With no external investment, Matteau is a relatively small operation. It has one store in Noosa that “is a bit of a secret” and a testing ground for product development. More stores are in the works, but the sisters move slowly, especially compared with the typical breakneck pace of fashion.
Clothing range from Travel Edit, Edition 2, 2023.
“We started with three tops, three briefs, our maillot,” says Hamer. “And we’ve evolved, but slowly. A lot of what we do is driven by what we feel we are missing in our own wardrobes.”
Sustainable growth is the game here, say the sisters. “We don’t max out the team. We don’t work late at night. If something doesn’t work, we put it to bed and come back to it. We don’t force things: if it’s too hard, it’s hard for a reason.”
Models walk the runway during the Matteau show at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2022. Getty
Retail is a good example, they say. “We know the potential of retail; what our little Noosa store does, it blows my mind to think of the opportunities,” says Hamer. “But we don’t kill ourselves about anything. And I think you can see that in the clothes.”
And these clothes, heavy on cotton and silk, are deliberately made with a wide range of ages in mind, a sentiment close to the sisters’ hearts.
“We are aware that we have aged in the eight years since we started the brand, and the brand has grown and matured with us,” says Hamer. “We have taken the existing customer along with us.”
A one-piece swimsuit from Travel Edit, Edition 2, 2023.
To that end, there are elegant one-piece swimsuits (as well as bikinis), and most of the ready-to-wear is on the looser side. Some dresses have cut-outs, but both sisters want a spectrum of apparel for women to choose from.
“It’s not overtly sexual. There’s a neutrality to it, it’s subdued,” says Hamer.
“We really believe that less is more,” adds Heinsen.
