Style Profile: Tom Westlake
Brown Stripe Sweater and Navy Reversed Skirt.
Every year, Dilettante shines a spotlight on an emerging talent from North Metropolitan TAFE, offering them the platform to realise a capsule collection. In 2024, that spotlight fell on Tom Westlake. Crafted by hand in Perth, his collection weaves together family heritage and contemporary design, where every piece carries a story in its form and finish. We sat down with Tom to explore the ideas, processes, and experiences at Dilettante that shaped his vision and approach to making.
Greige Layered Dress.
As the recipient of the Dilettante Mentorship Award for the North Metro TAFE class of 2024 — alongside several additional accolades — how have these honours informed your creative direction and sense of purpose as an emerging designer?
Receiving the Dilettante Mentorship Award along with other recognitions was really encouraging, and honestly a bit surprising. It made my first year out of studying a lot clearer to focus on what I enjoy most in my work, experimenting in design & sewing. It gave me the confidence to continue learning and developing my skills in each stage of creating a garment
Black Herringbone Jacket and Charcoal Reversed Trousers.
You have spent the past year immersed in the daily life of Dilettante, observing and contributing to every facet of a luxury fashion business. What insights or lessons from this experience have most shaped your understanding of the industry?
My year at Dilettante taught me so much more than I expected. From unboxing deliveries, allowing me to inspect the craftsmanship up close and personal to working on the shop floor understanding what the customer values. I got to see how many small, behind the scenes tasks are required to keep everything running smoothly. It really exposed me to the reality of the industry and made me appreciate the effort and care that goes into every part of it.
Navy Reversed Blazer and Navy Reversed Skirt.
Your capsule collection, created exclusively for Dilettante, is your first formal introduction to the public. Could you speak to the ideas, materials, or aesthetic impulses that form the foundation of this body of work?
My capsule collection is really an extension of the concept that I explored in my graduate collection, my family's heritage, taking inspiration from both European & Australian clothing throughout the 19th & 20th century. I returned to fabrics such as pin stripes and herringbones whilst also revisiting a sense of deconstruction through reversing trousers, placing facings on the outside of the garment and intentionally leaving seams raw and exposed. I wanted the collection to feel similar to my graduate work, combining traditional inspired garments created in a modern and more refined way.
Black Herringbone Jacket and Charcoal Reversed Trousers.
Working within Dilettante’s unique ecosystem — its designers, clientele, and philosophy — inevitably shapes one’s sensibilities. In what ways has this environment influenced your approach to design and your vision for your future practice?
Being involved in Dilettantes space this year definitely influenced the way I thought about designing the collection. I had to not only think about the type of person who I was creating these garments for, but also create them in a way to look unique in a store already full of incredible pieces.It really came down to pulling together my own personal influences from my graduate collection, the influence of garments at Dilettante and a lot of sampling over and over again, combining different techniques with different garments to see what worked with what best.
Brown Stripe Sweater and Greige Layered Dress.
Your collection will be in store from 25 November. What do you hope visitors experience or understand when they encounter your pieces in person?
I hope that when people see the collection in person, they notice the care and attention to detail that went into each piece. From idea to sampling, pattern making, grading and especially the way in which the garments are constructed and how they sit, move, and fit on the body. I also hope visitors can appreciate the thought behind the details and how each garment relates back to the concept. The collection is meant to be experienced both in person at Dilettante as well as online through the images taken by my photographer Dad, Simon and modelled by my partner Kate at our farm in Bridgetown. I wanted the clothing to juxtapose against the natural rugged landscape and reflect back to my original inspiration.
Brown Stripe Sweater and Navy Reversed Skirt.
Tom Westlake's collection is available in-store and online now at Dilettante.
Black Herringbone Jacket and Navy Reversed Skirt.
Photography by Simon Westlake. Styled by Tom Westlake.