Stories
Selector
Inspired by the "perfect balance of harmony and vibrancy in nature", Sera Mitchinson draws movements, colours and shapes from her environment to inspire her designs for labels Selector and Sera Mitchinson.
Taught to sew by her mother, Sera later found herself left to her own devices in her school Home Economics classes, where she created clothes "through trial and error". This experimental, hands-on approach has been utilised throughout her career, reflecting her emphasis on conscious consumerism.
During her tertiary fashion studies at AIT (now AUT), Sera fell in love with vintage clothes and op-shopping, leading her and a few friends to open the much-loved Vixen in St Kevin’s Arcade. Sera later left Vixen to begin her first eponymous label, and even now sees people wearing these first clothes, a little threadbare from constant wearing, but still loved. Her network of creative friends provides influence and encouragement.
In 2003, Sera and her husband created Selector, with an emphasis on casual street-wear designed to counter fast-fashion trends. A series of retail stores followed, and Sera is now creating a bigger online presence for Selector and her newest label, Sera Mitchinson.
Text by Arielle Walker. Banner image by Frances Carter.
Published September 2014.
