Reborn womenswear brand Bardot is bringing its manufacturing home, developing a line of locally designed and made denimwear that will only be available online.

In May, when the business was bought back from the brink by founder and creative director Carol Skoufis and chief executive Basil Artemides, Skoufis told Inside Retail the business would be doing a “small percentage” of local production in order to bring manufacturing back to Melbourne – specifically Brunswick.

“Times are changing, and the fashion industry needs to evolve with it,” Skoufis said. 

“We need to get back to quality production and making clothes that will last, supporting our local market is essential in these challenging times.”

The new range is an effort by Bardot to bring more environmentally-friendly practices into its production cycle, committing to ensure all laundering processes utilise water saving technology. 

Fashion is one of the biggest culprits in wastewater and pollution, and according to Skoufis, Bardot wants to change that wherever they can. 

“I want to design quality garments, I want pieces to stay in wardrobes for longer than a season,” Skoufis told Inside Retail.

“It’s quality over quantity. It’s a whole new era for me and my customers.

“I definitely don’t want to be in the fast fashion market at the moment – I haven’t been wanting to do that for a while, to be honest, because it’s not what I believe in. 

“I want to do my bit for the environment. Twenty years on from the brand it definitely needs some new DNA to reinvent itself for what the world is today – it’s a very different place.”