Matteau Launches Ready-To-Wear And Swimwear Edition 1, 2025

Forbes

01-04-2025

Matteau campaign
Australian fashion brand Matteau was founded by sisters Ilona Hamer and Peta Heinsen on the principles of a minimalist aesthetic, refined simplicity, and a commitment to sustainability.
Designed for the discerning woman, the label marks its 10-year milestone, and has dropped its collection: Edition 1 2025. Expect womenswear that dons their signature minimalism, and new takes on bestselling pieces, cue organic cotton poplin dresses, ethically sourced cashmere, silk separates and easy breezy beachside staples.
As for newness, the first drop features fresh fabrics and silhouettes, such as the cowl back dress in textured flax, the plunge halter dress in organic cotton and silk styles in a truffle colorway. There's also swimwear in time for summer jaunts, and favorites return in cassis and a navy based block print, designed to be loved for every holiday from here on in.
Matteau campaign
Ilona Hamer, co-founder and creative director, tells us more about this collection, her customer, and the cornerstones of her company.
IH: From around the age of 3 or 4, I drove our Mum crazy with my constant outfit changes, and she still says she always knew my career would be in fashion. I was obsessed with changing my look around 8 times a day. I would disappear to my bedroom and climb the shelves in my wardrobe to find something else I wanted to put on. I look back and realise how exhausting it must have been for our mother, either negotiating outfits with me, or picking them up after me many times a day not to mention the laundry!
Matteau campaign
IH: I started in the fashion office at Vogue when I was 20, and I worked my way from the Office Coordinator to Junior Fashion Editor when I left at 26. It was the best education you could ask for and definitely shaped my taste and career. I love being able to express myself and ideas through shape, form and composition and going from styling to design and brand creation is a very natural progression and has been deeply satisfying.
IH: Simple, timeless and wonderfully practical.
Matteau campaign
IH: The inspiration is always from the past and vintage pieces we find on our travels. We try to create things that feel like they have already existed in our world, and we know a piece is good when we feel as though it's something we have already made because it feels so Matteau.
IH: We lean into our best-selling fabrics – crisp organic cotton poplin, soft and gauzy cotton silk, light and flowing crepe de chine and let the materials lead the design. We tend to keep shapes and silhouettes very simple and classic to suit a range of bodies and women.
Matteau campaign
IH: She is discerning in her style and understands quality over quantity.
We always stay true to the Matteau woman; we think about where she is going, what she's doing in her day-to-day life and how we can make her feel unequivocally herself when she's wearing Matteau, whether at home or abroad. Our collections nod to the past and are created to be timeless. The Matteau woman is an individual and she definitely isn't hooked on trends, she's drawn to style, details and collecting those pieces that make her feel confident - she's our constant source of inspiration.
Matteau campaign
IH: In a nutshell - quality, ease and sunshine. Designed between Sydney and Los Angeles, it was our desire to create resort wear for like-minded women, and the challenge of refining and punctuating an aesthetic with minimal lines, that lead to Matteau. The Matteau ethos is to be simple, considered and timeless with purpose.
Matteau campaign
IH: The cowl back dress is a new style that will be on high rotation for me over summer. Comfortable and effortless with maximum effect.
Matteau campaign
IH: This year marks our 10th year in business and we have a lot of exciting developments underway. We are expanding into the European market after having great success with focusing on the US last year. We also have some wonderful seasonal partnerships and category expansion on the horizon including eyewear and accessories in our not too distant future. For us the future is so bright we had to make our own sunglasses!
Matteau camaign
The campaign stars Veronika Kunz, photographed in Cadaqués by long time collaborator Morgan Pilcher.