Romance Was Born

RE:BORN NOW ON SHOW AT ARTBANK MELBOURNE At Cultivated, we start with what already exists - honouring the history, material value and design integrity of every furniture piece it touches. Through a process that is part restoration, part experimentation and entirely craft-led, each object is reworked and reinterpreted, emerging as collectible design with renewed purpose. We are blown away by the reception to it, to see so many people connect with the work, the ideas, and the world we’ve created together has meant so much to us. Thank you to everyone who has visited, shared, supported, collaborated and championed the exhibition so far. RE:BORN continues today before returning Monday - Saturday next week. Photography by @gavin__green Artbank Melbourne 18-24 Down Street Collingwood Monday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm

Melbourne Design Week has officially begun, and tomorrow we finally open the doors to RE:BORN. RE:BORN marks the most expressive iteration of Cultivated to date - a maximalist, immersive showcase where fashion, art and design converge. Set within an immersive environment at Artbank Melbourne, we invite audiences to reconsider material value and discover the beauty in reinvention. Photography by @gavin__green 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood Monday–Saturday, 10am–4pm Presented and curated by @cultivated with @romancewasborn Hosted by @artbankau featuring works from the Artbank collection Exhibition Design by @studioxus Facilitated by @cultdesignau as part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by @instyle_au , @loomtex.au , @interiauraau , @tsarcarpets , @yeendstudio , @wildheather_australia , @defy_design and @oslekcoatings Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio to learn more and explore the full program. #MelbourneDesignWeek #NGV @ngvmelbourne @creative_vic

Melbourne Design Week returns 14–24 May 2026, with 400+ events across Melbourne. As part of this year’s program, RE:BORN explores reimagined beauty - transforming overlooked furniture into new forms through a collaboration between and @romancewasborn @cultivated_au . More manifesto than display, RE:BORN disrupts assumptions and provokes a shift in perspective around material value: an invitation to pause before discarding, reconsider what already exists, and recognise that the most compelling design doesn’t always begin with something new. Prioritising local craft and Australian manufacturing, the project embraces a closed-loop approach where considered design and zero waste exist as the same instinct expressed together. Made possible with the support of our collaborators and partners, we’re grateful to be building this together. RE:BORN Melbourne Design Week 14-23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood. Presented and curated by @cultivated with @romancewasborn Hosted by @artbankau featuring works from the Artbank collection Exhibition Design by @studioxus Facilitated by @cultdesignau as part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by: @instyle_au @loomtex.au @interiauraau @tsarcarpets @yeendstudio @wildheather_australia @defy_design @oslekcoatings Sound Design @noah.mcshanagmunn Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio to learn more and explore the full program. #MelbourneDesignWeek #NGV @ngvmelbourne @creative_vic

JESS 💛 @jessicamauboy for @stellar wearing our Persimmon Print Organza Cape 💚 in collaboration with @_laura_jones_ 💙 Styling @irene.tsolakas Photo @stevenchee Make up @lindajefferyesmakeup Hair @darenborthwick #romancewasborn #rwbgirl #everydayromance

Introducing Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born. Contemporary Australian fashion house Romance Was Born bring their unmistakable world of imagination, craft and colour to RE:BORN. Reworking iconic furniture forms through the brand’s signature textile language, the familiar is transformed into the fantastical, blurring the line between fashion, art and design. “A big part of Romance Was Born is upcycling and reuse of vintage and antique textiles, enriching the life of a piece and creating a new narrative” — Anna Plunkett. 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood ______ RE:BORN is presented by @cultivated_au and @romancewasborn in conjunction with @studioxus , @artbankau and @cultdesignau . Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio. Photography by @lexilaphorphoto #MelbourneDesignWeek #MDW2026 #ReBorn

