TV

rejecting balance in favour of focus, and broad appeal for cult-like enthusiasm, melbourne label TV has wit and imagination to spare. their aesthetic is bold, uncomprimising and playful, betraying a shared love of visual art and cultural reinterpretation. producing a series of intelligent and quirky collections, designers monika tywanek and ingrid verner have built one of the most unique and exciting labels in australia, rewarding their core of fans with nine seasons of essential pieces and standout shows. TV's dynamism stems from its willingness to take risks. absent is the compulsion to stick to a working formula or dwell on past success. says verner: "we like keeping ourselves interested so we try not to get stuck on one thing and repeat it every season." instead, the constant theme across each TV collection is the interplay between verner's designs and tywanek's expertise in textile development. this relationship forms a creative discourse which regularly pushes boundaries. textural knits accentuate evocative form. shifting shapes are brought to life with innovative fabric treatments. the achieved effect is highly conceptual yet tongue-in-cheek and light. long time friends (the pair met briefly in high school before re-uniting a few years later at art college) tywanek and verner's intuitive partnership has yielded much critical praise. the pair surprised many by claiming the tiffany designer award in their debut season. since then, they have gone on to win over crowds at festivals in sydney and melbourne and are now perennially listed among label to watch. does this bring extra pressure? "it's certainly a motivator" says tywanek before adding "we definitely feel as though we're yet to reach our peak." that, just in case you needed it, is yet another reason to keep watching TV.