Apparel Magazine // April 2016

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APRIL 2016 I VOL 49 I NO 4

iD fashion week pg 18 04 11 14 20 26

NEWS BEAUTY NEWS RADAR LOGISTICS INDUSTRY ACCORDING TO

FASHIONABLE

EDITOR’S letter SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION As Fashion Revolution Week is recognised around the world this month, marking the anniversary of the Rena Plaza, it is important to discuss not only the transparency, traceability and environmental responsibility of the industry but also that of sustainability.

Global fashion retailer H&M, which is due to hit New Zealand shores later this year, is a brand that openly and regularly talks about sustainability. The brand produces a ‘Conscious Collection’ that is made using only sustainable and recycled materials, encourages customer garment recycling, and has a voucher programme offering customers who donate their old clothes at its stores.

Both Adidas and H&M have been named among the world’s most sustainable corporations that was compiled by the research group Corporate Knights.

To determine the list, the group put qualifying companies through four screening tests, and then scored them against other companies within their respective fields using 12 KPI’s including energy productivity, employee turnover, leadership diversity, among others.

Beauty companies L’Oréal and Unilever also made the list.

In recent reports and articles, H&M have come under fire for its sustainability efforts, saying it is a front, covering up what is really happening underneath the surface.

However, H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson answered all the rumours and set the record straight in the company’s sustainability report.

“We are leading the way today within several sustainability areas and I want us to continue to raise the bar,” said Persson.

“I honestly feel we have come a long way. But, it is a very complex issue and we are certainly not at the end yet – there is more to do, for us and the entire industry.”

In 2015, over 1.3 million pieces of clothing were made with closed-loop material and more than 12,000 tons of

textile waste was collected in stores. Despite this, the fashion retailer continues to be raked over the coals in the media for the role it plays in the fast fashion industry.

“H&M indirectly creates employment for over a million people, mostly women, in the countries that manufacture our products. But obviously, we cannot just lean back and be content with the fact that many jobs are being created.

With our size and global presence, we are working to ensure that these jobs are good jobs and that the way we do business makes places better.”

And finally he had this to say about consumption.

“Consumption is necessary for jobs, generating taxes that pay for schools, hospitals and infrastructure, but also for developing countires to become part of international trade and lift themselves out of poverty. If people stopped consuming, society would be affected negatively and H&M wants to continue growing responsibly. Our growth must always be balanced by sustainable practices.”

This month’s issue features many New Zealand brands, both established and up-and-coming. We are proud to support New Zealand businesses and look forward to bringing you our ‘Showcase New Zealand’ issue in June.

Please feel free to get in contact if you are a New Zealand business that would like to be featured and support the industry that is uniquely New Zealand.

Sarah

sarah@reviewmags.com

ON THE COVER:

Sophie at 62 Models wears CAMILLA AND MARC Pablo Dress and MIMCO Moonlight Over The Knee Bootie.

PHOTO by Caitlan Mitchell

the NUMBERS . . .

Retail trade is the fourth largest industry in Auckland, with over 62,000 employees which equates to 9.2% of the total retail workers in New Zealand.

READS High Street to Homestead

By Angela Williams

Lovers of fashion may find it hard to grasp why Angela Williams left her luxurious life at Louis Vuitton in Auckland and relocated to a less glamorous homestead in Masterton, but the duty of family is always a powerful motivator and Williams could not deny it. Faced with the possibility of her family’s homestead being sold to strangers, Williams moved with her husband from their busy city lives to 809 hectares of farmland. High Street to Homestead tells Angela’s story of transition and courage, and the journey she has taken to follow in her family’s footsteps.

GALLIANO: Fashion’s Enfant Terrible

By David Foy

Very few designers have ever come close to the world-wide acclaim of British designer John Galliano. Author David Foy tells his story from rise to fame through to his dismissal from Dior.

While it may seem Galliano could never come back from his anti-Semitic comments, Foy highlights Galliano’s slow comeback, hinting to another period of extreme success. The culmination is a portrait of Galliano as a true fashion genius, endlessly creative and relentlessly pushing fashion forward.

IN THE NAME OF GUCCI: A Memoir

By Patricia Gucci

Zara, the world’s largest fashion retailer reported a €11,594 million revenue for 2015.

PUBLISHER Peter Mitchell - peter@reviewmags.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Tania Walters - tania@reviewmags.com EDITOR Sarah Mitchell - sarah@reviewmags.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Caitlan Mitchell - caitlan@reviewmags.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Thomas Fowler - tommie@reviewmags.com

Monique McKenzie - monique@reviewmags.com Rossella Quaranta - rossella@reviewmags.com

ADVERTISING SALES SENIOR DESIGNER

Josie McKeefry - josie@reviewmags.com Raymund Sarmiento - raymund@reviewmags.com

2 I April 2016

China’s textile and apparel exports make up 12.28% of the country’s export product share.

DESIGN ASSISTANT Marggie Pascua, Hannah Sames PHOTOGRAPHER Caitlan Mitchell - caitlan@reviewmags.com ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Kieran Mitchell - kieran@reviewmags.com ISSN 1171-2287

Level 3, Suite 9, 20 Augustus Tce, Parnell, Auckland, PO Box 37 140, Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 304 0142 Fax (09) 377 2794 NZ Apparel is published monthly under licence by Review Publishing Co Ltd. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to NZ Apparel. The opinions and material published in this edition of NZ Apparel are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated. All material appearing in NZ Apparel is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2015 NZ Apparel Magazine.

It is not often readers get a candid look into the history of one of the world’s biggest fashion brands, but Patricia Gucci has opened up in a tell-all memoir, taking us right back to her childhood and how she went from being the family’s guilty secret to the sole universal heir of the Gucci legacy. In the pages are a collection of love letters and interviews with Patricia’s mother, charting the untold love story of Patricia’s parents and how they fought to keep her safe during a time when having a baby out of wedlock was illegal.

Let us help you make the best match.

Call JACQUI 09 309 5020 or visit www.nzfashiontech.ac.nz

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COLLABORATION MARKS MILESTONE

Following its first successful collaboration with Australia’s national airline Qantas last year, accessories brand Bird & Knoll has announced its latest joint venture. In conjunction with Qantas, the brand are giving New Zealanders the opportunity to have their holiday photos printed onto an exclusive Bird & Knoll scarf, along with two return flights to any Qantas destination. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for luxury scarf brand Bird & Knoll. Since its inception in 2014, the brand has experienced considerable growth of 366 percent per year.

The brand’s evolution is a great example of the increasing desire for luxury brands, particularly in New Zealand.

NEW FLAGSHIP FOR SILLS + CO

New Zealand brand Sills + Co has opened a new flagship store in Wellington.

The new store is a carefully curated collection of labels, Caroline Sills, Sills and newcomer ISAAC + LULU, all designed and produced under the commanding eye of Caroline Sills herself. Located in the beautiful, historic Old Bank Arcade building, modern meets colonial plantation style with white shutters, concrete floors and clean lines. The store showcases luxurious and timeless fashion, carefully chosen homewares, accessories and plants.

Sills believes that with the help of their existing loyal stockists, the opening of a flagship store gives them the opportunity to fully showcase the collections and increase the identity in the market that is essential for the continued success and growth of the brand.

Wellington is shaping up to be an exciting destination. With fashion retail welcoming an injection of new international stores to the city, it is important that Sills + Co is a part of this new awakening.

ABOVE FROM LEFT: Offcut Co-Founder Matt Purcell, Parisian Managing Director John Crompton, Offcut Co-Founder Adrien Taylor.

ETHICAL SHOPPING APP FOR KIWIS

Dunedin-based social enterprise Sustainable Projects is aiming to bring Australia’s premier ethical fashion rating app, Good on You, to New Zealand through a crowd-funding campaign.

The Pledgeme crowdfunding campaign will launched during Fashion Revolution Week in April. “As Kiwis seek more information about the clothes they’re buying, they are finding it challenging to determine just how sustainable or ethical brands really are,” said Bec McMaster, lead catalyst of Sustainable Projects.

The innovative app will provide

4 I April 2016

ethical ratings for more than 350 fashion brands available in New Zealand. The easy to use five point rating system is focussed on a brand’s impact on people, the environment and animals.

Ratings are informed by reputable and rigorous third party industry certifications you can trust, like Fairtrade and the Global Organic Textile Standard.

“People are increasingly interested in where their money goes. We want to help them choose brands that do good for our world,” said Good On You CEO Gordon Renouf. Pending successful crowd funding, the app will be launched for free to download in August.

