Since its creation in 2006, directional label twenty-seven names has inspired a cult-like following. With art and fashion degree backgrounds respectively, designers Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart cite contemporary art as the basis for their collections. Their label is ever-migrating and can be found nationwide as well as in stores across Australia, America, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.

twenty-seven names’ spring/summer 2012-13 collection, Nine Lives, takes on the changing society and aesthetic of the inter-war era. Delicate frocks—ideal ware for a Katherine Mansfield garden party—contrast with the heavy denim shirts, the uniform of the working class. Bows and bowties blur the gender divide, and defined stripes contrast with petite florals, redefining looks once so absolutely tied to sex and class. Nine Lives puts a positive spin on a modern condition, celebrating how—like the well-dressed cat who presides over the collection—we have more than one way to live.