Acci Is the New Melbourne Label Turning 15 Years of Design Experience Into '80s-Inspired Glamour

Most new fashion labels launch with a designer who has spent a few years building a following on Instagram. Acci is different. Its founder, Lauren Acciarito, spent 15 years working inside some of Australia's most recognisable fashion businesses, including Ellery, Ena Pelly, Country Road and Target, across both ready-to-wear and accessories, in Sydney and London, before finally launching a label under her own name from her home base in Melbourne.

Prima Volta

Acci's debut collection is called Prima Volta, Italian for "first time," and it launched on 15 September with 15 ready-to-wear pieces. The collection leans into bold colour, particularly shades of purple, with sports-retro silhouettes and a strong dose of '80s archival glamour: asymmetrical hemlines, silver lace fabrics, structured shoulder pads and bubble hems all feature.

A recurring idea across the range is versatility. Several key pieces are designed to be worn multiple ways rather than styled a single, fixed method, which is a practical response to how people actually build a wardrobe now rather than buying one-outfit pieces.

The standout pieces

• The Dree top: a lightweight Australian merino knit with a funnel-neck zip
• The Jojo cardigan: a mohair-blend piece with blouson sleeves and removable shoulder pads
• The Carmella: a belted trench coat designed to be worn several different ways
• The Bruna: a shawl-collar jacket with four styling options
• The Greta: a drape split skirt

A personal collection

The campaign imagery was shot at Acciarito's grandmother's home and family farm in Werribee South, on Melbourne's outskirts, a detail that speaks to how personal the label is for its founder. "Acci stems from story and childhood, and we really focus on memory, ritual and intention," Acciarito said of the label.

That focus on memory and ritual runs through the collection's references. The '80s glamour touches don't read as costume or pastiche, closer instead to family photographs than any single decade being deliberately recreated.

Where to find it

Prima Volta is available now at acciacci.com.au. Pricing for individual pieces was not published alongside the launch, so check the site directly for current prices in Australian dollars.

For anyone tracking the next generation of Australian design talent, Acci is worth watching. A designer with 15 years inside the industry launching under her own name, rather than at 25 with no track record, tends to produce a more assured first collection, and Prima Volta reads that way from the opening look.

Source: Broadsheet