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STANDARD PROCEDURE .

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE. 

A MEETING OF MINDS, COME BEHIND THE SCENES INTO THE WORLD OF ZEPHA JACKSON AND DION AGIUS AND THEIR BRAINCHILD, STANDARD PROCEDURE. ETHICALLY LED FROM START TO FINISH, BE ENGULFED BY THE TOPICAL SKINCARE COMPANY'S NEW JOY INDUCING BYRON BASED SPACE. SEEPED IN NOSTALGIA, BE TRANSPORTED BACK IN TIME WITH FLUFFY ORANGE WALLS, CURVED CUT OUTS AND THE ULTIMATE EGG CHAIR. THE EDITION SITS DOWN WITH THE PAIR TO DISCUSS THEIR PHILOSOPHY, AESTHETIC AND WHY COMMUNITY SITS AT THE HEART OF THEIR BRAND.

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WITH A LONG STANDING PASSION FOR ETHICAL MANUFACTURING, HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMED THE PRODUCT YOU HAVE CREATED IN STANDARD PROCEDURE?

ZEPHA: MY CAREER HAS BEEN A JOURNEY THAT HAS ESSENTIALLY CIRCLED BACK. I DIDN’T REALISE UNTIL RECENTLY THAT IT WAS THE IMPACT OF SPENDING TIME IN MY PARENTS FACTORY, AND UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS/WORKINGS OF A HEALTHY PRODUCTION LINE FROM A YOUNG AGE. SO WHILST NOT CONSCIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT, MY CHILDHOOD AND MY FAMILY'S INFLUENCE HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON FIRSTLY MY CURIOSITY ON HOW THINGS ARE MADE WHICH THEN TURNED INTO A STRONG PASSION FOR ETHICAL MANUFACTURING.

SO, WHEN RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE LAST YEAR DURING COVID AND BEING BACK HOME WITH MY ROOTS, IT WAS REALLY A SHOCK TO SEE THAT I HAD ACTUALLY GONE OUT AND IN A SENSE JUST RECREATED SOMETHING MY FAMILY HAD DONE BUT IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY. IT’S FUNNY WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE INDUSTRIES AWAY AND CERTAINLY DIDN’T THINK I WAS FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS, I HADN’T SEEN ALL THE SIMILARITIES, OR REALISED HOW INCREDIBLE WHAT THEY HAD CREATED WAS.

THAT FEELING WAS PAIRED WITH THE FACT THAT MY FAMILY DIDN’T HAVE A DIRECT TO CONSUMER PRODUCT, AND THIS AMAZING FORMULA THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PERFECTING FOR DECADES WAS ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS ETC THAT THEY SUPPLY TO. I WANTED TO HELP EXPAND THAT, AND MAKE IT PROPERLY AVAILABLE TO MY FRIENDS THAT HAVE ALWAYS HASSLED ME FOR TOP UPS AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. 

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EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF REEF FRIENDLY PRODUCTS AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT AWARENESS IS SPREAD ON THIS.

ZEPHA: I BELIEVE EVERYONE IS NOW AWARE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS OUR PLANET IS IN, AND WHY WE ALL NEED TO DO BETTER, AND WHY CHOOSING “REEF FRIENDLY” SHOULD BE AN OBVIOUS OPTION. WHAT I DON’T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD KNOW IS THAT THERE CURRENTLY ISN’T A GOVERNING BODY OR CERTIFICATION FOR “REEF FRIENDLY”.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS MEANS THE DOOR IS OPEN TO A LOT OF GREENWASHING. OXYBENZONE MAY BE THE MOST COMMONLY KNOWN TOXIC CHEMICAL THAT IS KILLING OUR REEF, BUT APPARENTLY IT IS STILL FOUND IN OVER 3500 SUNSCREEN BRANDS GLOBALLY. OXYBENZONE, OXINOXATE, PABA AND PARABENS ARE THE CHEMICALS TO WATCH OUT FOR, AND IT REQUIRES THE EFFORT TO DIG DEEP AND READ THE FINE PRINT, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND THEIR MONEY CONSCIOUSLY AND USE WHAT’S GOOD FOR THEM AND THE PLANET, IT REALLY JUST COMES DOWN TO GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE.

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WITH A DISTINCTIVE DESIGN AESTHETIC, WHAT DO YOU CITE AS YOUR VISUAL INSPIRATIONS?

