BESERK is a clothing label from my hometown, Brisbane. I did this interview with Fleur back in 2004-2005 as some of her first collections were stocked in stores for the first time.

When you were growing up, did you always dream of being a fashion designer?

I have always been obsessed with fashion and the concept of being able to express your personality through a medium of clothing. When I was twelve years old I started my first clothing label.. ‘black majick’ … haha.. such a bad name.. I found the book of drawings the other day.. it is all bad bad weird gothic stuff. But as I am absolutely terrible at drawing I gave up on that idea. I had all these designs in my head that I just couldn’t transcribe to paper. I figured that I wasn’t supposed to have a clothing company if I couldn’t draw. Since then I have taught myself graphic design and am able to create designs on the computer.

Do you even think of yourself as a ‘fashion designer’?

No, not really. I guess I think of ‘fashion designers’ as the people over in Paris and Milan who create the full-on couture ranges… Plus the idea of someone that designs ‘fashion’ just doesn’t seem right to me. I don’t want my clothing to be in ‘fashion’ as such. I try to stay away from items that are currently in ‘fashion’. I hate reading in magazines what is ‘in’ fashion for the next season and being told what to wear. Everyone should just wear what they want, not what they are told to.

Are there any designers that you admire or draw inspiration from?

I love Junko Muzuno, her drawings are so cute & the most amazing designer is Alexander McQueen, his designs are amazing. I always get so inspired when I see his ranges. It’s such a amalgamation of art and fashion and beauty.

Where do you draw your inspiration for the Beserk range?

Anything and everything, hentai, japanese street fashion, manga, futurism, androgyny, conspiracy theories, elegant gothic lolita, pinups, music, horror, cyberpunk, altered states, violence, fantasy – really anything around my life at the time. I am constantly trying to think of new ideas and designs and always keep a notebook with me which I write in at the most strange times.

I’ve noticed on your Suicide Girl profile you like a bit of hardcore etc etc music, do you draw inspiration for Beserk from music?

I think that music definitely inspires my life in every way so, I guess it does influence Beserk. I definitely don’t have a set style of music that I listen to. I love so many different styles and it totally depends on my mood as to what I feel like listening to. Some of my favourite bands are zao, modest mouse, le tigre, interpol, the faint, isis, desaparacidos, dead can dance, future sound of london, david bowie, aphex twin..

Was there one moment when you decided, ‘ok this it, I’m going to follow my dream and do Beserk for real’?

Definitely. I was totally sick of working for someone else. I HATE the idea of having to be somewhere at the same time every day, 5 days a week. I totally don’t understand how people can do it! I was never going to get anywhere in life working for someone else and knew I had to throw myself into my company to succeed.

You’ve been really busy with your label, is it a full time job for you now?

I had been working on ~Beserk Clothing~ part time for around 3 years, then about three months ago I quit my job so I could dedicate myself to Beserk full time… so yes, definitely a full time job..

When was the last time you had a real holiday?

I can’t even remember.. it hasn’t been for a couple of years. I am having a bit of time off at the moment, as my first range & website has been completed, all the manufacturing done and it is finally in the stores. But, I am still sending out orders to shops and I have started work on the next range, so it really isn’t that much of a break. I haven’t wanted to take any holidays or go overseas until I have Beserk at a stage where I can promote it to shops while I am traveling. I am actually heading over to Japan in May this year which is going to be sooo fucking amazing!!! I think I am going to come back with about 30 pairs of shoes.. plus I want to buy school girl undies from a vending machine and go to one of those weird clubs where there are naked girls as tables.. haha.. I love Japan… it has such a crazy culture..

Beserk is now in stores, how’d you feel when you got your first order?

My first order was from ‘Honor Lulu’ which was so excellent! I really wanted to get them as a stockist as I love that shop. They ordered about 30 t-shirts to see how they would sell… although I think I was more happy when they placed the second order as it meant that people actually liked my stuff!

You also make badges. You recently filled an order for 15,000 Regurgitator badges!! How did you pull that off? How many badges in were you before you got jack of it?

OMFG I never want to see the word Regurgitator ever again… Argh.. it takes a long long time to cut and make 15,000 badges, by the end of it I was so fucking glad to get them all done!! I was defiantly over it after the first 1000. But it is a great side business to have and it has defiantly helped me afford to get Beserk going. So if anyone wants any badges for their band check out www.xbadges.com. Sorry gratuitous plug!

Your clothes were featured in a fashion parade at the Depot last month. How’d that go? What’s it like trying to co-ordinate something like that?

That was excellent to be a part of and great advertising for Beserk!! It was actually organized by the lurvely Sonni at Westside Tattoo so I didn’t have much to do with it. It was also at my most busiest time when I was flat out with organizing all the manufacturing and printing so I wasn’t able to help out as much as I would have liked to. The other labels featured were Lip Service from America, Stellar76 and Dickies. So basically my role was to supply the Beserk Clothing items and help to dress the models on the night.

You were also a finalist in a design competition recently?

Yeah, I entered the fashion design awards at Sideline in Maroochydore and got in the finals. It was also bad timing for me as the entries closed right when I was flat out with my first lot of orders for the shops, so at about 3:00 in the morning on the night before the deadline, I put together a couple of samples that I had of my clothing that I was taking around to the shops to promote my range, entered them and got into the finals! But next time I definitely want to spend a bit more time and actually design something crazy to enter. I am going to enter the NRMA Fashion Awards this year, I have started designing the outfits and am going to enter some crazy rock slut futuristic outfit that will hopefully totally stand out.

