Meet Wilhelmina McCarroll and Fleur Sibbel

Meet Wilhelmina (Willy) McCarroll and Fleur Sibbel — two of the four sisters behind Melbourne iconic brand Zuster, representing five generations of Dutch family heritage — synonymous with fine craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Here are a few words we shared:

From Hieronymus Bosch to Marcel Wanders and Viktor & Rolf, there has been a long and rich history of innovation and creative Dutch artists and designers — what elements of your Dutch past do you bring to Zuster?

Our brand has evolved over the last 25 years, initially I designed collections, inspired by the clean line Dutch style of the Sibbel Houses and interiors. I used some of the butterfly handle details, featured in the Sibbel Houses as inspiration to create the Hero and Pearl collections. Over the years, since the launch of Halo in 2015, I feel I have evolved as a designer and developed my own personal style. There is a lot more layering of materials and I have refined every detail of the furniture. I’m always thinking, what can I add or remove, to achieve that really good balance? Wilhemina, Creative Director

When you replace traditional handmade craftsmanship with contemporary modes of making — what do you gain or lose in the process?

We love being an Australian brand and enjoy the benefits of being more flexible and able to move at a fast pace across design, construction & communication, while maintaining the highest quality. By having our own manufacturing across five factories, we can manage the entire process, from sourcing sustainable raw materials, to design, manufacturing, wholesale, trade & retail, following each item in production from start to finish and allowing our customers to follow their order through our live online tracking system…