While DI$COUNT UNIVER$E may not be everyone’s cup of tea… Quick! Someone scratch a record! We’re not talking tea here, we’re talking really LOUD, spangly and amazing statement pieces that are taking over the world! If you’re into a more simple, classic aesthetic, then we suggest you go and infuse a cup of chamomile. All others, this way, please…
DI$COUNT UNIVER$E is the brain child of Australian RMIT Melbourne graduates Nadia Napreychikov and Cami James. It started in 2009 with very little cash flow, and, by February 2015, their brand appeared on the VFiles stage on day one of New York Fashion Week.
Their Screams and Dreams collection dazzled onlookers, as they ‘copped an eyeful’ of the gaudy, brash, loud, most excellent array of styles, all designed in their Fitzroy studio.
In the early days of DU, with limited capital, Napreychikov and James decided to sell a majority of their product online – at the same time, there was a blogger boom, so they decided to become both the brand and the blog, to communicate directly with their followers. They did limited runs of basic styles, outsourcing embellishments to Bali.
Before long, reps for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Iggy Azalea (hooray the Aussies) and M.I.A. contacted DU asking for outfits to adorn themselves with for appearances on the world stage.
The brand has also done collaborations with Hello Kitty, The Australian Ballet THREE – Japan/London Exhbition Project, Jake Anthony Collins aka. WHY DIE & Meadowlark Jewellery.
“It’s about personality, spontaneity, humour and irony, cliché and imitation. It’s our art!”
(as told to Patty Huntington at The Saturday Paper in 2014)
Here are some selected images from the DI$COUNT UNIVER$E Screams & Dreams runway show on the VFiles stage at NYFW in February, this year:
If that last image of the girls hugging doesn’t fill you with joy, nothing will.
The Garb Wire’s picks from the current collection:
Shop the entire DI$COUNT UNIVER$E range here.
Images sourced from discountuniverse.com.au with permission from the brand, with special thanks to Holly.
The Garb Wire 
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