Guardian Life & Style (US) • Jan. 16, 2026, 7:53 a.m.

When the brand relaunches later this year, its only hope of reclaiming some of the founders’ original magic lies in prioritising artistry over strategy In news that will go straight to the heart of anyone who spent 2008 sitting on milk crates, drinking vodka cranberries in long-line singlets, skinny jeans and fedoras, ie elder millennials, Sass & Bide will close its stores and e-commerce site for the next several months. The Myer-owned label announced the move on Thursday, writing on social media it’s “never too late to reinvent yourself”.

The plan is to relaunch later this year with a strategy aimed at capturing new markets. Beloved in Australia and abroad, Sass & Bide was founded by Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton in 1999.

Selling distressed denim, embellished jackets and singlet-dresses cut to flash side-boob, the Brisbane-born duo experienced a meteoric rise.

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