RE:BORN, our collaboration with Romance Was Born, has landed in today’s issue of The Australian.  It is a spotlight that marks a meaningful moment in an ongoing conversation; one that explores revival, material afterlives, and the shifting role of furniture beyond function into something more expressive, layered and collectible. “Disposal is a failure of imagination” — where others see an end, we see the beginning of transformation. Read more via the link in bio, or pick up your copy of The Australian today. We hope you see you at RE:BORN, which runs from May 14-23 2026 at Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood. Visit designweek.melbourne for more information. RE:BORN is proudly supported by major partners @artbankau @studioxus and @cultdesignau . #MelbourneDesignWeek #NGV @ngvmelbourne Words @annie.l.brown Images by @lexilaphorphoto @the.australian

JESS AND PAMY 💖 @jessjrowe wears our Pink Posy Tafetta Dress in collaboration with @_laura_jones_ 💖 “A dream come true meeting Pamela Anderson @pamelaanderson shows women how we can rewrite our own narrative and be comfortable in our skin. I wanted to dress like a garden for her @romancewasborn (she loves gardening) and I proceeded to talk AT her as I wanted to thank her for showing us how to step into the next act of our lives. Thank you @wanderlustausnz for the event & @vogueaustralia for hosting the intimate Q&A” #romancewasborn #rwbgirl #jessicarowe #pamelaanderson

Cultivated starts with what already exists - honouring the history, material value and design integrity of every furniture piece it touches. Through restoration and experimentation, each upholstered surface is reworked and reimagined - revealing new form, texture and value. A closer look at the making behind RE:BORN. 14–23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood ______ RE:BORN is created in conjunction with @romancewasborn , @studioxus , @artbankau and @cultdesignau . Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio. Photography by @fiona_susanto #MelbourneDesignWeek #MDW2026 #ReBorn

RACHEL ❤️ Goodbye Porpoise Spit, hello Rachel Griffiths wearing our Angry Tanya Swimsuit @rachelgriffithsofficial 🦩🍹💖 Celebrating 30 years of the cult classic film “Muriel’s Wedding” our much anticipated collaboration is here, featuring all your favourite RWB essentials!!! 🩱👜🌸 Limited edition capsule, we have only a handful of Swimsuits left!!! Remember you’re not alone, you’re with Muriel!!! ❤️‍🔥 #romancewasborn #rachelgriffiths #rwbgirl #murielswedding #rwbxmurielswedding

“For two decades, Romance Was Born has challenged what Australian fashion can look like. Blurring the line between art, craft, and storytelling, the house has built a world where collections function as cultural narratives, drawing collaboration and creative freedom rather than convention. In doing so, they’ve redefined Australian design not as minimal or coastal, but as expressive, layered, and globally relevant” @australianfashionfederation #AFF #AustralianFashion #fashion #FashionInnovation #romancewasborn

DAMI ❤️ Beautiful @damiim wearing our embroidered wedding dress from THE NOTHING Resort 25 collection ❤️ made from regenerated vintage laces ❤️ #romancewasborn #rwbforever #rwbgirl #madeinauatralia #tbt

Something beautiful is being reborn. This Melbourne Design Week @cultivated_au x @romancewasborn invite you into RE:BORN - a visceral encounter with beauty reimagined, where overlooked furniture and discarded forms are transformed into works of wonder and discovery. This immersive exhibition weaves fashion, art and design into a richly layered world of surprise, texture and delight. Objects once at risk of disposal are honoured for their history and character, restored and elevated into expressive new form. A celebration of imagination, transformation and new life. ____ Presented and curated by @cultivated with @romancewasborn Exhibition Design by @studioxus Hosted by @artbankau featuring works from the Artbank collection Facilitated by @cultdesignau as part of @ngvmelbourne Melbourne Design Week 2026 Supported by: @instyle_au @loomtex.au @yeendstudio @interiauraau @wildheather_australia @defy_design @oslekcoatings @tsarcarpets Exhibition Sound Design @noah.mcshanagmunn ____ 14-23 May 2026 Artbank Melbourne, Collingwood. More to come. Visit designweek.melbourne via the link in bio to learn more and explore the full program. #MelbourneDesignWeek #NGV @ngvmelbourne Image 1 by @lexilaphorphoto Image 2, 4, 5, 8 by @bellaquiroga Image 9 by @alanadimou