The Brand Becoming Shorthand For Summer
POSSE's Danielle Mulham on French flea markets, Audrey Hepburn, and the enduring appeal of linen.
All it takes is a quick peruse of Instagram to prove that POSSE’s clothes have fallen into lockstep with warmer days. White cotton dresses in easy cuts, winsome matching sets, and gauzy fabrications dominate their offering — one readily embraced by women who use “summer” as a verb (or want to look like they do).
The mind behind the brand is Danielle Mulham, an Australian native who set out to design the world she wanted to inhabit. As her brand’s ecosystem expands — a new fall/winter RTW collection, a new store in New York’s West Village — I wanted to catch Mulham at this very moment, as she teeters on the edge of indie brand and begins the freefall into the big leagues.
Jess Graves: The POSSE vibe is for the girls who are always carrying tomatoes home from the market and catching the last ferry. Was there a real place or memory that created the POSSE universe, or did you invent the fantasy first?
Danielle Mulham: I feel as though I’ve been living and breathing the Posse universe well before the brand’s inception. The brand could then essentially act as a mouthpiece and visual output of the world I had wanted to create since I was a little girl. It is ever-evolving, as am I; however, it has always embodied its core values at heart since the very beginning. We are guided by purpose rather than pace, and are always in keeping with what feels true.
JG: How do you keep resort wear from slipping into cliché?
DM: Posse’s garments are designed to be worn often and remembered always. We have always tried to remain in our lane and focus on what our strengths are. Being an Australian-based label, a core reason our customer originally came to us was for her holidays or weekend getaways, due to our lightweight fabrications and ease in silhouette and design. With nearly ten years of the brand’s existence, we have slowly, and with great consideration, started to build out her Posse wardrobe. Last year we designed a few eveningwear pieces, and the reception was unbelievable. So much so that we’ve created a very special holiday collection that will be released in September, which focuses on occasion wear for our Posse customer.
JG: The Sofia Richie effect introduced millions of women to POSSE. Was there pressure to suddenly become louder, trendier, or faster—and how did you resist it?
DM: Posse has always gone at its own pace. It has taken great discipline not to compare and compete with other brands’ timelines, but I think this is a testament to why we are still loved and cherished as a brand. We are here for the long haul. We’re not trying to be everything for everyone, nor can we be! We have always had a true commitment to fabrication and to mastering our silhouettes, so that quality is never compromised. A garment built to last and to be worn over seasons needs this time and consideration.
JG: Your collections are full of pieces women buy for vacations and then end up wearing for years afterward. What’s the difference between a ‘holiday purchase’ and a forever piece?
DM: I love when a piece that was purchased with a destination in mind then enters the day-to-day wardrobe. This comes down to the quality and silhouette of the garment, and our devotion to material and make; always choosing fabrics not just for how they look, but how they last. Our L’Essentials capsule is one I have (pre- and post-children) continually reached for beyond all of my holidays. This is the core of Posse, made in our most beloved fabrications that feel beautiful on the body, in effortless silhouettes.
JG: You collect antique silver platters from the Saint-Ouen flea market, love vintage Prada trenches, and reference Audrey Hepburn almost as often as Australian beach culture. What’s the most unexpected influence hiding inside a POSSE collection?
DM: I find that my greatest inspirations often emerge from the world of interiors. Over the years, I have collected vintage wallpapers and reimagined them as prints and jacquards. I am also constantly drawn to antique furniture, and imagine what kind of garment might embody the character of a particular chair, dresser, or any other piece.
JG: You’ve said linen is the fabric you keep coming back to. If linen had a personality, who would she be?
DM: Linen is a storyteller. Each wrinkle tells the story of her day, and she has a lot to say! She’s also enduring. I have a lot of admiration for her resilience and timelessness. I’m sure she drinks tea, not coffee, and that she’s incredibly loyal to her friends.
JG: You’re raising young children while running a global brand. Has motherhood changed your eye for beauty—or just your tolerance for uncomfortable clothing?
DM: My mum taught me to see beauty in everything, but above all, to appreciate the beauty in imperfection. I think this muscle in me has only been exacerbated since having children. I am a world builder at heart, so my children only help me tap deeper into this on a daily basis. I love this quote by Marc Appleton talking about one of my favorite Interior Designers, Katherine Ireland: “One of the inevitable characteristics of most projects designed by professionals is that they are neatly finished - they are of a piece, in a word, “done.” Often they are so perfectly complete that one’s soul cannot enter in. There are no fissures or cracks, no worn surfaces or rough spots that would make one feel they could trespass comfortably and make it theirs.” Nothing makes me happier than seeing Posse out in the wild on someone who has truly made it theirs. It is my mission to ensure there is ‘space’ in the design for this.
JG: Tell me how it’s been opening in the West Village. Have you gotten to know your neighbors?
DM: It’s been a dream opening our first flagship store on Bleecker Street. I visited the West Village with my parents when I was very young, so the area holds a great sense of nostalgia for me, and today it is the perfect home for the brand. Later this week, we’re hosting an in-store event with delicious treats from Mille-Feuille Bakery and Tuckshop - for an Australian touch. Other than this, I take all my recommendations for the West Village from a longtime friend of the brand, Erin Pollard [of Underwater Weaving], who wrote a wonderful guide to the area for our store opening.
JG: Describe your perfect Sunday.
DM: One that starts with my children in bed with me, telling stories, followed by my partner’s glorious ricotta pancakes, paired with a long black coffee with a dash of cream. The perfect Sunday to me is filled with home-cooked meals (our kitchen is in full force over the weekends), one where no one is watching the clock, everything is unplanned, and there is some downtime for everyone - mum and dad included! Currently, my partner and I are designing and building a new home, so most of my downtime is dedicated to this. But on Sundays, I dedicate myself to my favorite part of the process - sourcing antique furniture.
Lived in my Posse white linen dress this summer-- perfect construction and weight.