What’s been one of the biggest obstacles in starting your own business?

Money has defiantly been the biggest obstacle I have faced.. it is soo expensive to start your own business and there are so many expenses that you don’t even realize until you get into it. So I built up my company slowly using the wages from my job, I didn’t want to get into debt and I wasn’t able to get any type of government grant so had to slowly buy all the equipment and supplies I needed.

Have you found your gender to be a help or hindrance or not even an issue when dealing with clients/stores?

I don’t know if it makes a difference and haven’t found it to be an issue.. I guess I don’t really think about it..

You seem to have a fetish for Japanese Anime/Manga?

(laughs) Fetish is definitely an understatement. I think the word is obsession is more the correct word!! Manga grrrls are fuckin hot!! And I lurve hentai. I think Rei Anayami is the most perfect girl in the world and I would love to look like her. I can’t wait to go to Japan! I am going to go crazy shopping there.

You’re also a Suicide Girl, how’d that come about?

I was searching for the internet a couple of years ago and came across the site when it was just starting out. The girls were soo hot and I wanted to be a part of it, if only just to meet the other suicidegirls. I applied when there was only about 30 girls but didn’t get the guts to do a photoset for another 8 months. I love being a suicidegirl and am proud to be a part of the site. It is amazing how many people know about SG. it is becoming huge!! I can’t wait to go over to the USA to meet some of the people I have met through SG.

Why’d you choose to do it?

I guess I am a bit of a exhibitionist, plus I get to become friends with some hot sexy grrls!!! I don’t consider myself particularly confident and thought it would be great way of increasing my self-esteem and doing something I wouldn’t normally do… and well who really doesn’t want to get naked on the internet! I personally think some of the suicide girls are the hottest girls I have ever seen… I love the idea that the site promote girls that are not ‘mainstream’ and that girls with tattoos and piercings are hot and if not hotter than the mainstream ‘beauties’ that are forced upon us.

Has it helped you promote Beserk?

Definitely!! I have had quite a few orders from friends I have made on the site and there are quite a few people that read my journal to hear about the progress of Beserk Clothing. When you do a search in google for Beserk Clothing, Siara – my suicidegirls page is one of the first responses you get.. so relatives and parents actually have found the site and asked what it was, which was pretty weird. But my parents used to go to nudist colonies when I was younger and took me, so I guess I have grown up thinking being nekkid is normal!!

I read a post from a little while back on your SG journal that ‘I definitely get fashion obsessions and wear only that style for ages.. knee high socks, short skirts and leg warmers have all been obsessions’ – what items or look are you obsessing over at the moment?

I am definitely still on the short skirt thing, with a suspender belt & thigh high stockings under. Plus I still have a knee/thigh-high sock obsession and I am also into wearing my short black shorts (laughs) I don’t think I have actually worn shorts for about 20 years until now… hmmmm… plus bright make-up I absolutely love.

Do you ever see girls at gigs/shows and think ‘that’s a cool idea/look’ and get inspiration from that or borrow the idea?

I love going to shows and checking out what everyone is wearing and it is defiantly inspirational. I am a big people watcher and I love to see how people like to present themselves. Individuality in style is defiantly the sexiest look..

Is there any particular look that just shit’s you to tears?

I am not really a big fan of the whole 80’s revival thang that is happening. Normally I hate whatever is the ‘in’ thing that is forced onto us in all the clothing stores. I HATE ugg boots.. seriously I really hate those things and am so glad they are finally ‘out’. Ugg boots should not be made yuppie. I grew up in Caboolture, deep northside, and there were ugg boots everywhere!! I am proud to say that I have never owned a pair. I can’t believe there were Sass & Bide ugg boots that were hundreds of $$ and that people actually bought them. It is fucked up what some people will pay just for a label!

If you had to describe your style to some one what would you tell them?

Beserk Clothing~ cute/dark/evil designs – simple, cutting edge, angular lines…. I find it really hard to explain what I consider Beserk Clothing to be.. I think it is the same with bands when they are asked who do they sound like?? How can you possibly compare your stuff to something when everybody sees everything so differently..

What’s the best places in Brisbane to shop?

Honor Lulu, Westside tattoo, Life Factory in the Valley, the Valley markets, Anime Zone and the tuckshop at Via studios.

What’s the best and worst things about what you do?

The best thing is definitely not having to answer to someone else. I have never liked that ever. I can sleep into whenever I want, work all night, design whatever & whenever I want. The worst thing.. hmmm.. I think it would be the fear of rejection. It’s really hard to hear bad things about what you design. I take it way too personally.. but of course there are always going to be people like what you do and people who hate it. But I have been getting a really excellent response so I should concentrate on the positive instead of the negative.

What’s next for you and Beserk?

I have starting designing the next range now which I will be releasing mid 2005. I have a lot of new ideas for designs and this range is going to be quite different from the current one now that I know a lot more about the industry and what I am doing and what to expect. I would love to get some distributors of Beserk Worldwide and am planning on some overseas trips early 2005. I am starting to design an underwear range at the moment and am trying to find a manufacturer in Australia, I am trying to keep Beserk as Australian as possible and although it is soo much more expensive to get the items made over here I but I would much rather try to keep it all Australian.

Please check out Beserk at: www.beserkclothing.com