Female-led creative studio Dirt launches after stealth year

Creative studio Dirt has officially launched after spending its first year operating quietly across a mostly international client base.

Also known as Dirtverse, the studio was founded by Alessia Murer, Lou Wright and Amber Dempsey and works across branding, design, web, campaigns and content production.

The founders met through contract work before forming the studio, which operates between Sydney and Bali.

“It wasn’t a corporate pivot,” the Dirt founders said. “It was a recognition that the industry has a substance problem. We wanted to create work that is felt in the nervous system, not just seen on a screen.”

In its first year, Dirt said 85% of its client base came from international markets. Its work has spanned commercial property, lifestyle products and large-scale recreational developments, with a focus on building longer-term brand systems rather than short-term campaign assets.

“Year one was about the dirt - proving the work for a global roster that is 85% international. Year two is about showing the market that you don't need a 50-person agency to achieve global gravity; you need the right people,” the founders said.

The studio is built around a selective partnership model, focusing on three types of clients: founders seeking a closer creative partner, fast-growing startups needing sharper brand systems and established organisations looking to refresh their brand expression.

Dirt operates with a flat structure rather than traditional agency hierarchy. The founders said AI is used during concept development, but final work remains craft-led.

“Human connection can never be replaced. Unless you possess the high-level brand and creative skill to wield it, AI won’t be leveraged the way it needs to be,” the founders said.

Murer leads brand strategy and concept development, with experience scaling brands in the health and fitness sector, including One Playground.

Wright works across design, illustration and photography, with experience across food and beverage, health and wellness, sport, architecture, music and film. Her work has received recognition from The Dieline, Best Awards and AGDA.

Dempsey works across brand identity, creative direction, illustration and photography, with experience across studios in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK. Her background spans sport, wellness, hospitality, beauty and fashion, as well as photography across major sporting and music events.