HELENE RAVLICH: FASHION & STYLE

Mina Local Blazer

Natalie Procter is the designer behind the Mina label, which I was excited to hear is opening a store in Grey Lynn in the not-too-distant future. She too has included linen in her collections since day one, and many of her pieces are my favourites come summer and winter. “I love working with linen in our ranges,” she tells me, “it's natural, has just a raw texture and it is even more beautiful as it ages with washes and wear.” Commonly seen in summer collections, the Mina team has sourced a beautifully weighted, Pecan linen that can be worn year round. “We designed a blazer and pant that on their own are classic wardrobe staples,” says Natalie, “and as a set will see you through all the seasons.” www.minaforher.com Lastly, another local label that does a stellar line in linen is hej hej, who proudly state on their website: “we’re a label born from a healthy obsession with linen. With its intrinsic indulgence, holiday weight and texture that bows and holds in all the right places, it not only looks stunning and feels terrific, but has a whole personality of its own.”

They do some beautiful separates, and always in a colour palette to make you smile. www.hej-hej.co

However you choose to wear it, linen is undoubtedly the best way stay cool this summer. (HELENE RAVLICH)  PN

Curate - What the Tuck - $329

Curate - Sparkle Away - $279

ZEBRANO has now relocated to 22 Morrow Street, Newmarket - opposite Westfield T: 09 523 2500, www.zebrano.co.nz

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Helene Ravlich: Local fashion - W by Working Style

After 34 years as one of New Zealand’s leading menswear brands, Working Style have decided that it’s about time they revealed their feminine side. And what a beautiful side it is.

Taking the moniker ‘W by Working Style’, the Working Style team have unleashed a fresh new collection made up entirely of impeccably tailored garments for women. Made in Portugal by one of the world’s leading ateliers, Davion, W by Working Style is a carefully considered, elegant collection of over 30 styles that are made to order by the Working Style team.

The always charming Sharon Orquejo, who has been with the Working Style brand for over 15 years, has been integral to the introduction of W by Working Style, leading the design and curation of the exciting new collection. She had a strong vision for what was needed to create a collection that referenced its roots, whilst ticking all of the boxes when it came to great womenswear.

“I noticed a real gap in the market,” she says. “Our male customers always have been able to get anything they want made by us, drawing on premium resources from around the world. They simply make a cloth selection from a Cut Length Mill and then we make a garment to their exact size and specification with our tailors in Portugal.”

Now that option is also available to New Zealand women, and Orquejo couldn’t be happier, offering a carefully curated collection of pieces that draw on the premium fabrications and considerable histories of mills like Solbiati, Loro Piana and Dormeuil.

The perfect jacket is the base for the collection, with polished cotton mills, velvet, silk and tweed, just a few of the fabrications on offer. “The options really are limitless,” says Sharon, “and finally New Zealand women can have what men have been enjoying from Working Style for the last 34 years.”

I love that Working Style has also included local makers in the creation of the collection, with the brand’s very first New Zealand shirtmaker in charge of making a range for W by Working Style. The shirts are beautiful, and include a boyfriendstyle that definitely ticks all of the boxes when it comes to laidback chic.

W by Working Style also includes a New Zealand made suit that has offers a softer and looser silhouette than the Portuguese make and fit. “It is nice to have options” says Sharon, “and the New Zealand style is quite different from the other offering, which is typically European in influence – a bit more nippy through the waist and shoulder and impeccably tailored.”

The process has a collaborative feel, and begins when you make an appointment to meet with a W by Working Style consultant and play a key role in creating your own perfect wardrobe. Over a beverage of choice you hone your vision, trusting that everything will be taken care of to deliver contemporary tailoring crafted to your exact measurements and specifications. It doesn’t get much better than that.  PN