Art & Design

Meeting MIISHKA — Melbourne’s Facebook fashion success story

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What is MIISHKA?
Are you a female aged 15 to 30? Do you have a Facebook account? Are you passionate about fashion?

If you’ve answered yes to one or more of these questions then it’s highly likely you’ve heard of MIISHKA. MIISHKA is the brand and website created by the mild, meek and terribly sweet stylist, fashionista and vintage clothing lover Michelle Glitman…or Mish.

With over 24,000 fans on Facebook, MIISHKA is a lifestyle brand for girls and women — you can go there to buy unique, vintage and new fashion pieces, shoes and accessories. Collections are uploaded five times a week which showcase the latest styles from Australian designers. Check out their Twitter account, website and blog for more fashion inspiration.

How did it all start?
Like mother, like daughter. At the tender age of twelve in communist Russia, Michelle’s mother dealt and swapped clothes under the bridges of St Petersburg. In Australia, she took her love of fashion and ran a vintage clothing shop on Carlisle Street.

Post uni studies, Michelle decided to trade, buy and re-sell vintage clothing every Sunday at Camberwell Market. This, you could say, was the foundation of MIISHKA.

Last year she decided to shoot her very first collection via her Facebook page — a modest 30 pieces. In just 24 hours she sold every single piece. In three months she already had 5000 fans  —   locally and globally. And now, a year later, Facebook has become a community and marketplace for MIISHKA, with a fanbase that has grown exponentially from Melbourne to Africa to Europe and beyond.

We sat down with Michelle to talk about what’s next for MIISHKA.

What do you think of Melbourne fashion?
When it comes to fashion, I think Melbourne has its finger on the pulse. People are well read and educated. It’s eclectic, people take risks experimenting. It’s comparable to Paris, London and New York.

Which style icons inspire you personally?
My mother, she’s always wearing the weird and wonderful; Kate Moss, she gets it right all the time; and Aymeline Valade (the current cover girl of RUSSH magazine), she’s so multidimensional and this comes out in her look and beauty.

What’s MIISHKA’s forward look?
Think 90s, halter dresses, lots of colour, midriff, maxi skirts, cute festival dresses and denim shorts.

What can we expect to see next from MIISHKA?
More unique and fun pieces, the exciting re-launch of the MIISHKA website, events, videos and plenty more MIISHKA fashion inspiration.

MIISHKA’s musts for de-cluttering your wardrobe this spring:

  • If it’s not a signature piece and you haven’t worn it in the last three months of a season, you’re not going to!
  • If you buy something, replace it with something.
  • Create space in your wardrobe — you should be able to see everything at a glance.
  • MIISHKA ~ Secret Garden from MIISHKA on Vimeo.

Follow MIISHKA for your fashion fix on:
Facebook at www.facebook.com/miishkafanpage
Twitter: @MIISHKAMIISHKA
Web: www.miishka.com

See more of Jen Curcio’s writing on Twitter @DecisiveCraving or Decisive Cravings on Facebook.


Photo & Video

http://www.milkbarmag.com/2013/06/27/video-a-day-in-melbourne-with-designer-andrew-chen-of-3sixteen-new-york/

VIDEO: A day in Melbourne with designer Andrew Chen of 3sixteen, New York.

In town for the launch of the new MINI Paceman store, we join Andrew Chen as he explores the streets of Melbourne - swapping stories, sharing ideas and talking inspiration with local artists and creators along the way.