Melbourne label R.Sport is reimagining what sportswear looks like
“We want people to express themselves as best as possible by combining our garments outside of areas that could be considered typical sportswear.”
Sport is held in high esteem in Australia. It takes on a religious quality – we have devoted followers, fanatical leaders and frantic fanfares. However, there is one aspect that is pretty lackluster. The fashion. Guernseys and satin look shorts have so much potential and people outside of the sports arena are starting to take notice.
One of those people is Anthony Puliatti, the founder and creative director of R.Sport. Sure, the Melbourne-based label pays homage to its love of sport, but it also respects the aesthetic of performance activewear. For those who play team sports in their free time, R.Sport offers functional parts. For those who don’t care about sport, R.Sport caters on the style front.
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As an autodidact, Anthony’s path was anything but straightforward. Inspired by the sportswear-meeting-streetwear style of stars like Serena William and Andre Agassi, R.Sport brings vintage appeal to its pieces. Below, we hear about the label’s journey so far.
tell us about yourself What is your fashion background?
I have no formal [or] Educational background in fashion. I’ve always admired good clothes and how people put clothes together. What has always been more attractive to me is sportswear [and] how it can transition from performance to visual appeal.
Grow up [I] did a lot of sports. more often than not [I was] wear sportswear [and so] the aesthetic has literally grown on me. I was really attracted and inspired by the styles [both] on and off the pitch, from Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, James Blake and Thierry Henry – just to name a few from the ’90s and early 2000s.
When it comes to design, I’m self-taught (with a lot of trial and error). I initially learned how to design garments while living in Cornwall, UK in 2015. I had plenty of free time and gradually improved my skills from designing to technical packaging to gaining an understanding of the aesthetic I wanted to portray.
How did the label come about? Talk to us about the process and the challenges.
Dating back to 2015, the label was originally a reflective sportswear label curated for early morning wear [and] night cyclists and runners, allowing visibility components for garments that can also be worn before and after wear [exercise]. I loved the concept and the products that were being developed, but my business partner and I decided to part ways after a few years.
From here I took full responsibility for the brand. As much as I liked the brand and the concept, I wanted to create breadth[er] Sportswear based on all sports, because that’s where I find a lot of inspiration.In 2018 my partner Christy and I moved to Melbourne from Adelaide. I changed the company name from kvRkr.Sport to R.Sport and refined the logo a bit. The initial name [was] hard to pronounce and I wanted to simplify the brand from name to concept. R.Sport was on the back burner for a minute [we were] Moving, but it was always on schedule. In my free time I kept designing to try [keep] Learn.
After developing designs and ideas for a few years, I attended a few textile conventions and met a few manufacturers. It was really important to feel fabrics first hand and to understand the process surrounding the making and the specific ethics [companies have in place].
The challenge from here was sampling and refining, which remains a challenge to this day as we are constantly researching products and trying to improve them. I will say that our rehearsals are much more focused these days, so it will get easier with time! After being satisfied with our small range of products, I finally started in February 2020.
Where does the name come from?
I get asked a lot of questions about what the “R” stands for, [so] I’ll just leave it at that [interpretation]. Many people believe that it is so [stands] for leisure, which makes a lot of sense, since leisure sports are such a big focus for us. But I like not having a fixed meaning (for now). We have also used ‘All Terrain Recreational Sport’ as a slogan and this is reflected in our love for all sports and sportswear.
How would you describe your brand to someone who has never seen it before?
I would describe it as versatile. While we are primarily an athletic apparel brand, we don’t want our product to be pigeonholed as performance-oriented athletic apparel. We want people to express themselves as best as possible by combining our garments outside of the areas that could be considered typical sportswear.
What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
I’m really proud to be able to do that [inject] bring personal interests to the brand and have the confidence and community to share them with them. I’m also proud that I’ve been able to build relationships [through] R.Sport with clients and customers who are now among my closest friends.
What do you wish you had known when you started?
Not much to be honest. Going in unconsciously was the best way to learn and stay curious. Not knowing how hard it can be sometimes was probably a good thing.
Who do you think is the most exciting in the Australian/New Zealand fashion scene right now?
There are many, so I’ll name a few. I’m lucky enough to share a studio space with my good friend Jasper who is now part of R.Sport but also does his own thing with his label Woat who we’ve done a few collaborations with. He has a unique eye for design, so keep an eye out for Woat. And down in our studio we have Into Carry, which produces Real[ly] beautiful upcycled tote bags. So I’m pretty fortunate to be surrounded by amazing creative people doing things that inspire me.
I find others exciting [are] Umi Nori, Après Studio, Sketches and Skengs, Two Five Footwear, Fantl Sport and Charles Lebrun.
What needs to change in the Australian/New Zealand fashion scene?
Since we’re pretty raw in the scene, it’s hard to see what’s going on outside our door. I think that I am on the right track with the awareness of sustainability [growing]. There will be conversations and education shared… but no one will be perfect.
A positive change and something that keeps evolving is a supportive culture [of] Cooperation. Brands begin [ditch] the mindset of seeing each other as competitors and combining communities, which I think is a win-win for everyone. It can be an intimidating space at times, especially in the beginning, so give time for those who ask questions [who are] wanting to start your own thing is really important because we were there.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
You can find all of our pieces online at our website or email us or DM us on Instagram to come to our studio and see the product physically. We also have select items that will soon be available in stores such as Sucker in Brunswick, Ultra Football in Abbotsford, Krool in Newcastle and Concrete Jungle in Brunswick.
Browse the R.Sport collection here.