OLD SCHOOL MEETS NEW SCHOOL

Established men’s fashion manufacturer Parisian has teamed up with the new kid on the block, accessories brand Offcut, to create a collaborative cap. The Parisian x Offcut five panel cap is being released online at OffcutCaps.com as part of Offcut’s third collection drop. Offcut Caps have been producing caps since just before Christmas at their Christchurch base.

Parisian have worked previously with other New Zealand brands to create innovative and fashionable collaborations, however never thought that they would be involved with making caps.

“We are always open to collaborations that take us outside our niche, but never expected to be collaborating to make a cap,” said Parisian’s managing director John Crompton. “When Offcut approached us, we loved the concept and their philosophy and decided to offer up a collaboration. Having kept vintage tie fabric in an archive over four generations of business made for a great start to repurpose it into limited edition caps.”

The fabrics sourced by Crompton were from a 1990s end-of-line German fabric. “We knew we had created something special when we saw the first cap roll off the production line,” said Offcut co-founder Matt Purcell.

“We’ve now sold out of two releases in just a few days.”

As with all of Offcut caps, the Parisian collaborative cap is made in New Zealand from unused fabric and a tree will be planted with each and every one sold.

news

NEW FITNESS RANGE

SILKS NZ CONTINUES TO GROW

Sports and streetwear brand ilabb has collaborated with some of the world’s top athletes to develop a new athletic line, syndicate.

Since its inception, the brand has been rapidly expanding and as their family of action sports athletes grew, so did the need to create a range of athleticwear for them to train in. Back in 2014, the ilabb design team began collaborating with its athletes to create its very own athletic line.

Its team of world-leading ilabb athletes shared what they needed for successful training sessions, as well as road-testing the cuts, silhouettes and fabric. The resulting range not only looks good, but it stands up to the most gruelling workouts too.

Innovations in the syndicate range include, highvisibility fashion, glow-in-the-dark and reflective prints and detailing as well as advances in technology, including compressive fabrication to help mimic and support muscle groups and blood flow.

REVOLUTIONISING FASHION INDUSTRY Fashion consumers from around the world will call on global brands to demonstrate commitment to transparency across the length of their value chains during this year’s Fashion Revolution Week. The week highlights the fashion industry’s most pressing issues from farm to factory and celebrates the brands and designers who are already creating a fairer and cleaner future for fashion. With a presence in 88 countries, Fashion Revolution, established in 2013, is a global movement advocating for greater transparency,

traceability and environmental responsibility in the fashion supply chain.

Through a series of global events and online initiatives, every day fashion lovers will be encouraged to be more curious about the stories behind the clothes they wear.

Fashion Revolution Week marks the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster but represents the beginning of a long journey of transformation for the industry as a whole.

Despite closing its Wellington store in early 2014, Silks NZ continues to be New Zealand’s largest importer, wholesaler and online retailer specialising in silk with over 100 shades of Dupion, Powerloom, Taffeta, Georgette and Silk Satins.

Since the early 2000’s Sherazad Silks has been importing and distributing to spec working alongside local and overseas film productions, theatre, television and fashion companies.

Today the company runs all operations from its Christchurch branch. In 2013, the company launched its e-commerce site making it easy and accessible for both trade and the public to purchase stock.

Dr Anoop Bedi opened the first Sherazad Silks retail store in 1986 and moved to Wellington, where it soon became a landmark retail destination for lovers of silk. The Christchurch branch was reopened in 2010 as Silks NZ by Sherazad Silks headed up by Anoop’s daughter Biba.

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INDUSTRY ROBOTICS

3D FASHION

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston showcased its #techstyle exhibition in April which showcased an array of technologically advanced fashion-meets-art displays.

Included in the exhibition was Anthozoa, a 3D printed cape and skirt designed

by Professor Neri Oxman and Iris van Herpen, and the Harmonograph 3D printed dress designed by threeASFOUR and Travis Fitch.

“I think one of the most amazing aspects of 3D printing is that it enables the fashion designer to move beyond conventional sketching and draping methods and allows them to imagine and conceive a garment in three dimensions,” said Michelle Finamore, Penny Vinik Curator of Ashion Arts at MFA. Anthozoa was featured at Paris Fashion Week in 2013 as part of Iris van Herpen’s Haute Couture show.

SOCIAL MEDIA OF FASHION

A Rotorua woman has built an online community of over 70,000 people to help users decide what to wear. The website and app, created by Billinda Connolly-Tevendale, works by connecting people together and presenting the two outfit options to choose from. Users then vote on which looks better, and the results are sent to the uploader. “I often needed a second opinion that I trusted while out shopping for clothes, and I found my girlfriends weren’t available to shop when I was,” said ConnellyTevendale. The process is designed like any other social media platform, where people can connect with others they know and trust, or people they think have good sense in fashion. Starting out as a Facebook page in July last year, the concept quickly gained attention, with a website launched shortly after and then an app in December. “This is just all new to me and I didn’t think it would take off how it has. I’m excited to see how it is growing and how it is being used worldwide.” The service is free of charge, with users being able to log in on the website or the app with content being shared across both.

22 Thames St, Napier 4110 Ph: 06 835 9662

6 I April 2016

An automated sewing robotics system is being developed by an Atlanta company to combat increasing demand for high-skilled machinists.

SoftWear Automation have engineered a system that uses high-speed photography of up to 1000 frames per second, alongside software to determine where and how long to stitch for. Alongside the stitching robots, SoftWear Automation have also developed a materials handling system using vacuums to pick up and transport fabrics from one process to another.

“Right now we are perfecting the operations that go into producing everything from a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to prom dresses and suits. Our technology is advancing very quickly. Today we are able to sew basic patterns. The ASM (automated sewing machine) will allow us to sew these pieces together to form a finished garment,” said KP Reddy, CEO, SoftWear Automation.

news

ENGINEERED STYLE LOUBOUTIN GOES NUDE

Developed and made in New Zealand, Deuce Generation has released a new style of women’s shoe combining technology and trends. The Hewfield incorporates an engineered mesh outer, durable rubber soles and antimicrobial footbeds to make for a stylish and advanced sneaker.

Underwear, tights and lipsticks have all had the name ‘nude’ attached to them at some point, but now, the fashion industry has realised that one nude does not fit all. Recent years has seen lingerie and hosiery brands expanding ‘nude’ ranges to suit different skin tones. Even ballet shoes will soon be available for non-white dancers. Now French designer Christian Louboutin has launched a collection of flats in shades to suite all skin tones. Three years ago, the brand launched its Nudes For All collection that included two additional shades, Porcelain and Deep Chocolate with, of course, the signature red sole. However, priced at US$595 a pair the Solasofia ballet flat may not suit everyone’s budget.

MIKKO ARRIVES IN WELLINGTON

New Zealand owned footwear retailer Mikko Shoes has opened its first store in Wellington. The new store will showcase Mikko’s range of luxury European shoes, handbags and accessories. Customers will experience the beautifully curated selection of footwear the brand has to offer inside the Scandinavian influenced store that was created by Mikko owner, Michaela Longstaff. Longstaff travels the world selecting only the most luxurious footwear for Mikko. Stocked brands include Arche from France, Hispanitas from Spain and Luca Grossi from Italy. Currently there are six stores across New Zealand.

20 YEARS FOR CHOO

This year marked two decades of business for footwear brand, Jimmy Choo, which celebrated the milestone with an intimate dinner in New York. Rob Pruitt, Olivia Palermo, Genevieve Jones, Lauren Remington Platt, Cristina Ehrlich and Jessica Joffe were among the names that attended the dinner at new Manhattan hotspot, The Blonde. “New York has always been a very important market as it served as our first retail location back in 1998,” said Pierre Denis, CEO, Jimmy Choo. The brand has also announced plans to open two new stores in New York, one uptown and downtown as to reach a wider audience. “The opening of these two stores plays an important role in serving the city’s dynamic clientele.”

Ge t u o i s c i l y l Jel

with the original “Wendy” lace jelly wedges NZ distributors for Wendy & Holly Shoes

www.redcliff.co.nz

P 09 447 1440 infor@redcliff.co.nz

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SLEEP IMPROVING FABRIC

WOOLYARNS FOR BARKERS

This year, menswear retailer Barkers has collaborated with yarn manufacturer Woolyarns to create four knitted menswear designs and a few traditional accessories that compliment the New Zealand made collection. The collection includes a cardigan, crew neck and shawl collar jumpers as well as a beanie, gloves and two scarf designs. All of the garments utilise Woolyarns’ unique blend Perino Stratus, an everyday yarn of accessible opulence. With 70 percent Fine Merino, 20 percent Brushtail Possum and 10 pecent Nylon, the yarn combines the strength of nylon with the elasticity and breathability of merino and the superior qualities of brushtail possum. As brushtail possum fur is so light it creates volume without added weight, has soft, low-pilling qualities and a hollow core, trapping air to keep the wearer warm from the outside cold.

