The duo behind Australian couture label Master/Slave are certainly not slaves to the glitz and glamour of fashion, they are masters of creativity and construction. Roderick Ng and Eleni Kondos, the two brains behind the niche label, take fashion back to its purest form. From the beginning Master/Slave has revolved around the core principal of, “incredible quality and beautifully made fashion garments and this has not changed.” Says Roderick.

Even with the introduction of their women’s shoes and men’s underwear, this vision has remained outwardly paramount to their design process. “Master/slave’s clients are unique. They are interested in quality service, and quality products. And that is what Master/Slave provides.”

This is indisputable, when you walk into their little store on Liverpool St. in Darlinghurst Sydney and see their sewing machine sitting in the corner next to a mannequin that always has some kind of magnificent garment being shaped around it.

When we arrived in the store on a Friday night to do this interview a beautiful zebra stripe top with winged sleeves was in mid creation, a studded shoulder pad was sitting haphazardly on its shoulder, filled with excitement we said how great it looked. Only to be told that in fact it wasn’t meant to be there, someone had simply picked it up off the floor and placed it there out of the way. On closer inspection though, Eleni agreed it did bring something to the top, and then she flipped it round so it faced the opposite direction and just like that, with the flip of a cluster of studs, a masterpiece was born.

That is how things work in Master/Slave, the simplistic becomes exquisite, whether it be through a touch of embellishment or one of their innovative shaping techniques.

A particular favourite dress of mine on appearance seems simple but as Eleni excitedly revealed to me it was in fact a dress with a built in cape. Ingenious and fabric to die for!

Their homely little store is full of these unique garments,  “With women’s wear we are moving towards a less structured look, a more feminine style but still very strong in colour. We still mostly work with Vionnet’s cut and drape style. Madeleine Vionnet pioneered the “bias cut” and was one the earliest couturier’s that revolutionized cut and drape couture and made it her signature style. For menswear, though we are finding structure more and more important.”

Eleni and Roderick met at Sydney Institute of Technology. “We were both studying our Diploma of costume design. I wanted to start a small business making and designing t-shirts. Having had a fashion label in the 90s, Eleni pointed me in the right direction. We started meeting regularly and before we knew it we had a fashion label and a store. Today Eleni designs most of the women’s wear and I do the menswear and a lot of the business development.”

So is one the master and one the slave? It would seem not. When I asked about the name, Roderick confirms, “it is actually very much a philosophy. It is about looking at everything in a holistic fashion. Looking at design from every angle. Master/slave stands for a kind of life you can have. Whether you see life in black or white, whether you are one or another. It’s about having a philosophy that is all embracing and all potential fulfilled.”

Well their designs certainly seem to capture the “all potential fulfilled” part of a holistic design approach. Nothing is discarded, out of the question, too much or to little, each element of their garments pulls it’s weight ensuring every piece is a complete artwork. Whether it is from their Couture line, which is only made to order, and very limited in productions or their ready to wear, which is still limited in terms of quantity but more affordable.

Master/Slave seem to have every corner of the market not just covered but completely clothed although Roderick informs me that 2010 holds even more product expansion, “We just introduced Master/Slave Men’s Stretch Cotton trunks, which are doing very well be want to extend our product lines for Men even more, we are working on our new luxury shoe line for men.”

Master/Slave is a world of it’s own, a better world, where slaves and maids can become masters or mistresses of style and beauty with a just a few stitches.

Five minutes with Roderick

1) Describe yourself?

Independent. Private. Stubborn.

2) What inspires you?

Beauty.

3) Tell us about your design process?

Spontaneous.

4) Why fashion?

It’s the only thing I know.

5) How did you get started in the industry?

I was a make up and hair assistant in New york, working with Wallgroup NYC.

6) What are you currently working on?

I am styling, making films and organising my fashion show.

7) What’s next?

A book

8)   What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given?

Shut up and work! If I want your opinion I will pay you for it!

9) What is your favourite fashion memory?

I was a hair assistant to Danilo at Wallgroup NYC (He did George Michael’s Too Funky Music video and Mars attack! the movie), we did a shoot with Patti

Labelle and the Labelles for Vanity Fair magazine America. During the shoot, the original sixties Superstars started belting out “Lady marmalade” live! I was so young I later realised they were the original artistes that made that song famous, long before Lil’ kim and Christina Aguilera were on the block!

10) If you could dress one person who would it be?

Cate Blanchett

11) What was the last book you read?

I am still trying to finish my NSW Road Authority Manual to learn how to drive.

12) What are you listening to at the moment?

Pet shop boys

13) What is your all time favourite film?

Any film by Almodovar

14) Who do you admire?

Almodovar

15) What are a few of your favourite things?

I am not attached to things, but I love my photo camera.