20 — THE SUMMER ISSUE
LITTLE NATIONAL POST
SCANLAN THEODORE WORDS Emma Macdonald PHOTOGRAPHY Bec Parsons
THE QUIET BUT ELEGANT ACHIEVER. When Gary Theodore and Fiona Scanlan started their eponymous clothing line out of a Chapel Street Melbourne shopfront back in 1987, they had little idea that 30 years on they would be dressing royalty and first ladies.
A
nd yet for their obvious success, clothing label Scanlan Theodore is notoriously shy, eschewing the glare of the industry spotlight to concentrate on a simple message of timeless design and understatement. It also revealed an altruistic streak when confronted with the realities of COVID earlier this year, being among the first luxury houses to sacrifice the production of high-end garments to produce Personal Protective Equipment.
Under the careful stewardship of Theodore since 2003—when Scanlan sold her shares and became a design consultant—Scanlan Theodore has become known the world over for releasing a core line of staples each year: chic crepe knit jackets, comfortable low-rise silk pants and modern, tailored trousers with seasonal variations including, very currently, floaty ethereal dresses. Its pieces have made global headlines when donned by royalty—Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
chose a navy mid-length crepe knit dress with cravat for her role earlier this year as Patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. It’s not the first time she has chosen Scanlan Theodore—having been widely praised for her sartorial elegance in a burgundy red peplum top that she wore in 2018 during her Australian tour. Similarly, First Lady Melania Trump settled on an ice-blue cocoon-sleeved crepe knit dress when the Trumps hosted an Australian Prime Ministerial visit to
the United States late last year. More recently, as businesses have grappled with the complexities of a global pandemic, Scanlan Theodore’s decision to devote its resources to producing Personal Protective Equipment drew widespread praise within the industry and beyond. Announced on its social media platform in April, Scanlan Theodore repurposed its Fiji factories to make medical garments desperately needed to deal with COVID, beginning with a prototype gown.