The halo-like layer leaves an impression to last a lifetime. This exciting locally made collaboration showcases possum products moving through from the growing tourism market into premium men’s fashion, utilising and exploring the exciting possibilities of Perino by Woolyarns blends.

A FIRST FOR THE SENSES Perino is a first in cashmere, merino and silk yarn blends with New Zealand Brushtail Possum.

So soft, it floats like mist along the body’s horizon. So light, it creates volume without the weight. So warm, you can be minimal with maximum impact. This unique hollow-core yarn fibre is a world of firsts, that won’t be your last. www.perinoyarns.com

8 I April 2016

Founder of sleepwear brand Lunya, Ashley Merrill continues to develop her collections to improve her customer’s quality of sleep. A new collection, made with Meneya, a proprietary fabric that is made from Pima cotton, Lycra and Celliant, a technical fibre stimulates cell performance using infrared energy and increases circulation. “We’ve been talking with Celliant for a long time and trying to figure out how to adapt this technology for the sleepwear space,” said Merrill. Crushed up active minerals make up the Celliant fibres that take the body’s excess energy and convert it into infrared light that reflects back on the body and increases circulation and helps with temperature regulation and sleep patterns. Merrill is currently working to blend this technology with natural fabrics, unlike other companies who are blending with synthetics.

REVOLUTIONARY 3D FABRIC

Teaming up with global textile and garment manufacturer the Yeh Group, Loughborough University is about to embark on work in 3D textile printing that could revolutionise the apparel and footwear manufacturing industry. The 18 month project, known as 3D Fashion, will see senior lecturer in product and industrial design, Dr Guy Bingham produce 3D wearable, full size, additive manufacturing textile garments and footwear with design input from a major fashion house. This technology not only has the potential to reduce waste, labour costs, and CO2e, but also can modernise clothing production by encouraging localised manufacturing and production. “With 3D printing there is no limit to what you can build and it is this design freedom which makes the technology so exciting by bringing to life what was previously considered to be impossible,” said Bingham. “This landmark technology allows us as designers to innovate faster and create personalise, ready-to-wear fashion in a digital world with no geometrical constraints and almost zero waste material. We envisage that with further development of the technology, we could 3D print a garment within 24 hours.”

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LYCRA速 IS A TRADEMARK OF INVISTA

MECCANO ACQUIRED

Vere Sharma, director, De Vere Investments

MATURE COLLABORATION

Local brand, I Love Ugly, have collaborated with tailor Cambridge Clothing to launch a new premium suit targeted at an older audience. The suit is just another in the list of products that have had the audience focus shifted, as I Love Ugly designers recognise the changing age of its original customer.

NEW COLLAB NECKWEAR

New Zealand menswear retailer Barkers has joined forces with Parisian to design and develop a new range to be sold in store. The range incorporates a selection of Italian made wool pocket squares and New Zealand made ties and bow ties, both of which are produced in the same fabric as to be interchangeable with each other.

“What makes this partnership special is that we came together in a truly collaborative manner and that has delivered real results. Not only do we each benefit from the co-branding, but the combined input into the creative process gives rise to a uniquely developed product,” said John Crompton, managing director, Parisian. Crompton said the shift in value for New Zealand made products has granted the two brands an opportunity to develop a partnership that has organically grown to now include a range of accessories.

“Having the ability to visit your production line in central Auckland is pretty much impossible in the menswear trade these days but it’s possible with Parisian. John and his highly skilled team are always willing to collaborate on new projects and being locally based they are able to move quickly with special requests and approvals when needed,” said Mike Kitchen, buyer, Barkers. The colour palette of the range ties in with the Barkers Winter 16 main collection, and is available both in store and online.

5 MINUTES WITH Kieth Thomas Director of Thomas Footwear

10 I April 2016

New Zealand menswear label Meccano has been acquired by De Vere Investments. Vere Sharma, managing director, De Vere Investments said he is dedicated to developing the businesses’ online opportunities. “Though it’s a challenging and dynamic time for the retail industry, with the growth of online sales and increased competition from New Zealand and offshore, we believe that if you do something with passion and focus it will succeed,” said Sharma. De Vere’s was established by Vere and Christine Sharma 28 years ago to supply textiles and manufactured good to businesses throughout New Zealand, which included Meccano. With a business relationship spanning over 10 years, former owners Sai and Cheryl Endicott-Davies said they were happy to see the company remain in New Zealand ownership. While there will be no changes to business on the shop floor, the Meccano head offices will be moved from Hamilton to De Vere’s Auckland office.

EMERGING DESIGNER AWARD

Australian menswear designer Jordan Anderson took home the title of International Emerging Designer at the 2016 iD Fashion Week. The win also came with a $6000 cash prize. “I think my strength was in my brand identity and I think it’s important for designers to have a commercial sensibility,” said Anderson. While the competition included 38 designers from around the world, the three finalists were all from Australia.

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Keith Thomas started his career with New Zealand wholesale distributor Bing Harris before moving on to running his own footwear distribution company. “I was Bing Harris’ top selling representative for three years, but left the company to pursue a footwear retail position.” Keith prides himself in bringing to New Zealand unique brands from the USA, China, Spain, Portugal, and Italy and finds great satisfaction in introducing unknown brands to stockists.

“I offer honest recommendations for retailers around footwear styles to suit their individual store and customer requirements. I provide indent with back up stock in season.” Keith travels extensively to keep in touch with the stores he stocks, along with attention regular industry expos in Auckland, Taupo and Christchurch. Having introduced brands including Geox, Caterpillar, Mack and having great success with Italian brand Mercanti Fiorentini and US brand Taos, Keith has no regrets and continues to find and promote new brands for the market.

Mark Frost, design director, Gieves & Hawkes

RAPID MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Just five months after replacing Jason Basmajian, Simon Spurr has been replaced as design director of Gieves & Hawkes by Mark Frost. Frost had worked previously as head of design at the Savile Row tailor since January last year.

501 DOCUMENTARY

Levi Strauss & Co has released a three part documentary series about its iconic 501 jeans.

The series depicts the history of the 501 and is narrated by an array of personalities closely tied to the company and history. The documentary can be seen on the Levi’s YouTube channel.

ICONIC POLISH LAUNCHES 1000TH SHADE

Despite spray lacquers growing in popularity, and colour changing formulas being on trend, iconic nail brand Essie has celebrated 35 years in the business and has released a special Retro Revival collection that saw discontinued shades make a comeback. The brand has also just released its 1000th shade. Described as a scandalous yellow citron, Aim to Misbehave has a shimmering pearl tone and in place of the classic white lid, it has been embellished with a special cap that features confetti and small 1000 symbols. As it is more of a jewel tone, the colour may not be as hard to wear as the traditional yellow shades of polish and the added shimmer will make it appear lit from within on the nail.

BOBBI BROWN OPENS IN DUNEDIN

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, the exclusive line developed by celebrated makeup artist Bobbi Brown, continues to bring the brand experience to life with the opening of Farmers Dunedin. This is the brand’s third studio in the South Island, and is the first Bobbi Brown Studio in Dunedin. To celebrate the arrival, the brand will be running several promotions throughout the month of May.

FASHIONABLE COLLECTION ANNOUNCED

Beauty brand Estée Lauder has announced a partnership with style icon and acclaimed fashion designer, Victoria Beckham, to create a limited-edition makeup collection, Victoria Beckham Estée Lauder. The collection will launch in September 2016 at select retailers around the world, Victoria Beckham stores and on esteelauder.com and victoriabeckham.com. “We are excited to join forces and bring Victoria’s take on beauty to her many fans around the world,” said Jane Hertzmark Hudis, group president, The Estée Lauder Companies. “Victoria is an entrepreneur in the true spirit of our founder, Estée Lauder, with a real understanding of what women want, and a commitment to making women look and feel their most beautiful. Victoria has a passion for beauty and we are delighted to welcome her into our brand.” Beckham is thrilled to be launching the limited edition makeup collection and said the whole process has been both inspiring and eye opening. “I had long admired Estée Lauder the woman, and the powerful brand that she created, so I am excited to offer both of our customers this makeup range and play a small part in her vision for women,” said Beckham.

