Local musician and clothing designer dreaming of the ’70s

Daisy Kilbourne is a Surf Coast singer, musician, entrepreneur and clothing designer who, at 23, is running a sustainable retro slow fashion and jewellery brand all while building her budding music career.

As a self-described “singer-songwriter dreaming of the ’70s”, Kilbourne is inspired by the decade in almost everything she does.

She regularly sings her down to earth, Joni Mitchell-esque songs at gigs across Melbourne and Greater Geelong and last year she co-founded vintage fashion and jewellery brand Retro-Sister along with her sister Lilly.

In many ways Kilbourne’s career choices haven’t fallen too far from the tree; her mum worked as a fashion designer and her father was a musician.

“My dad was a musician, so growing up I was just surrounded by music literally forever. He passed away when I was 16, but I am keeping the music alive. I’ve been listening, playing, singing forever.

“I just followed in Dad’s footsteps.”

In music, her style is acoustic and melancholic.

“They are chill, laid-back songs, songs about the world, heart-break songs,” Kilbourne said.

“I’m very inspired by Joni Michel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, it’s very much that kind of vibe, and obviously the ’70s.

“Acoustic, sad in a way, a lot of the songs are sad. If people are looking for upbeat pop, this is not it.

“Releasing music is the next step for me. I’ve been gigging a lot around Melbourne and Geelong this year, just here and there and everywhere really, and releasing music is definitively the next step. It’s not doing anyone any good locked up in my head.”

The idea for her clothing brand Retro Sister was born in a conversation between Daisy and her sister Lilly in early 2021.

“Just into the new year, me and Lilly were sitting there thinking what could we do to get ourselves into the position for the dream careers.

“And we thought, there’s not really that many vintage stores just based on vintage clothes in Geelong.”

At Retro Sister, the pair sell altered vintage clothes and hand-made jewellery.

“A mix of all of the vintage and retro clothes we’ve collected over the years,” Kilbourne said.

“Half of my cupboard was full of these beautiful vintage pieces that I don’t even wear, and my sister was the same, and my mum, so everything we had to begin was just from our cupboard.

“Someone would love this piece to death but it’s just sitting in our cupboard.

“So, we decided we may as well give these items a new life, and pop them in a shop with some jewellery and vintage furniture and make a store of it, because that’s the dream, hunting for vintage stuff and giving it a new life and support circular fashion.

“There are already so many good clothes on the planet that you do not need to be making any new ones, so it’s easier for people to find things in our store that’s worth it.”

The sisters are both deeply inspired by their mother, Kye Kilbourne, who is a fashion designer and often helps the sisters at their stall.

“My mum is a fashion designer, so she’s been doing fashion and design since before we were all born,” Kilbourne said.

“She’s a super-woman.”

“She has four kids and she used to take my eldest sister… she had Rose when she was 19 and she would take her to fashion school… in a little pram.

“There are photos of us as kids and Mum’s made all four of us matching flares from vintage curtains or something, and it’s just the cutest. She’s always been making us clothes, and they’re always ’70s inspired because she loves the ’70s and that’s definitely rubbed off on me and my sister Lilly.”

Kye Kilbourne makes slow fashion under the name Borne Killer, using recycled second-hand fabric.

“It’s little play on our last name and she thinks everyone was born with killer looks, which I think is the sweetest thing ever!”

Having grown up in Daylesford, Kilbourne said Geelong was the perfect backdrop for all her creative ventures — a place that feels equally full of opportunities and like a homely, down-to-earth country town.

“I grew up in Daylesford, a very small town an hour and a half from Geelong. It’s super tiny and it feels like there are a couple hundred people who live there.

“Growing up it was always very secluded, very small, you want to escape to the city as soon as you can. I wanted to move to Melbourne for a while, ended up moving to Geelong, meeting a boy as it goes, and I moved here instead.

“And I remember at the time it felt massive, compared to Daylesford – in Daylesford you walk down the street, and you know everyone, and now after living here a couple years, I feel like Geelong is literally the exact same as Daylesford but bigger, small town vibes just a bit bigger.

“So, I dragged my family down here, my sisters and brother and mum, and we love it. We are loving G-Town.”

Looking to the future, Kilbourne is building both business and music career, with music on the horizon and a new store space for Retro-Sister.

“We have a little website that has unofficially officially launched so people can visit and don’t have to come into the store,” she said.

“Goal wise, for Retro-Sister we want to get our own space. We have a stall right now in The Garage in Pakington Street, which is great but we’re definitely looking towards getting out own shopfront so we can be manning the shop at all times, and organising things the way we want.

“We have a little website that has unofficially officially launched so people can shop online.”

Retro Sister pieces are sold online via Instagram, as well as at the Retro Sister stall located at The Garage Geelong, open every day 10am to 5pm.

To follow Kilbourne’s creative ventures, head to her Instagram pages @retro_sister and @daisykilbourne