Mary M. Remuzzi

Welcome to the next installment of Australia Journal, a Live Online discussion created especially for the Olympic Games and designed to give you a window into everything Down Under, outside of sports.

I'm your host, Mary Remuzzi. I'm a Live Online producer for washingtonpost.com and also an Aussie! My Mum is Australian, my father American, so I've got the best of both worlds. I've been lucky enough to grow up eating Vegemite sandwiches (they are really good)and getting to travel down to "Oz" a lot to see my relatives.

Take a peek into one of Dare Jenning's Mambo Surf stores located at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

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Today we're talking Australian fashion, specifically surf and sport fashion, clothing practically native to this "sunburned country."

My guest today is Dare Jennings, the creative director and founder of Mambo, a popular Australian surf and streetwear company.

Dare founded Mambo in 1984. He says his vision was “born out of the simple belief that almost any idiot could make a few dollars by sticking picture on a t-shirt and selling it.” His company now has 19 international stores with sales in Europe, the U.K. and Asia.

Mambo was commissioned by the Woolmark Company to design the Australian Olympic Team Uniforms for last Friday night’s Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Below is today's transcript.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Mary M. Remuzzi: Good morning Dare and thanks so much for joining us. To start off the discussion, tell us a little bit about yourself.... where are you from, how did you get into the clothing business....

Dare Jennings: I grew up on a wheat farm in western New South Wales and got into the clothing business because I needed clothing...

Sydney, Australia: Do you still spend a lot of time in managing your company, or are you enjoying the fruits of your labour?

Dare Jennings: During the transition period I am still spending a lot of time managing the company

South Bend, IL: Do you find that you design differently to appeal to your target market in different countries? Is there an "Australian" fashion sensibility that you could describe?

Dare Jennings: There are two aspects to what we do - one is the graphic art and the other is fashion. The art we don't change but the fashion we adopt to different markets.

Washington, DC.: Are you a surfer yourself? What are the waves like there?

Dare Jennings: I'm a mature age surfer...as the waves are quite crowded in Sydney I tend to prefer exotic locations like the Maldives and Bali.

Arlington, VA: What makes your Mambo fashion different from all the others?

Dare Jennings: What makes our fashion different is the graphic component which infuses what we do with a visible humour.

Arlington, VA: Have any of the Olympic athletes bought your stuff?

Dare Jennings: we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the athletes for our brand and the fact that we had designed the uniform seemed to mean a lot to them.

Mary M. Remuzzi: Check out the video link at the top of this page for a glimpse into that humor that Dare is talking about. I went to his store in Bondi Beach to check it out. Hilarious!

Washington, DC: Do you sell your stuff in the States?

Dare Jennings: We've had various attempts to distribute our goods in America, but we've made bad business marriages and some of our satirical Australian humour has tended to go over the heads of the American consumer who would appear to be happier with a diet of Nike hyperbole...

Mary M. Remuzzi: Tell us about how you were inspired to design the Australian team's uniforms...first tell those of us who weren't able to see them what they look liked and then tell us what inspired you. And were you paid?

Dare Jennings: The uniforms were far more casual than the school uniform-type outfits that we have been used to - no hats, no ties, casual shirts that were not tucked in, trainers, courier bags. The kinds of things a healthy 18 year old would like to wear. The inspiration was to see if we could create an outfit that the athletes would actually want to wear..

Mary M. Remuzzi: Thanks to everyone for joining us today.