Words: Saskia Edwards
Images: Jonathan Rae
Sans Peur is French for “without fear”.
That’s the mantra of Sans Peur Workshop owner
Kelly Sutherland who detests the inherent apprehension society has about
looking different.
“Don’t be scared to dress,” she says.
“A lot of women come in here and they don’t
want to be seen to be over dressed or styled differently.
“They want to blend in with normality. It’s
very frustrating for me. I don’t get inspired by singlets and gym gear.
“Become confident, be yourself. Dress, don’t
worry. You can never be over dressed.”
So she started the workshop, the Brisbane
retail equivalent of Rick Owen’s inner sanctum.
Kelly says the concept behind the workshop is
about “a dark aesthetic with monochromatic colour”.
Basically, the store is a haven for all forms
of leather, deconstructed black, white or grey ensembles and tactile layering.
Sans Peur hosts a range of transatlantic
designers including AF Vandevorst, Barbara I Gongini, Cinzia Araia and Isaac Sellam.
The store isn’t about fashion, it’s about
style.
According to Kelly, there’s a definite
distinction.
“I think fashion fads come and go and every
season they tell you, ‘wear this colour or wear this heel’.
“Then you just see everybody following like
sheep.
“They all look the same, they don’t bring out
their own individual style. They don’t tend to be a little bit out there and
take chances.”
Kelly’s background lies in modelling.
She says: “From there I was exposed to a lot of
clothing and I just found it all so boring after a while”.
She hails from Cape Town, but left South Africa
after six armed gunmen entered her house.
“We thought we’re still alive, so the trick is
to move while we still can.”
Since being in Brisbane, Kelly has found some
inspiration, but a lot of monotony.
“I’ve discovered that there’s a lot of talent,
but they tend to stick to the same thing – the same style, the same prints.
They don’t tend to look outside of the box.”
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