KARDASHIAN FOR MANUKA DOCTOR

High performing, naturally inspired skincare line Manuka Doctor, has announced its global partnership with Kourtney Kardashian. Under this partnership, Kourtney will be participating in high profile marketing and public relation activities across the globe.

“I have been using the Manuka Doctor honey line for many years so when the brand asked me to be their global skincare ambassador I couldn’t have wished for a better partnership,” said Kourtney Kardashian. The partnership officially begins in April and will extend for two years.

The line currently consists of a range of product offerings to combat a variety of skin conditions from blemish prone skin to aging skin. Manuka Doctor harnesses the power of ingredients from the hive into naturally inspired, scientifically enhanced skincare formulations that are refine, concentrated and 100 percent bee-friendly.

MODEL TALKS

Renée Wilkins-Foster

LVMH TAPS RIHANNA

Musician Rihanna has collaborated with LVMH to create her very own comprehensive makeup line. The new brand, Fenty Beauty, is set to launch in Autumn 2017.

The singer has previously collaborated with MAC Cosmetics, represented Viva Glam in 2014 and launched her own styling hair and makeup agency Fr8me last year. Her seven fragrances have generated around US$75 million in wholesale net shipments. “Fenty Beauty by Rihanna is a beauty rocket ship that will appeal to a huge and diverse global audience,” said David Suliteanu, CEO of Kendo, that also produces Marc Jacobs Beauty.

At the young age of four, Renée Wilkins-Foster got her first gig as a model and it wasn’t long after when she started being featured in Farmers catalogues and children’s magazines. As a child Wilkins-Foster recalls her mother always being told to let her join a modelling agency, but was finally scouted years later in a supermarket when she was 14. A year later, after a lot of convincing from friends and family, she signed with Clyne Models in Auckland. Since signing she has been published in publications such as Fashion Quarterly, Girlfriend, Bride & Groom, New Zealand Weddings and more. Her biggest achievement so far is on par with her LG TV commercial and her Wrangler campaign, “mostly because they were such fun jobs!” said Wilkins-Foster. However, the biggest shoot Wilkins-Foster has done was for a Chinese team called Coven Garden, as it was her first time shooting with a large international team.

Now signed with Priscilla’s Model Management in

INSPIRED BY TROLLS

Beauty giant MAC Cosmetics has announced it will be releasing a Good Luck Trolls collection inspired by the upcoming Trolls movie starring Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. The colourful collection inspired by the dolls will include Can’t be Tamed, a sheer lime-yellow lipstick and Twerkquoise, a transparent sky-blue gloss with fine pink reflect. It will be available online and instores from July to August.

Australia, she plans to finish her degree and sign with more agencies around the globe. “Being a student means I haven’t been able to travel far as I can’t miss out on my studies,” explains Wilkins-Foster. After high school, Wilkins-Foster decided to pursue a degree instead of a full-time career in modelling as she said it was hard mentally and found she was not very happy at the time.

Currently she is attending the University of Otago studying a Bachelor in Commerce. “I needed to be a student and act my own age for a while and will get back into it when I feel up for a new challenge,” she said.

In the past she has modelled in Australia and thinks the New Zealand industry is very humble in comparison. Her biggest influence has been her mother and grandmother, “They are such strong independent women. They’ve brought me up knowing to expect nothing and work for everything,” said Wilkins-Foster.

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BeeBio Nectar V Shaping Serum is a stunning formulation of powerful ingredients. Formulation of powerful ingredients. We use the renowned BeeBio anti-aging Manuka honey formula combined with New Zealand Ponga Fern, Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Rosewood Oil and Grape Seed extract. Nectar V is specifically designed to lift, tighten and firm skin, and shape the contours of the face and neck. Nectar V is light and highly absorbent, working quickly to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and sagging, leaving your skin looking firmer and more toned. This special formulation has been developed to work wonderfully on the skin of the neck and upper chest.

Nectar V Shaping Serum is available now.

Soon we will be launching a world first in mud masks so watch this space!

We hope it makes you stop and think, judge, celebrate, damn, ponder, wonder, hate, debate or just appreciate the art? Is it stunning, is it shocking or is it beautiful?

We have a point of difference and we should celebrate it and shout about it!

Life is a myriad of choices and the world of cosmetics is no different. You have to differentiate and separate what is genuine, what is not, and what is just a case of the ‘emperor’s new clothes’? Just because a crème contains Manuka or Bee Venom does not mean it contains enough of it or at the right percentages in the correct formulation to be topically effective.

We could have played safe with a new ad campaign. The easiest thing in the world would be produce an ad like 90% of beauty companies. The generic beautiful face, with beautiful Photoshop skin, and a string of unverifiable claims.

For BeeBio we felt that was pointless. That is not what we stand for. We have a point of difference. Everything we do and every product we create is about being genuinely the best. We use the best and highest quality ingredients and manufacture in New Zealand to the highest standards. We genuinely believe it is ‘the best beauty product to ever touch your skin’.

BeeBio is spectacularly different when we get down to the essence of the product. We only use minimum of 16+ Medical Grade Manuka Honey. We only use pure Bee Venom and pure Royal Jelly. We use powerful active botanicals and all our active ingredients come from New Zealand. Our formulas are proprietary, require higher volumes of Manuka and Bee Venom and the other key actives and have proven independent scientific support.

Put simply, BeeBio anti-aging skincare is the real deal. A no compromise genuine luxury.

Best in class!

We chose to work with renowned artist Blake Little having seen his spectacular series ‘PRESERVATION’ where he utilised honey to coat the models.

The series is stunningly original and breathtaking and the theme is a perfect fit for BeeBio. BeeBio is about preservation of skin health, youth and enhancing your own personal beauty. Look the best you can at whatever your age. Medical Grade Manuka Honey is a natural preservative, natural antibiotic, antioxidant and natural humectant.

We use the best.

BEEBIOSKIN.COM

‘Preservation’ series by renowned photographer Blake Little includes Sarah, Front.

‘Preservation’ by BeeBio is a natural multi-functional anti-aging skincare range. Created and produced in New Zealand using only the finest medical grade Manuka Honey, pure Bee Venom and native New Zealand botanicals. BeeBio proprietary formulations have highly effective anti-aging and youth enhancing benefits. BeeBio is the highest quality Manuka Honey and Bee Venom skincare product, using higher volumes of effective active ingredients.

Available from T Galleria, East Side Studio +64 09 379 2706 and leading retailers.

www.beebioskin.com

POP NAILS

Fashion-forward manicure business, POP Nails, is quickly approaching its one-year anniversary at Dry & Tea Cityworks. The popular nail station will now be opening a second location in Dry & Tea’s Britomart salon. In just two short years, POP Nails grew rapidly from a small home business to a brand with now two CBD locations and a long list of loyal fans dedicated to supporting local founder Imogene Bevan. Bevan has welcomed a new set of skilled manicure experts to work at the Britomart location, but will be dividing her time between the two locations to ensure consistency of the brand. As the demand for unique and personalised nail art rises, POP Nails’ designs have made a huge impact on their customers as well as the local beauty industry.

Bevan’s interest in nails blossomed from being grounded all the time when she was younger, spending countless hours in her bedroom. She would do her nails over and over, she would even do her friends nails for parties that she wasn’t allowed to go to. After being inspired by nail art coming out of New York and Paris, she knew there was nothing like that being offered in NZ. Previously she was working in styling, wardrobe and make-up but says that nails really resonated with her. Bevan believes the current service model for nails in New Zealand is quite underwhelming.

“Value and service are two of my key pillars for POP Nails,” she said. There may be nail bars everywhere packed with manicurists and customers, but says

there is not very much care taken in the customer’s experience. Her focus has been to build a following based on a high standard of customer service and a range of nail art and treatments that are carried out with care. “I still love the day-to-day service aspect of the business. I love my clients and really enjoy being part of their routine. Creating their art and watching them leave the salon with a smile on their face is still the biggest reason I love what I do,” explains Bevan.

With the opening of her second location, she is now able to spend more time on other aspects of the business. For example, Bevan is currently working on curating her own unique range of POP retail products along with a selection of beauty products from around the world.

THE OTHERS

A new modelling agency has been born aiming to bring more diversity to the New Zealand fashion industry. Late last year Imogen Wilson and Angela Bevan couldn’t agree more not just about the lack of diversity in models, but the agencies too. Together they wanted to create an agency that was filled with interesting people and rewired the way a normal agency was run.

