IN STUDIO with Jackie Gallaghan

A series of conversations with designers, makers and creatives who create with intention and longevity in mind. We visit them in their studios,
homes and spaces - to understand the thinking behind their work, and the life around it.

IN STUDIO with Jackie Gallaghan

On craft, circularity and building a slow fashion house

JACKIE GALLEGHAN - MADRE NATURA

Jackie Galleghan is a Sydney-based fashion designer and the founder of madre natura — a label built around craft, circularity and the belief that clothing should last.

Jackie founded madre natura during the pandemic — not as a reaction to the industry, but as a return to something she had always known. Raised between European elegance and relaxed coastal Australian life, she creates clothing with permanence: made slowly, locally, by hand in Sydney. Showcased at Australian Fashion Week this year, her latest collection draws on elements of raw landscapes and sculptural tailoring - fluid, restrained, with elements of both strength and softness.

We visited her studio to talk craft, circularity and what it means to build a fashion house with genuine longevity.

madre natura feels like a very personal label — can you tell us how it began?

"madre natura came from a desire to reconnect fashion with meaning, craftsmanship and longevity. I had worked within the industry for years and felt increasingly disconnected from the pace of consumption and how disposable clothing had become.

My journey into sustainable fashion really began while working at Vinnies in Sydney, where I saw firsthand the overwhelming volume of clothing waste being sent to landfill. It left a lasting impression on me and shifted the way I thought about fashion and responsibility.

I started madre natura during the pandemic, with space for reflection around the kind of future I wanted to help create through fashion. I wanted to build a fashion house that felt emotionally enduring but also genuinely responsible.

But so much of the inspiration behind the brand has always existed within my family. There were photographs of my nonna Tina - always elegant and intentional, standing beside my nonno in beautifully tailored pieces. Contrasted by images of my Australian grandma Mary by the beach and around the pool, embodying a relaxed coastal Australian way of life. Growing up between those two worlds shaped me more than I realised at the time. One side taught me ritual, elegance and femininity. The other taught me ease, practicality and a more effortless masculinity."

“
I hope people buy less, but buy with intention, and keep those pieces for many years. Fashion should feel meaningful again, not disposable.
”

Jackie Galleghan

Founder of madre natura

You talk about ‘creating an optimistic future for fashion’. What does that vision look like to you?

"To me, optimism in fashion means believing we can still create beautiful things without compromising integrity. I think people are becoming more intentional with what they buy, and that shift allows space for a different kind of fashion industry, one centered around quality, transparency and emotional connection.

At madre natura, that shows up in every part of the process. We produce locally in Sydney, work in limited quantities, and focus on craftsmanship and materiality over trend cycles. We use luxury repurposed fabrics sourced from mills across Italy, France and Japan, alongside natural fibres and plastic-free trims wherever possible. We also think deeply about circularity and aftercare encouraging repair, longevity and a slower relationship with clothing.

I want people to buy less, but buy with intention, and keep those pieces for many years. Fashion should feel meaningful again, not disposable."

Every piece is made by hand in your Sydney studio. Can you walk us through that process?

"Everything begins with fabric and form. I spend a lot of time draping directly on the stand, sculpting silhouettes quite instinctively before moving into pattern development. From there, each piece is sampled, refined and fitted multiple times before production. While I oversee the creative process closely, the garments themselves are made alongside incredibly skilled local machinists and makers that I’ve worked with for many years. That long-standing relationship is such an important part of madre natura there’s a shared understanding of craftsmanship, quality and attention to detail behind every piece.

At the moment, we primarily operate on a made-to-order model, which allows us to produce more responsibly and avoid unnecessary overproduction. As the brand grows, we’re looking at expanding further into wholesale this year, alongside continuing to build our direct-to-consumer business in a thoughtful and sustainable way.

I love that the process still feels intimate and human. There’s real care behind every garment, and I think you can feel that in the final piece."

“
I want to create clothing with permanence. Garments that hold memory, that are made slowly and thoughtfully, and that people can return to for years.
”

Jackie Galleghan

Founder of madre natura

You showed at Australian Fashion Week this year — what was the inspiration behind the collection?

"The collection explores strength and softness through a very Australian lens. A lot of the inspiration came from reflecting on my own family history and the contrast between two very different worlds. I grew up around European elegance and tailoring on one side, and relaxed coastal Australian living on the other. Those references became the emotional starting point for the collection. I was thinking about raw landscapes, weathered textures and the idea of resilience pieces that feel both protective and sensual. There’s a strong focus on sculptural tailoring, handworked surfaces and natural textures throughout the collection, balanced with softer silhouettes and fluid movement.

The collection really explores that tension between masculinity and femininity, structure and ease, restraint and emotion which has always been central to the identity of madre natura. There’s also a deeper conversation around longevity and overproduction woven into the work.

Last year at Australian Fashion Week, we presented an existing collection rather than producing something entirely new as a statement against waste and the accelerated fashion cycle. That philosophy continues to shape the way we approach design today."

You’re also a mother — has motherhood changed how you live outside of work?

"Motherhood has changed how I live completely. It has made me much more conscious of intention - how we consume, what we prioritise and the environment we’re creating for the next generation. Becoming a mother deepened my sense of responsibility and sharpened my purpose, both personally and creatively. Outside of work, I live much more simply now. I buy less, value quality over quantity, and think more carefully about what comes into our home.

Creatively, motherhood has also made me softer and more instinctive. There’s a deeper emotional sensitivity in the work now that definitely comes from that experience.

I've also learned how important routine is - especially while balancing motherhood, building madre natura, and everything in between. I usually plan my day the night before so I can move into the morning with clarity. I start most days with movement. A walk, or swimming laps at one of the pools near home. I've always loved swimming - it feels almost like flying. It completely clears my mind before the day begins"

You can browse and order the latest madre natura collections at https://www.madrenatura.com.au/."