DION: THE BIGGEST DESIGN INSPIRATION BEHIND STANDARD PROCEDURE HAS BEEN MOSTLY DIGGING THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF HOME PHOTOGRAPHS. WE SPENT MONTHS ON WHAT FELT LIKE A TREASURE HUNT BUILDING UP AN ARCHIVE OF INCREDIBLE PHOTOS, MOSTLY FROM AUSTRALIA, FROM THE 70’S THROUGH THE EARLY 90’S. RAIDING OUR PARENTS PHOTO ALBUMS, FRIENDS PHOTO ALBUMS, FOUND PHOTOGRAPHS WHATEVER WE COULD GET OUR HANDS ON. THE COLOURS, THE TONES, THE TEXTURES, THE NOSTALGIA THAT LIVES WITHIN THESE PHOTOS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS A MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR THE WHOLE SP BRAND AND FEEL. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD CAPTURE THIS AND REPLICATE IT THROUGH OUR PRODUCT DESIGN, BRANDING, IMAGERY AND FEEL.

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HOW DID YOU TRANSLATE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BRAND INTO THE PHYSICAL SPACE?

ONCE AGAIN, RECALLING AND DIVING DEEP INTO OUR ARCHIVE OF HOME PHOTOS PROVIDED A MASSIVE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR OUR LITTLE BYRON BAY SPACE, AS WELL AS CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.. I HAVE SUCH FOND MEMORIES OF SITTING AT THE BASE OF MY GRANDFATHER'S LARGE BULBOUS, FAKE LEATHER CHAIR PLAYING ON THE SHAG PILE RUG THAT ADORNED THEIR LIVING ROOM FLOOR. I THINK SINCE THEN I'VE HAD A VERY SWEET SPOT FOR A NICE SHAG RUG AND EVEN MORE SO WHEN IT IS ON WALLS, WHICH REMINDS ME OF BEING A YOUNG KID ROAD TRIPPING AROUND AUSTRALIA AND STAYING IN TINY LITTLE COUNTRY HOTELS THAT HAD CARPET ON THE WALLS, I ALWAYS LOVED THAT. AND NOTHING SCREAMS OR THE 70S / 80S LIKE THE ORANGE. VERY REMINISCENT OF MUM'S OLD TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS.

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WHAT DOES COMMUNITY MEAN TO YOU? AND HOW DOES THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR FIRST BYRON BASED STORE TIE INTO THIS?

DION: COMMUNITY IS AT THE HEART OF ALL THE SMALL COASTAL TOWNS THAT HAVE INSPIRED STANDARD PROCEDURE, AND BOTH ZEPHA AND I HAVE GROWN UP IN AND AROUND THESE SMALL COMMUNITIES IN TASMANIA FOR ME, AND ON THE SUNSHINE COAST FOR ZEPH. ZEPHA’S FAMILY MANUFACTURER'S ALL OUR PRODUCTS IN THEIR FAMILY RUN SUNSCREEN FACTORY ON THE SUNSHINE COAST THAT THEY HAVE 100% OWNED AND OPERATED FOR 40 YEARS, FOSTERING AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS. WE ARE HOPING THAT THE BYRON BAY SPACE WILL BE A PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HOLD GATHERINGS, BRING FRIENDS TOGETHER AND CREATE A COMMUNITY AROUND THIS NEW LITTLE SPACE.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILDREN'S GROUND, AND WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO SUPPORT THIS CAUSE.

CHILDREN’S GROUND ARE AN INCREDIBLE ORGANISATION LED BY ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES, INTEGRATING AND CELEBRATING THE CULTURAL LEARNING SYSTEMS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE. SINCE THE FORMATION OF STANDARD PROCEDURE WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH CHILDREN’S GROUND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD INCORPORATE WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING THEM IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE, INTO OUR JOURNEY. CHILDREN’S GROUND WORK WITH CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT LIVE WITH INJUSTICE AND DISADVANTAGE EVERY DAY, AND WITH SP’S ROOTS BEING SO GROUNDED IN AUSTRALIA AND ITS LANDSCAPE IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THE TRUE CUSTODIANS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL LAND THAT WE ARE ALL SO LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOW EXPERIENCE. WE WERE PRIVILEGED AS CHILDREN TO GET TO EXPERIENCE AND BE SHAPED BY WHAT THIS COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER, AND WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. WE HOPE THAT BY CONTINUING TO WORK CLOSELY WITH CHILDREN GROUND IN THE FUTURE WE CAN HELP SPREAD THEIR MESSAGE FURTHER AND SUPPORT THIS INCREDIBLE ORGANISATION THAT WORKS TIRELESSLY TO SUPPORT FIRST NATIONS CHILDREN.

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF STANDARD PROCEDURE, PHOTOGRAPHED BY CLAUDIA SMITH

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