Putting the colour in handmade fashion

SURRONDED by fabric and the hum of a sewing machine is where Tyzak Designz owner Victoria Miller is often found.

Fuelled by a passion for sewing, creating and designing, the clothing brand offers unique, vibrant and handmade pieces.

While Miller has always had a love for sewing, it hasn’t always been her full-time job, with teaching fulfilling that role in her life before she returned to the craft.

 

“It [Tyzak Designz] actually started off as a children’s line in the early 2000s when my children were first born,” she said.

“I did the local markets and then went back to teaching, so it got put on the back burner. Then I decided that I wanted to start my love of sewing again.”

Since taking up sewing again, Miller has produced overalls, tops, culottes and dresses, selling the handcrafted items online and at local markets.

Producing mostly women’s clothing, many of Miller’s works use materials sourced from Australian artists who print their designs and artworks onto fabrics.

“When I first started out, I didn’t know about Australian artists being able to put their art onto [other] work,” she said.

“It’s just nice being able to support their art as well. Obviously they like seeing their art walking around, because I like seeing my designs walking around, so it’s nice being able to do that.”

Miller has also sourced old Onkaparinga and Australian milled blankets and turned them into coats, items that have been hugely popular, with orders sent to England, America, New Zealand and all over Australia.

 

Miller has also started teaching herself how to draw, with the aim to one day use her own artworks on fabrics.

She described the process of picking up the new skill as a learning curve, one that’s been both hard and enjoyable at the same time.

“Teaching myself to draw digitally is quite challenging. My youngest son is a good drawer as well; he’s used the software that I use, so he’s been helping.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with it — I’ve googled a lot, I’ve watched lots of YouTube videos, I’ve done quite a few designs that I really like, but they’re not ready to go onto fabric.”

Much of the inspiration for her pieces comes from other clothing. She then explores ways to make the item her own, re-vamping the entire design to create something unique.

“You see something and you might really like it, so you think ‘I might make a few of those’ and then you might sell one or two, or you might sell them all over a course of a few seasons,”

Miller said.

“I think doing the markets is always a good gauge, because you can see what interests people. It’s usually the colours that draw people in.”

Miller describes her personal style as fun and playful — one that is reflected in her own work — and although she always likes to look smart, colour is often a strong theme across her outfits.

“I’m all about bright, have been all my life,” she said.

“My friends used to say they would never lose me because they would just look and they’d be able to see the colourful person from miles away.

“I don’t mind standing out in what I’m wearing and that’s why I love a lot of these artists — it is bright, it’s fun, it’s abstract.”

For Miller, it’s seeing people’s reactions to her pieces, or spotting them wearing them out and about, that she enjoys the most.

 

“It’s just rewarding. You know that you’ve made it, you’ve created it, and somebody’s wearing it.

“I’ve had very many rewarding careers — I love teaching — but this is a completely different kind of reward.”

Miller may have swapped the classroom for the sewing machine, but that love of teaching has been woven into her business, with the designer encouraging people to pick up the skill.

“I get a lot of youngsters, and they go ‘I wish I could sew’ and I say ‘Anybody can sew’.

“Some people sew better than others, but anybody can sew, and YouTube is your best friend these days. I didn’t have that when I was growing up.

“You can sit down and watch a tutorial on something and learn how to do it. You still might not be able to do it well, but it’ll get you by so you can make yourself something.”

Tyzak Designz can be found on the local market circuit or online.

For more information, head to tyzakdesignz.com or follow @tyzak_designz on Instagram.