“We wanted something that was a bit more organic and run on the model’s terms, not the agencies. We also wanted to offer street casting and general casting services, which nobody does on a small scale here in NZ,” explains Wilson.

Bevan describes her working history as “weird” as she has spent half of it in the fashion industry and half in social services.“I guess I just like people,” said Bevan. When she was in seventh form in high school she worked for new local designer Karen Walker, where she learned a huge amount from both Karen and her husband Mikhail. In the 90’s Bevan started a small agency called ‘Hoipolloi’ because she felt there was a lack of diversity and still feels the same today. Wilson left high school early and hasn’t studied since. “As a creative you can learn most things from internships, assisting and making lots of mistakes,” said Wilson. She has spent the last few years working as a freelance stylist as well as working in-house for a few stores and local designers, but it was only half way through last year that she started taking photos too. The Others plans to create more of a ‘family vibe’, where communication is key and the talent they represent have a strong sense of style and following. Wilson and Bevan understand that everyone has their own personal brand and image, so they believe if the person doesn’t like the sound of a job or just simply don’t want to do it - they don’t. “We’re aiming to do things pretty differently,” says Bevan.

14 I April 2016

JACK HILL

Growing up on a vineyard in Waipara, Jack Hill was passionate about painting and photography and attended school in Christchurch. Even at a very young age, Hill took what he wore seriously. “I used to wear some pretty eccentric outfits before I started primary school and my parents would let me wear whatever I wanted so I would have all of these outfits that I had put together,” Hill explained. “Some of the outfits included dresses, sailors hats, gumboots, tie dye leggings and even accessories like bags and wands.” In high school, Hill designed a lot of clothing illustrations in his painting classes and it frustrated him that he could not make any of it in reality. At the time, he thought he would study Fine Arts but in that moment changed to study Fashion Design at Massey in Wellington.

Soon after he worked as a sample machinist on minimum wage, then left to pursue creating his own business. Jack Hill is still a one man band, but has two friends that come in and sew part time when he is in production. Hill is looking to have someone come on full time in the near future. In the past he has had a small amount of manufacturing done and used to use outworkers to make some of his garments.

However, he has found that it is cheaper and more time efficient to produce everything himself. With his first store already open in Dunedin on George Street and is stocked in Infinite Definite in Christchurch, Hill says his next step is looking for more retailers in areas he is not stocked in yet. He believes it is hard for retailers to take any new label seriously and points out that this is no phase for him. On top of that he wants to create faster paced collections with smaller unit numbers and spread into shops that appreciate what up and coming designers like him are doing.

MARS

Holly Marbeck loved to make earrings for herself by using clay and making molds with different mediums.

The more she experimented the more things started to evolve organically. People kept commenting on her new creations and says that Mars was created by accident. Straight out of high school she decided she wanted to be in fashion, but thought she should get some business knowledge first. She quickly enrolled in a business course but decided it wasn’t for her after one semester. Currently she is in her final year at AUT, Marbeck is now majoring in Fashion and minoring in Creative Entrepreneurship. Last year she started interning at Georgia Alice and is now working there twice a week in between her studies. She remembers falling in love with a baby pink outfit that was from Urban Angel when she was very young. “I thought it was the coolest most amazing outfit, I was wrong,” explains Marbeck.

Her grandmother was a seamstress, but it was her mother that taught her to sew and helped her make a mint green pair of shorts that she then decided to paint pictures of neon crayons onto. “I was so proud of them... and also clearly delusional,” she said jokingly.

Now down the track with the creation of her new brand’s earrings, the making inherently informs the design and believes that one cannot exist without the other. One of Marbeck’s favourite parts of the process is the organic nature of them and that no two are ever the same. “It can be frustrating because I’ll make one amazing pair and then as soon as you try to recreate that it will go horribly wrong,” she said. “I think that is kind of the magic of them though, that there will always be an element of surprise in how they turn out.”

Mars is stocked in Blackbox Boutique and is currently in the works of setting up an online store. Marbeck says she is always looking for amazing things that excite her and trying new styles.

CREATIVE COMMON OCCUPATION Creative Common Occupation was created by a group of friends from AUT’s Fashion Design Class of 2015 where they all first met and quickly became close friends. Brendon Lee, Nicola Luey, Georgia Bretnall, Lulu Liu, Joseph Churches, Claire Nicholson, Monique Burgess, Jack Chen, Courtney Pellow and Tia Feng are the recent graduates that make up CCO. They were all united by a deep love of fashion and their vastly different design languages.

The ten young designers came from a range of high schools scattered around Auckland with all types of experience. For some, it was something they were born to do. For others, it was an idea that blossomed in high school while stumbling across a late Vogue in the library. This particular collective group is driven by their desire to sustain themselves by creating well designed clothes and interacting with their customers. Their first pop-up shop was in Chancery Square sponsored by Pop Up Now and Heart Of The City’s ‘10 Days of Fashion’.

The fit-out and furniture were sponsored by Cult. Each designer’s influences and inspirations

are clearly present and are strongly reflected in each collection. Some of the designers build their collection by reconstructing pre-loved garments, while others make theirs from scratch within the studio and some liaise with industry machinists to create pieces. As a team they all value design integrity, well-made garments and genuine customer interaction. They believe translating their individualistic styles into innovative garments is extremely important as they are shaping the next generation of New Zealand fashion.

Their future plans are to have more CCO showrooms throughout the year while building brand awareness and maintaining a presence as emerging designers in New Zealand.

“CCO acts much like an incubator for fashion design graduates, teaching them business skills and giving the necessary experience so they can thrive when they begin their labels independently,” explains Tia Feng. Their aim is to maintain a sustainable business that allows them to keep doing what they love and to later introduce more emerging designers.

JOJO ROSS

After graduating from Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin, Jojo Ross was selected to be featured in iD International Emerging Designer Awards, iD’s Railway Show and Australian Graduates Fashion Week all in 2012. Soon after she was picked up by Italian Vogue and featured in their fashions Future Generation of Talents in their September issue. Not Just A Label then spotted the young Kiwi designer and chose her as one of a hundred designers from across the globe to showcase in Origin Passion and Beliefs in Vincenza, Italy. Lady Gaga and Tinashe’s styling teams have even requested Ross’ garments.

Unsure of how she got into fashion, Ross says she was quite the tomboy until she was about 12 years old and never wanted to be the same as others around her. “I vaguely remember looking through a fashion magazine one day and it clicked, like oh right, this is what I’ve been looking for, done. And I’ve never looked back,” explained Ross. Ross learned how to sew at school even though she failed her first sewing license and wasn’t allowed to finish her pillowcase. The next year she made a bag and her mother still uses it to this day.

The self-proclaimed ‘crafty maker’ has a very hands-on approach to design. In the design process Ross starts with basic sketches and silhouettes, then continues to start sewing, gluing and taping. Ross makes the sample collection but the pieces that are being sold have been manufactured. “I’m absolutely obsessed with detail, finish and quality.

I’m a perfectionist. I really hope this comes across and is valued by my customers,” she said. Jojo Ross is available to buy online and is also stocked in two stores, Children of Vision and Company of Strangers. She finds that her biggest inspiration for her collections is being inspired. Describing the feeling of simply being inspired is ‘such a wonderful feeling’ and believes that this is what drives one to create.

apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 15

colour trending

G Burberry Resene Redemption Blue

Creatures of the Wind Resene Bullseye

Lacoste Resene Adrenalin

Louis Vuitton Resene Blackout

LOSSED OVER While it may seem high gloss fashion is relegated to patent leather and PVC jackets, designers have pushed the envelope and presented an array of multi-coloured and diverse range of glossed over runway creations.

Nina Ricci Resene Irish Coffee

Porenza Schouler Resene Alamo

Design can be as simple as taking a traditional garment and silhouette, and refabricating it into something completely different. This was the method for a Proenza Schouler jacket, which at first glance may not seem all too original, but is seen the way it moves and catches the light, the high gloss finish on the PVC in a colour similar to Resene Alamo.

“It’s about control and release. Last season we were peeling away the layers, this season we were putting them back together again,” said Lazaro Hernandez, designer, Proenza Schoulder.

Another case of replicating something in new material comes from Burberry, which showed its regular line of trench coats with the addition of a glossed dark navy fabric in a colour akin to Resene Redemption Blue.

The inclusion of an otherwise unusual fabric makes sense when considering Christopher Bailey, ceo and chief creative officer, drew inspiration from David Bowie. Along with Bowie’s influence, there were elements of ‘70s glam-rock alongside the

Valentino Resene Conundrum

Tome Resene All Black

inevitable tomboy attitude.

