Just last week, Dunedin-based fashion brand Imperfect Creatures, designed by Ethan Cruise, was shown on the New Zealand Fashion Week runway. Critic Te Ārohi caught up with Ethan about his latest collection ‘MOTION’ and what else we can expect from Imperfect Creatures.
The first item available by Imperfect Creatures was a tote bag. It was designed collaboratively between Ethan and Molly Willis (our talented designer). Ethan reached out to Molly after she posted an illustration on her socials. This face went on to be the logo for Imperfect Creatures and the focal design point of the tote bag. “We both lost our minds a bit,” Ethan said of the reception. Their initial run of twelve bags sold out in 24 minutes. “We put so much work into those tote bags. Every detail that we thought of, we included.” This was back in 2021. At the time, Ethan was halfway through his bachelor of fashion design at Otago Polytechnic.
In its initial stages, Ethan had envisioned calling the brand ‘Imperfections.’ It referenced the styles of clothing coming out of brands from the US and Europe, “a really messy raw style” that were inspiring his own sense of style. Unable to access such clothes, due to price or inability to ship to NZ (“most of the time it was both,” Ethan admitted), he emulated their design choices into clothing he made for himself, like leaving exposed seams and choosing fraying over hemlines. The evolution of Ethan’s designs has revolved around how to retain this style while ensuring the quality and long-lastingness of the garment. “The more that I keep designing, the more I refine it.”
When we chatted last month, Ethan’s first capsule collection was yet to drop. Titled ‘MOTION,’ the release dropped for pre-order two Fridays ago and features eight pieces including jeans, a singlet a trucker hat, necklaces, a ring and a handbag. It’s the first of three planned drops, with Ethan aiming for three months between each drop. The ethos of quality over quantity is continued in Ethan releasing in capsule collections. Items, such as the jeans and jewellery, are made-to-order, ensuring that there’s no deadstock leftover. Other pieces are made in limited quantities. Each capsule has “a name that will embody my thoughts or my emotions, or whatever I was feeling when I was making this body of work.”
Since completing his studies, Ethan’s focus has been on making Imperfect Creatures his full-time gig. The transition period between wrapping up at Polytech and being able to release his first drop has been difficult. “[I’ve been] pretty hard on myself… but I’m really excited to be at the point of getting close to that.” Ethan described being based in Dunedin and sharing a studio with other motivated creatives and mates, as special. “I’m really fortunate for the people that I’m surrounded by.” Aware of the pressure creatives feel that in order to make it, they need to establish themselves in bigger cities or overseas, he’s found Dunedin to not only be apt but has the potential to be a nurturing and unique creative centre. “It's completely dependent on what you make it, and who you keep around you. I'm really excited to be able to do something for Dunedin, and obviously for myself. I really want to put a mark on Dunedin before I leave.”
The ‘MOTION’ collection is out now. You can shop it at imperfectcreatures.net/shop. You can also keep up with Ethan upcoming drops on socials (@imperfect___creatures).