Sass & bide

sass & bide is an Australian women's fashion label. The label is known for being worn by Sex And The City actress Sarah Jessica Parker and, in more recent times, Madonna, Rihanna, Kate Moss, Beyoncé, Nicole Richie and Mila Kunis.

History

The label was founded in the late 1990s by Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke when they commenced selling customized jeans in a stall on London's Portobello Road Market. Motivated by a love of vintage clothing and markets, Clarke and Middleton claim that they commenced modifying jeans purchased from retail outlets, and cutting to meet their own tastes in fashion.

Clarke (sass) and Middleton (bide) first met in 1992, whilst in secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland. They followed different paths; Clarke studying to be an accountant, while Middleton studied at the Queensland College of Art and Griffith University, prior to becoming an art director. However, they reunited and together went to London in the late 1990s.

Fashion shows and growth

After their initial success in the markets, Clarke and Middleton returned to Australia in 1999, based in Sydney, they developed an underground following that led to their first seasonal collection at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in 2001. Subsequent collections were shown at London Fashion Week in 2002; New York Fashion Week, commencing in 2003 for eight consecutive seasons, prior to withdrawing in 2009, due to the birth of Clarke's third child. They have shown in London, since 2009.