Described as the French Ski Team coming together with old Atari graphics, creative director, Felipe Oliveira has produced a collection for Lacoste that not only respects its sportswear roots, but helps deliver it into contemporary design.

Oliveira took a different path with his colour choices this reason, thanks in part to the video game inspiration, which let to a bright orange three quarter dress executed in a colour comparable to Resene Adrenalin.

Set in the picturesque venue of The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, Creature of the Wind invited its guests not only to a night of fashion, but a visual experience that stepped beyond the clothes themselves.

While the collection was more subdued than that of previous shows, designers Shane Gabier and Chris Peters still had an element of surprise, presenting a deep red glossed over dress that almost matched the red of the carpet covering the entire venue.

Parallel in colour to Resene Bullseye, the dress

added to the distinct retro-spirited emotion of the collection, an emotion that Gabier and Peters are developing into a signature for the brand.

Perhaps the most conceptual of the brands, Tome presented silhouettes that tested the boundaries of the PVC fabrication with miraculous results.

“We wanted something light for heavy times,” said Ryan Lobo, designer, Tome.

Lobo talked about how the collection is derivative of real world problems including climate change, political and social upheaval, the American election, and the situation in the Middle East.

It is no surprise then that the colour palette was distinctly dark, with the black PVC replicating the colour Resene All Black. Although, fellow designer Ramon Martin cited additional influences.

“We started going back to all of our references that we love and that we began with like Annie Lennox and Vivienne Westwood. Westwood’s work just felt so liberating and we wanted to feel the same too, break new ground, make it feel different and still be us,” said Martin.

Colours available from

Resene ColorShops www.resene.co.nz

0800 737 363 apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 17

Stephanie Frig

iD

Jordan Anderson

Matt Lee

Hannah Kim

Jordan Anderson

Hannah Kim

NOM*d

Catalina Villarraza

18 I April 2016

fashion week

Kingkang Chen

Cherry Luk

Andrea Short

Sophie Ball

Julian Danger

Benjamin Farry

Ilham Aaheda Ismail

Emilia and Angela Wickstead

Julian Danger

Benjamin Farry

Tia Feng

Chen Yi

Alice Waterhouse

wrap up Hannah Kim

Emilia Wickstead

Stephanie Frig

Sophie Ball

Kate Sylvester

apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 19

logistics

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED – TO YOUR DOOR An increase in garment movement in the New Zealand apparel industry and worldwide has led to local logistic companies upping their game to keep up with the rapidly growing sector.

With the apparel industry continuing to change and develop, fashion logistics companies are facing particular challenges. Intense competition and spending is limited and customers are forever changing the ways in which they buy. This chopping and changing requires the fashion supply chain to become even more creative and responsive in order to stay ahead of their customer base.

Trend analysis in the fashion supply chain has highlighted a surge in e-commerce and m-commerce (mobile commerce), that has dramatically increased in market share. With mobile devices, apps and data availability (free wifi etc) customers are buying everywhere and anywhere and have instant access to buying at their fingertips.

This accessibility also allows them to share quickly and widely a positive or negative experience and can encourage localised geographic peaks in demand. Consumers expect a fast home delivery at little and often no cost. Click and collect has provided a faster service than home delivery and has grown in market share but has become a royal nightmare for retailers, with the store having to cope with receiving, storing and managing the customer orders. On the other hand, this has opened up another door of selling opportunities.

Return rates have also seen an increase alongside the rise in e-commerce and it is crucial for retailers to process returns quickly to maintain availability and to ensure that as much stock as possible is re-sold at full price. Cost of mark-downs and lost sales will increase significantly if the return process is not managed diligently and quickly by staff. Although returns can be a hassle, there is a commercial opportunity for a return to generate additional profit given it provides further direct contact with the customer, which is especially true if the return is to a store.

Inventory levels in stores have seen a decline, as they are often serving multiple sales

channels, which have increased the complexity in the supply chain. To ensure demand is met and maintain availability, stock has to be managed as a single inventory with the opportunity to move product quickly from one channel to another. This in turn requires visibility of stock across all channels, which has lead to smaller, more frequent orders having huge impact on the requirements of warehousing and off-site storage solutions. A shift from case picking to item picking is not only more labour intensive but also requires more packaging material and, as a consequence, more kilometres are driven to deliver the same quantities to shops. This is only made worse with click and collect, where orders may need to be despatched to stores on days when deliveries are not scheduled. Achieving a good balance between space and availability has become an increasing challenge for retailers.

Supply chains need to be very responsive and agile to keep up with market requirements. A good information interface with the retailer’s point of sale system on the shop floor is one of the keys to success. Improving chain visibility supported by an agile and a responsive supply chain enables retailers to meet with customer demand and creates seasonal profitability.

ONLINE RETAILER EXPORTING OVERSEAS? Customs Clearance ERD is a Customs Clearance agent and has in-house Customs brokers who can clear goods whether Low or High value.

We can collect all Duty/GST payments directly from the consignee (DDU) or pay on your behalf and charge these costs back to you (DDP).

There are hundreds of really great people selling really great products on-line, operating from locations all over New Zealand. We are constantly told that the cost of shipping is the main barrier to selling more products to international customers. Therefore, ERD can offer you Low Cost rates to the key destinations that will enable you to grow volume and increase sales. These rates are available even if you have low volume. Get in touch and find out how easy it is to use out simple web based shipping platform which allows you to create consignment notes, commercial invoices as well as allowing you to track your parcels on-line.

IT Integration Options We have a range of integration options and API’s that allows you to create various types shipping paperwork, labels, invoices and data files that will save you time. We have plug-in options that integrate seamlessly to Magento and Shopify platforms.

DELIVERY SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE Rob King: Mob 64 21 399 092 or Tel: 64 09 275 2000 or visit www.eretaildistribution.co.nz

20 I April 2016

FULLY INTEGRATED SERVICE

With many importers and retailers not wanting to tie up capital and resources in their own distribution centres, or renting larger commercial spaces allowing for mostly storage, New Zealand fashion logistics company DSL has developed a warehousing and distribution service to specifically meet the industry’s needs.

“An increasing number of companies are utilising third party logistics to save on warehousing capital and also allowing them to concentrate on their core functions,” said John Widdows, a director of DSL Logistics. Its unique distribution and warehousing computer systems are fully integrated with the freight tracking and customs clearance systems, allowing a smooth and efficient service that is flexible enough to meet individual needs.

An efficient pick-and-pack operation is operated out of a spacious and modern warehouse near Auckland airport. Orders are processed within half a working day of receiving them, and clients are able to track them through the web to its final destination. Clients are also able to track stock levels to get instant reports of stock movements.

The company also is only one of three businesses to have a steam tunnel, which can tailor speed times to steam various materials qualities alongside its hanging garment rail system that keeps garments on the move efficiently and effectively sorting them.

THE ONLY ONE STOP TRANSPORT SOLUTION FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

After finding a gap in the market for transporting hanging apparel on a daily schedule, Apparel Line has grown from strength to strength in the market and has experienced a significant 20 percent growth every year. The company offers a wide range of options for moving freight throughout New Zealand and provides customers with the flexibility to choose which option best suits their requirements.

Unlike other courier services, Apparel Line offers the option of moving freight on post-paid tickets, meaning that there is no upfront cost to businesses. Other services include prepaid satchels for moving smaller items nationwide as well as a specially developed IT system providing customers with the option of producing their own labels, with courier tickets that can be easily attached to consignments.

With a fleet of eight vehicles in Auckland, one in Hamilton, and one in Christchurch, the team are equipped to move garments efficiently.

From high-end fashion to chain stores and boutiques, Apparel Line specialises in offering a range of courier services to cover the freighting requirements across the apparel industry. As the business has expanded, its offering now incorporates giftware and homeware industries as well.

The company has proven excellence in customer service and relationships and has provided them with the best possible, costeffective solutions that are tailored to meet individual needs.

Our clients tell us

“Apparel Line is the best carrier we deal with.”

Make life easier and ring us today.

You will notice a difference.

0800 275 463

Email: cservice@apparelline.co.nz www.apparelline.co.nz apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 21

columns

CARRIERS ARE CRUCIAL, BUT SO IS THEIR FINE PRINT Reliable freight arrangements are now an indispensable part of life. Harrods aside, in house delivery services are long-gone. Product manufacture is outsourced, frequently involving several different transport, logistics or freight providers as the product moves through various stages from concept to point of sale. Also, increasingly, products don’t even reach consumers without a carrier.

