Cross and their disaster relief and recovery efforts. Why is it important for Assembly Label to be more than a label and assemble your customers to be conscious too?
DH: At the core of Assembly Label is our ambition to assist in the way people live their lives, from making purposeful products to supporting those in disadvantaged circumstances. Our charity initiatives are important because we share a natural responsibility to help others and ultimately, improve the livelihood of our community.
JS: Assembly Label also brings people and labels together in-store with the carefully curated selection of local designers reflected in your product mix. So too with the photographers, architects and artists who also share an appreciation for minimalist design and relaxed coastal living. How do you decide who Assembly Label work with?
DH: Our partnerships develop from likeminded values and interests. We’ll stumble across a product that catches our eye, or reach out to a creator/designer and the relationship most often evolves organically. The agreeable design principles shape a productive, long-lasting collaboration.
JS: Are there any collaborations on the cards that we can expect to see in the James St store soon?
DH: Over the next year, we are looking to work with partners and specialists in their field across key product categories. Expect exciting progressions that enrich the Assembly Label lifestyle.
JS: Why did you decide on James St for your standalone Brisbane store?
DH: It just felt right, as a shopping precinct the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. With friendly faces and inspiring local adjacencies, it’s a genuine community; everyone is warm and welcoming. We knew it was the location where we could provide an honest and integral brand experience.
JS: What valuable insight from your business journey can you can share with aspiring designers?
DH: The importance of a shared vision to create alignment.
JS: What does support local mean to you?
DH: It’s community spirit, supporting each other – local business, creators, and artists. To recognise, appreciate and cultivate local talent and to inspire others to follow into the future.
JS: What do you love most about what you do?
DH: I love the conceptualising; considering a product’s inherent qualities and finishing, so it connects with an audience for a long time.
JS: Who are you listening to at the moment?
DH: Parcels
JS: Assembly Label is known for its wardrobe-essentials. So, if we said you to have to head on a flight, carry on only, to an unknown destination, what three Assembly Label essentials would you pack?
DH: The Distance L/S Tee, The Reeve Track Pant and the Assembly Label x St Agni pool slide.
Imagery from the latest SPRING ESSENTIALS campaign.
