What happens when a local designer and Frame Creative work on a fashion brand together.

For many brands, it’s difficult to decipher if their concept formed as their products evolved, or if their concept led to the products.

In the case of Adelaide-based independent label, The Wolf Gang, it’s a little of both.

Vanessa Pearce, creative director of The Wolf Gang, developed the brand’s identity from her own vision and with input from her partner, Sam, who is Frame Creative‘s Co-Director.

And although it looks like an accessories label right now, with their bags selling in over 70 stores (including The Iconic, Coco California, Glue Store, and Denim Iniquity) across Australia and New Zealand, it wasn’t always so.

“We launched our Spring/Summer 2016 collection with a line of crochet swim, followed closely with our first range of accessories,” says Vanessa.

“We quickly became known for our bags, which really took off. And, while we have been working on a Ready To Wear range, we still had so many accessory designs up our sleeve that we decided to release this collection prior to our Ready To Wear.”

“We will be working off a seasonal calendar, including four collections per year: two main, and two resort/capsule. We offer approximately 7-8 styles in each collection, with a variety of colours per style. Each collection is extremely flexible but we try not to over populate them, as keeping them smaller allows each style to shine.”

Designed and operated out of Adelaide by a small team that includes Vanessa, Frame, a production manager and a sales manager, the brand is another example of how the South Australian fashion industry is growing to become more global.

Each bag is made of fabrics sourced internationally and manufactured in China and Indonesia.

“We stumbled upon our Balinese manufacturers during past travels to Indonesia. Our China manufacturers were selected based on their high quality and craftsmanship, after a long process of sampling many other manufacturers from around the world,” says Vanessa.

Similarly, the The Wolf Gang’s campaign shoots have been, and will continue to be, executed overseas. Directed by Frame Creative, the latest Spring/Summer 17 for the ‘Catalonia’ collection was shot on location in Barcelona.

Additionally, the label this year entered the US market with retail giant, Anthropologie, and will continue to expand into other overseas markets.

But, until then, the brand will stay on South Australian soil, planning their vegan range and gearing up for showing the ‘Catalonia’ collection in the AFF Runway 1 – Contemporary vs. Street at this year’s Adelaide Fashion Festival.