Ubank x Ruby Pedder bold new collections

 

Rising Australian fashion designer and winner of Ubank’s Feel-Good Fashion Fund, Ruby Pedder, is taking her brand Rube Pedder (spelled with an ‘e’), to new heights with the launch of new couture pieces and a ready-to-wear ‘elevated streetwear’ collection.

As one of Australia’s largest initiatives for emerging fashion talent, the Feel-Good Fashion Fund provides a $30,000 cash injection to support the next generation of Australian designers with crucial financial backing and mentorship to accelerate their business.

Rising star in Australia’s fashion industry  

Andrew Morrison, Ubank’s Chief Product and Growth Officer, said: “Through the Feel-Good Fashion Fund, Ubank is making a meaningful impact in the creative industry by supporting emerging Australian designers where funding is often limited — and Ruby Pedder’s latest collection is a testament to what happens when creativity meets the right financial support.”

Ruby Pedder, a 24-year-old emerging designer based in Sydney, has been recognised for her exceptional talent and innovative designs. Her rapid rise in the fashion world has already seen her designs walk the runway at Australian Fashion Week, with her pieces worn by celebrities such as Katy Perry, BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim, rapper Genesis Owusu, and electro pop outfit Confidence Man.

Debut Ready-to-Wear Collection

With the backing of Ubank’s Feel-Good Fashion Fund, Ruby Pedder’s latest collections are set to reach even greater heights, as she expands beyond her signature one-off couture pieces into ready-to-wear fashion for a wider audience.

The limited-edition ready-to-wear collection, dubbed ‘elevated streetwear’ by Pedder, features bold digital prints, luxurious silk shirts, and a premium cotton cap.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Ruby Pedder said: “This collaboration with Ubank has given me access to opportunities I never thought possible and has firmly put a spotlight on my brand”.

“The financial support from Ubank has allowed me to explore ready-to-wear production while staying true to my artistic vision. Beyond money, the mentorship opportunities with Ubank are helping to develop my business and marketing skills, which are areas of growth that will set me up for success over the longer term,” she said.

Ubank research reveals ‘guilty spending’

Fashion has always been a rite of passage for generations of young Australian women wanting to express themselves through clothes, hairstyles and accessories. However, today many Australian women say they feel guilty splurging on fashion and other non-essentials, when money is tight.

New Ubank research reveals nearly half (46%) of Australian women aged 18-45 years said they feel guilty about their personal spending and cited spending on clothing, shoes and accessories caused them the most guilt. The key drivers of guilt in women stemmed from the belief that they should curb spending on non-essentials (49%), save their money (46%).

Feelings of guilt are impacting younger women (18-25 years) when it comes to their discretionary spending. A key driver of this guilt, cited by 48% of these women is impulse buying. Of these, 38% said having a financial plan and a realistic budget, coupled with better tracking of their spending, would help them overcome feelings of guilty spending. This is further highlighted with 49% citing they are spending when they should be saving.

“As this data suggests, it’s more important than ever to take control of your personal finances,” Mr Morrison said.

“The Ubank app makes it easy to manage your money with smart tools to set your budgets and track your spending, so you can feel-good and not guilty about your money choices,” he said.

Feeling good about personal finance

Ruby says teaming up with Ubank has boosted her confidence when it comes to her personal finances and money management, and she now feels more in control of her cash.

“Learning the ins and outs of money management has been a game changer for me. Feeling confident using the ubank app and being able to clearly see where my money is going, track my spending, and stay on top of my finances makes a huge difference – it gives me peace of mind,” Ruby says.

To help others take better control of their personal finances, Ruby shares her top money tips:

• Create a budget: I want to stay on top of my money and an effective way of ensuring every dollar of my income is working for me is by creating a zero-based budget. In this type of budget, each dollar is assigned to expenses such as rent, groceries, subscriptions, mobile phone. Be sure to factor-in savings goals to build your money up and include debt repayments such as HECs and credit cards so you’re actively reducing these amounts over time.
• Save for your goals: I’m stacking my money for specific goals and have a holiday fund going, I’ve also created money buckets in my saver account for a car, my emergency fund, and studio. These help keep me organised so I’m not dipping into the wrong funds when I need cash.
• Spend mindfully: To keep the balance between enjoying life and keeping my finances in check, I make a real effort to spend mindfully so my money goes toward the things I need and plan for. I find this really helps with emotional spending and impulse buys, which can leave a dent in my budget.
• Know upcoming bills: No one likes to be caught off-guard by unexpected bills, so I use the ubank app to see what bills are coming in so I can make sure I have the funds to cover these. Knowing you’re covered for bills makes you feel like you’re winning in the money stakes making you feel good and have confidence in yourself.
• Connect in real-time: Connect external accounts so you can see your full financial picture in one place – by syncing everything into one account. It’s a simple way to see your money in real-time so you can stay on top of your money quickly and easily, without manually tracking everything.

Banking on the future of the Australian fashion industry  

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC), Australia’s peak body for the fashion and textile industry, supports the ongoing investment in local designers, which aligns with their mission to support the success of its members and deliver positive commercial outcomes for the industry.

Jaana Quaintance-James, CEO of the AFC, emphasised that investment in emerging designers must go beyond creativity and include critical business support to help build a thriving industry.

“Fashion is not just about creativity—it’s a business, and success relies on strong financial foundations, mentorship, and strategic growth. Young Australian designers are bringing innovative solutions, from new raw materials to digital platforms, but scaling these innovations requires industry support and funding to turn ideas into viable businesses. That’s why initiatives like Ubank’s Feel-Good Fashion Fund are so valuable — not only do they provide essential capital, but they also equip designers with the mentorship and business acumen needed to create sustainable, long-term success,” Quaintance-James said.

RUBE30 giveaway  

Ruby Pedder’s new streetwear edit is available to new Ubank customers, via a social campaign in March, using the sign-up code RUBE30. The feel-good promotion incorporates selected fashion micro-influencers styling the range into their own unique looks.

As the most followed Australian bank on TikTok with 219,000 followers, Ubank is keeping the Feel-Good Fashion Fund vibe high for existing customers by hosting a TikTok Treasure hunt for a Rube Pedder streetwear prize pack.

“We’re incredibly proud of the impact the Feel-Good Fashion Fund is having, supporting emerging talent and empowering the next generation of Australian designers to bring their creative vision to life. Following last year’s overwhelmingly positive response to the launch of the initiative, we are excited to engage our customers and online community with fresh content featuring these bold designs,” Morrison said.

*For more information about the Ubank Feel-Good Fashion Fund competition, including the conditions of entry and permit details, visit www.ubank.com.au/campaigns/rube30 

 

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Media enquiries 
For media enquiries, please email Jacqueline Dearle, Senior Manager, Ubank Communications Jacqueline.dearle@ubank.com.au and media@ubank.com.au 

For more ubank Newsroom stories, visit: https://www.ubank.com.au/newsroom

 

About Ubank
Ubank is a multi-award winning digital bank on a mission to make daily money success achievable for anyone. We believe the way to get there is to give our customers better visibility of their finances, so that they can make more informed choices and build a more positive relationship with money. Ubank helps people to see the possibility in their money and gives them the tools to reach their goals. Expressed simply, our philosophy is that when you can see money better, you do money better.