Samantha Diorio is designing a realm of textured dreams. After graduating from Parsons MFA Fashion Design & Society in 2020, the enigmatic Australian designer is now the mind behind Ouse World—a slow-fashion organic label centered around ideals of usability, interaction, and play.
The label hosts a collection of sheer, sultry utilitarian knit- and swimwear that derive their usefulness by way of purposeful multi-functionality—without losing even an inch of elegance or sex appeal. Ouse World specializes in delivering garments that can “morph between sizes” and transform from one function to the next, while still transmitting an air of extreme delicacy. “I created something so much bigger than just myself that they can be enjoyed by everyone, whether it’s through the joy of being comfortable or the joy of seeing yourself represented,” the designer shared with NBGA.
Soft energy, audacious frills, light weightedness; even the landing page of the Ouse storefront stars a forlorn woman draped in all-white across marble floors in a moment of what looks like sublime contemplation. Her dress seems to float. In contrast to this airy hedonistic mood, there is a super utilitarian and sustainable element in Diorio’s pieces: a focus on deadstock, recycled fabric, a commitment to diversability and function, and a laissez-faire attitude in response to the dictates of seasonal fashion. The Ouse World vision is endlessly intriguing—just look at the recent Ouse World x Nike Kit Couture designed for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Read on to find out what the founder of Ouse World, Samantha Diorio, had to say about harmonizing contrasts, the connection between energetic/physical fluctuations and self-worth, and what exactly enticed her into the world of fashion.
First things first: origin. Where are you from, where have you been, and how does the atmosphere of your upbringing translate into your work?
I grew up in Sydney, Australia and I come from a long family lineage of female dressmakers and machinists. Self expression was seen throughout my childhood and young adolescent years in competitive dance and immersing into home crafts with my mom. I went to fashion school in Sydney and then I completed my Masters at Parsons in New York where I found who I was and what my message and values are as a designer.
As an individual/as a creative, what brought you to the world of fashion?
I have used my creativity as an emotional outlet from a very young age, whether it was through making knitted blankets, fabric dolls or outfits from plastic bags that my mom used to come home with from the grocery store. I found that my relationship to the body through dance and movement is what made me realize how pivotal the body is in relation to how we feel and express ourselves. It’s what continues to fuel my designs.
Sheer, sultry, shape-shifting frills and wet puffy fabrics are staple characteristics of the Ouse garments. The ethos of functionality and multidimensional usability comes through in your Tube pieces – 003 TUBE transforms from a skirt into a bag. 002 TUBE can be worn as a halter, a tank, or a mini skirt. How did you arrive at the idea of multifunctionality as a symbol of survival and as a way to foster intimacy with what we wear?
Growing up, I would always adapt clothes to fit my body. I enjoyed repurposing them to give them a new life. While developing Ouse World, I kept asking myself, “How can I make something that can continue to survive and defy seasonal fashion? How can I make something that stands the test of time within someone’s wardrobe?” The sheer and sultry shape-shifting frills occur because of the tubular technique technique that allows each piece to become multi-functional. The idea of taking off your skirt, turning it inside out and wearing it as a bag is a subtle nod to a post-apocalyptic world. There is nothing more intimate than the clothes that we wear and the love that we share with people every day. My hope is that these pieces evoke the interaction, intimacy, love and play that we all need more of in our lives, whether it’s now or in a post-apocalyptic future.
Talk to us a little bit about your relationship to self-worth. How did crafting clothing help you make peace with fluctuations – emotional and physical?
Crafting clothing that could house all body shapes and sizes is what gave me a sense of purpose and healing simultaneously. There is nothing more frustrating when brands don’t fit or accommodate multiple body types. When I developed these pieces I realized that I created something so much bigger than just myself and that they can be enjoyed by everyone, whether it’s through feeling comfortable or represented.
Ouse World is both delicate, sexy, and airy as well as utilitarian and functional. What inspired you to marry these two seemingly opposing ideas?
Ouse World is all about celebrating contrasts. Hard/soft, aesthetic/function, casual/couture, tight/stretchy, small/large. Whether it’s a dress that expands and contracts 5 sizes or a skirt that transforms into a bag, these frameworks are all a part of the conversation that I hope to create. Creating clothing that is equally aesthetic and functional was something that came from a need of my own and many others who were experiencing the same frustrations as I was. I think that playing on all of these subtle contrasts all at once as the foundation of the Ouse World brand evokes curiosity and brings the element of storytelling to life.
What’s one song you can always depend on to get you into creation mode?
“The Cure and The Cause” — Fish Go Deep, Tracey K.
Which emotions do you hope people feel when they dress in Ouse?
Beauty. Comfort. A sense of being at home.
If you could go back in time and dress the character of any film in your garments, which film or character would you choose?
It would have to be a mix between Shirley MacLaine in What a Way to Go! and Sophia Loren in The Millionairess.
Does the Ouse woman prefer night or day? Similarly, do you receive your best inspiration in the lucid light of morning or during the nocturnal hours after the world has gone to sleep?
They love both! This is why I create pieces that transition from day to night. Whether you’re having a fun day out with friends, or going to a wedding.
What’s next for Samantha Diorio?
My mission is to contribute to long-term change and give back to the world. I hope to create a non-profit / foundation that supports local Australian and New York artists, designers, causes and systems that are pivotal driving forces when it comes to discussions of sustainability, circulatory, regeneration, mental illness and women’s rights. Altruism is what drives me every day and gives me a sense of purpose. I hope for Ouse World to become a platform that soon contributes to that purpose.