Distinctive designer comes to Docklands

Unique local fashion designer Paul Malcolm has moved into a design studio at 20 Import Lane.

His designs feature long, flowing kimonos and kaftans, head-turning hats, and handbags shaped like French bulldogs and dachshunds

“A lot of my inspiration is from 1930s Art Deco style, I love Japanese kimonos, I like the big opera coats they had back in the day,” Malcolm told Docklands News.

Every piece is a one-off design made in a loose, flowy style that can fit a wide range of body types.

“I think it’s really important that someone can have something in their wardrobe that nobody else has,” Malcolm said.

The name of his label, MalcolmPaull, came at the suggestion of his clairvoyant.

“I didn’t question it,” he said. “It’s going well, so she was right on the money.”

Despite more than 30 years working in the fashion industry, Malcolm has never formally studied fashion design. Over the years he has taught himself using YouTube tutorials.

Malcolm first launched his own label in 2013 based out of Greensborough, but found people did not really get what he was trying to do.

“People would come in and ask, ‘are you a costume shop?’” he said.

It was not until the lockdowns of the COVID era that he had the time to try again. Initially he was just making things to his own taste and posting them online, but pretty soon he was getting commissions from as far away as New York.

MalcolmPaull launched in February 2022 and has only grown from there. The label has now been featured in several fashion shows, including the recent Melbourne Fashion Festival.

The studio space in Docklands is owned by fashion photographer Anna Nguyen, who has collaborated with Malcolm over the past few years.

“I wanted a space for creatives to come and showcase their work,” Anna said, adding that she had offered the space to Malcolm twice previously, but he declined as he didn’t not feel ready.

The third time Anna asked him he decided to go for it.

“I thought, you’ve just got to back yourself,” Malcolm said.

Malcolm loves working in the space and said the feedback from Docklands locals had so far been very positive. •