Tell us about Ohme Footwear. Ohme Footwear is a small Melbourne brand producing kangaroo leather goods from a studio in Brunswick. All products are made to order using locally sourced materials.
What is Ohme most proud of? Ethics and sustainability are at the heart of Ohme’s brand philosophy. We use strong materials sourced from people and places that we trust, and we make all of our products by hand. We don’t believe in fast fashion and aim to act as an antidote.
How has Melbourne surprised you? Although the footwear industry in Melbourne is small, the generosity is huge. I started Ohme immediately after completing a footwear course and had no sense of what the industry was like. Through my journey, I’ve met everyone from 40-year veterans to people in the same situation as we are, and everyone has been incredibly generous and amazingly supportive.
As consumers, why should we always choose locally made? Choosing locally made products makes us conscious of where these items come from. Usually, we’re only conscious of a product in its complete state when we first come in contact with it. In reality, everything we consume has taken time, skill and effort to get to us, no matter how large or small, natural or manmade.
What does it mean to you to be Made in Melbourne? It means producing all our products from our studio in Brunswick. It means travelling to the industrial areas of Thomastown and Coburg to talk and see our suppliers. It means supporting and being part of a community in Melbourne.