Here are three reasons why that fine print is important.

• What happens if my carrier goes bust?

Generally, the music stops and you risk losing money. A liquidator or receiver will be appointed, who then works out what assets the carrier has, and how much the creditors are owed. Next (generally speaking, assuming it’s not decided to keep the business trading), the liquidator will sell the assets in order to pay the carrier’s creditors. The bank will usually come first, followed by the employees and the IRD, and unsecured creditors (ie customers) get what’s left.

Critical for you, whose goods are in the carrier’s warehouse, is whether the liquidator recognises those goods as yours. The difference is stark: if the goods are “yours”, by and large you get them back but if, not you lose them. Which applies will come down to the terms of your contract with the carrier – which will probably be in the terms and conditions on the carrier’s website. Check for a paragraph that grants you, the customer, a “security interest” in goods held by the carrier pending delivery. Cutting a long story short, having no registered security interest will make things very much more difficult for you. This is worth checking as liquidations can and do happen, and even to good people who have been around for years.

• What happens if my carrier loses a consignment?

Not much that’s good. You spend time spent trying to find the consignment.

Production is delayed until you do find it, and then you deal with the downstream consequences of that delay. Who pays for all that time and cost? The answer lies, once again, in the fine print. Unless you have made special arrangements with the carrier, they will generally only be liable to

you for a maximum of $2,000 and you will have to absorb the rest. If you have appropriate insurance, then this could help too. With all the process improvements in the logistics industry, less and less gets lost but if (say, as has happened) your $12,000 consignment of chocolate, heading for a cake company in East Tamaki, ends up in a non-refrigerated container in Tonga, this suddenly becomes important.

• Is it my fault if an on-line purchase never arrives?

More than likely. If a customer buys a dress from you online, and you – the retailer – arrange the delivery (as usually happens), then yes it is “your fault” if the dress never arrives. The customer has rights against you under the Consumer Guarantees Act in respect to the delivery of that item. If the dress never arrives then you will have to give the customer a new dress or refund the purchase price.

No amount of fine print will get around this responsibility, although you may be able to recoup some or all of the loss from the carrier, and/or claim under your insurance. Practically, however, the answer lies in using a reliable delivery system (which ideally required the customer to sign for the package), such that the problem never arises in the first place.

Time spent finding, reading and understanding the terms of your arrangements with all involved in your distribution network is time well spent. (If it makes a difference, these terms are usually only a few pages long. It’s not like trying to read and understand the I-tunes or Google fine print, which is a whole different story.)

By Charlotte McLoughlin Special Counsel Hudson Gavin Martin Charlotte.mcgloughlin@hgmlegal.com

Contact us now to discuss your needs.

Phone: +64 9 255 2560 I Mobile: 021 769 560 Email: john@dsl.co.nz I www.dsl.co.nz

22 I April 2016

BUSINESSprofile

Cooper Watkinson Textiles

Apparel spoke with Cooper Watkinson Textiles (CWT), the pre-eminent supplier of fashion fabric in the global market, to check in on how the company has evolved over the past 25 years, talk about industry changes and discuss what’s ahead.

Formed by Paul Watkinson and Jack Cooper in 1990, Cooper Watkinson Textiles (CWT) was born 25 years ago to bring cutting edge fashion fabric to clothing manufacturers in Australasia. The partners set up CWT as a wholesale company to bring fashion fabric into the New Zealand and then Australian industry with two collections a year, summer and winter.

Until two years ago, the company didn’t change or transform substantially. It has been successful enough to be the market’s dominant player for at least 15-20 years and is in the top two to three now in Australia.

CWT successfully traded for 24 years before being sold in April 2014 to Fashion Biz, the southern hemisphere’s largest uniform supplier and one of the world’s biggest, a global company with offices located in Australia, South Africa, Canada and America, aiming to bring the brand back to the way it used to be.

With support of their parent company, CWT was able to have a new focus on providing the best all round quality and service and is enabling the company to introduce their fabrics further afield than ever before.

Coming from a background in fashion and garment manufacturing and having previously worked in massmarket production for garments, CWT’s new general manager, Aldo Miccio was appointed in October 2014.

He believes that the brand has always held a strong market presence.

“The industry changed about 20 years ago with offshore production. Places like Hong Kong were always going to be a threat to fabric sourcing. Fashion Biz were keen to acquire the brand,” Miccio said.

CWT have now increased their number of ranges per year to four, introducing new spring and autumn ranges for customers wishing to add more drops in store. These trans-seasonal offerings are complementary to the main summer and winter ranges, with sampling available earlier.

“New designs were needed more often, two seasons a year wasn’t enough, and so the company introduced spring and autumn that was a great way to enhance the brand offering. Also in addition to the spring and autumn range every six weeks we send out mini ranges.

Things that are interesting, novel, new, and on trend.”

He said the market sees CWT as a leading fabrics supplier for fashion-forward brands.

“A lot of discussions and decisions were made to change the business model, such as the introduction of spring and autumn collections. We really believe this injection of fabrics fits the market perfectly.”

The design team regularly travels to London, New York, Paris and LA for shows to gather inspiration and to source the market’s latest, most desirable fabric, as well as to China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan to see latest innovations from the mills. “We watch every single runway. They give us confirmation for what we predict will be the trends.” CWT is also now offering full garment service, a decision that the company has taken to enhance their client service offering in the past year.

“In addition to our fabric offering we have introduced a garment service, which is a whole new direction for the brand, currently producing for five or six designers in New Zealand. That’s a way to secure the fabric market and provide extra service for our clients and introduce more fabric injections between traditional seasons.

“Since I’ve been here we’ve been quite aggressive in our export market, including London, New York, LA, Germany and Scandinavia. Our global market is growing and that’s our next step. We present to every design house in New Zealand. We are talking with all the leading designers,” Miccio said.

All of CWT’s suppliers have to go through a rigorous vetting process to make sure they make the grade. The company has preferred suppliers with whom they have long-standing relationships, and use the best mills available in each of their product areas and all quality is monitored continuously. Bulk fabric is inspected before departing their country of origin. Miccio said it’s a long process of finding good reputable fabrics both externally and internally.

“In the garment industry, quality is always a major issue and is becoming more profound. We’re in a really unique position in that we deal directly with fabric mills. We generally source fabric for them direct, so there’s a better opportunity to control quality.” Coming into the business, Miccio said there were already quality control and quality assurance systems in place. Last year CWT worked through fabric quality and eliminated factories that can’t supply to its required level.

“Over the past year and a half that’s one task we’ve been on top of.” CWT’s clients are upper end womenswear designers such as Karen Walker and Andrea Moore. “I think they’ve become more responsive to the markets. There are more injections into the seasons. They’ve changed in that respect and we’ve had to change to meet their requirements.”

Traditionally CWT has communicated directly with clients, being active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. CWT wants to reach out to designers themselves and have stronger engagement through social media. “A lot of our clients are passionate fashion people. Through our social media we can engage with the consumer and trends that will be coming their way.

“We are going to look at re-branding and a refresh to ensure that the brand is relevant not only in New Zealand and Australia and also as we move progressively throughout Europe. Now the time is right, as we’ve had so much change. “There are challenges in different markets. For us right now it’s introducing a new garment service, [for clients] to see us not only as a fabric company but also a end garment provider. We’ve hired about six new staff members for this, all with experience in the garment industry.”

CWT’s in-house design department design and source fabrics especially for clients, and can develop exclusive print design on a variety of fabric bases, both knits and woven, offering either digital or screen options for prints. Inspiration for fabric design predominantly comes from CWT’s designers.

“They work together closely. They’re passionate and have a lot of autonomy. A lot of their inspiration comes from trips overseas and things they can do. They’re very creative people. “We need to be commercially on trend.

What we see come offshore we have to pick and bank on before the catwalk shows come out. We need to be ahead of what’s in the market trend.” Great quality, flexible minimums and a quick turnaround are the company’s main point of difference. Miccio said CWT has the capacity and means to grow quickly, being owned by Fashion Biz. Looking forward, CWT looks to grow global business sales and its new garment service. “I strongly believe our points of difference are our quality and being fashion forward.”

apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 23

UNDERWEAR TO OVERWEAR

Alexander McQueen

John Galliano

20

MINUTES WITH STEFAN SIEGEL

24 I April 2016

While it may seem fashion is for wearers who want to be seen, it is first and foremost a personal experience about how the clothes make you feel. With this in mind, it is appropriate that designers have taken influence by the clothing category that is arguably the most personal to a customer, lingerie.

Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Rochas all showcased their interpretations, and put on a display of lace and silk dressed up in a more every-day context sparking the trend in retail brands across the globe. From light chiffon dresses through to dark lace bodysuits, it is clear lingerie has transitioned from underwear to overwear, all while remaining tasteful but seductive.

Elle Macpherson said “if you’re wearing lingerie that makes you feel glamourous, you’re halfway there to turning heads.”

The glamour of lingerie lends itself to the coveted glamour of the high-fashion industry, but also leaves behind the desirability for all markets, as every woman wants to feel beautiful. However, the trend is more than just wearing lingerie on the street. Designers have transformed the building blocks of lingerie and transformed them into multi-faceted every day garments.

Alexander McQueen, along with John Galliano played with lace and its transparency, using the fabrics to form full outfits. Balenciaga took silk, and used it to create an effortless and supremely wearable pair of

Stefan Siegel first entered the fashion industry as a model, working with various luxury labels such as Prada and Gucci before moving on to become an investment banker where he worked with Merrill Lynch in London and New York advising brands like Gucci.

Stefan and his brother Daniel decided one Sunday afternoon to create a platform for the best in the industry almost like a directory with the aim to create something that was transparent while bringing the best designers together. Eight years later, Not Just A Label (NJAL) has over 21,000 designers featured on the website spanning over 150 different countries.

The London-based global sales platform, virtual showroom and online community is a website that connects designers to consumers directly. With the slowfashion movement a priority, products listed are locally produced with sustainability in mind. Over the years, the website has launched the careers of designers such as Mary Katrantzou and Damir Doma and has a huge celebrity following including that of other top designers.

Acting as a platform for designers, buyers, press and consumers to collaborate with each other independently, NJAL does not hold stock from designers rather takes 30 percent of all sales with prices set by the designer, leaving 70 percent going directly back to the designer with each purchase.

Employees from NJAL travel around the world looking for emerging designers with established lookbooks before featuring them on the website.

“From a business model, certain fast fashion is optimised – but from a sustainable and green view it is extremely worrying,” explained Siegel. With the rapid consumption of fast fashion, a lot of consumers don’t know or understand what goes into making a garment.

Rochas

Balenciaga

high waisted shorts.

Rocha departed from classic hourglass silhouette entirely and sent down the runway a floor length over-dress that mixed regal floral applique, lace and jewellewry with an exposed bra and shorts to create a synergy between old and new.

“Young people don’t know how shoes are made and think they should cost $19.99,” he said. Siegel believes that unfortunately most consumers cannot differentiate between value and ‘value’. “Luxury brands are producing one handbag 180,000 times, where’s the luxury in that?” said Siegel.

It’s no surprise with rapid increases in population that there is a huge demand for individuality. Siegel believes the biggest problem we have today is that consumers want to access all these new ideas and purchase directly from the designer, but can’t because of accessibility and availability. This is where fashion is very similar to music in a way that people are now able to explore this further online. Not Just A Label has created a channel that fills this gap in a way that an audience can understand.

Siegel knows in order to make a successful garment or brand, it not only has to be unique and well made, but be linked to a regional or cultural aspect, therefore guaranteeing it’s uniqueness. Brands, collections or even individual garments, they all have to have a story to tell. Even though he thinks Instagram plays a huge role in fashion, it has glamorised the profession of being a fashion designer and believes this is what turns some people away from designing. “We aren’t looking for followers, we want the black sheep,” explains Siegel.

His most recent achievement is opening his store on Park Avenue in New York. Not Just A Label is also opening a store in Dubai in April. “I’d definitely want to become a world-wide organisation that is in some way you know stands for creativity or creative economies.”

Siegel plans to continue to bridge the gap between physical and online and explore going into other creative sectors as well.

“I have learnt a lot over the years and have done many things that people have advised me not to in business, I have learnt the hard way with some but mostly the result has been the best for my business and the vision that I have for the future, making the business unique and true to its roots.”

Image by Nikka Lorak

THE CUPBOARD

Growing up making clothes for herself and her siblings, Diane Burkhardt, owner of The Cupboard, has turned an early childhood hobby into a lifelong passion.

Burkhardt trained as a patternmaker and grader before joining the team at The Cupboard in 1997. It was not long before she launched her own label, eventually taking ownership of the business in 2006.

“Diane is becoming a rarity among modern designer in that she personally creates her garments all the way from conception, through to pattern making and fabric cutting, all out the back of her Ponsonby store in the studio workshop,” said Meredith Hancock, administrator, The Cupboard.

While the store was opened, and established a majority of its customer base in Parnell, a new Ponsonby store has become the permanent home for The Cupboard. “Our customers are thrilled with our new light and spacious boutique, and we know that although it was a big change, we have made the right decision.

Having two stores so close to each other did not make financial sense for us,” said Hancock.

The Cupboard prides itself on offering four key services that set it apart from other boutique stores.

Ethical fashion that is New Zealand designed and made, bespoke tailoring and custom-made design, access

to personal stylists and designer consultations, and exclusive designs that can not be found anywhere else.

“Our philosophy is to delight, inspire and empower women through helping them look and feel amazing in their own skin.” The philosophy extends itself to stylish women of all ages, customers who appreciate timeless, quality garments that are handcrafted in New Zealand.

Having been around since 1975, The Cupboard has seen its fair share of changes in the market, and for Burkhardt and the team the biggest challenge has been the impact of the internet on the fashion industry.

Virality, and the constant changing of trends have put massive levels of pressure on small, locally owned businesses. The key has been in remaining flexible, and while Diane has shown an incredible aptitude for running all aspects of the business, she is now allowing herself to step back and let others take on some responsibility.

“We wouldn’t do anything differently. It’s all part of learning and we wouldn’t be here today, as we are now, knowing what we do, if we had taken a different journey,” said Hancock. Hancock’s advice to anyone looking at starting out in the retail business is to do thorough research. She explained how you need to be sure what you are offering is something an audience

wants, and that you are targeting the right audience.

“Make sure you get your branding right. Things won’t always go the way you want to, and that’s to be expected. As long as you learn from it, you’ve come out better off than you were before,” said Hancock.

While The Cupboard is on board with new online communication techniques, a personal touch or a inperson conversation is always the nicest, and Hancock said many of the customers still prefer to come in and chat. “The fabric really makes a garment, and as the look, feel and drape of fabrics can never be captured as well online as in person, in-person communication and customer service are still the biggest and most important part of what we do.”

As an established brand with more than 40 years in the industry, The Cupboard knows what it is doing and does it well. Which is why Burkhardt, Hancock and the team are contempt with continuing the highly personal service it provides while still catering to new and wide audiences.

ACCESSORY

thought it was not the right fit.

Fresh out of university, she worked in Paris for two years before moving back to the UK to work for Leo Burnett in advertising. Shortly after she moved to Auckland with her husband and continued work in advertising for the next couple of years before having children. After having children she decided to follow her passion and create beautiful couture jewellery.

A couple of years later, Cotterall couldn’t physically make every single piece herself anymore with Silk & Steel growing at such a rapid pace. The Superfine and Superluxe collections are made by offshore manufacturers, however, her couture pieces and oneoff bespoke pieces are made in house, as each design tends to evolve during the creation process. Colours and textures found in fabrics and stones greatly influence Cotterall’s designs. Silk&Steel can be seen on a number of NZ artists like Ellie Goulding, Gin Wigmore and Hollie Smith. “I love creating bespoke pieces and it’s great to see them being rocked by wellknown Kiwi and international artists,” said Cotterall.

The power to enable women to create their own sense of style and to be unique is what Cotterall loves. Each piece has been designed to be worn together and are incredibly versatile. “It’s such a joy to see how my customers wear pieces - and I love the pleasure that it brings them,” she said.

Silk&Steel is sold online and currently stocked in a

number of boutiques in New Zealand, as well as Smith & Caughey’s department store in Auckland. Already in Melbourne’s Storm store, Cotterall plans to push her brand more into Australia and then the UK.

ALERT

Sarah Cotterall grew up in an Italian family in London and almost every year she would go with her family to visit her mother’s village Sillicagnana in northern Tuscany, Italy. Cotterall says Sillicagnana played a huge part in who she is and heavily influenced the direction she took in design. Living in London she would visit galleries and museums often, the V&A was and still is one of her favourite places to go. She studied Art and Fashion at BTEC level before deciding to get an International Marketing Degree. Cotterall was also accepted to study fashion at St Martin’s, but at the time

apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 25

behind the business

SUCCESS UNDER

30

GUSTAVIA LUI

Gustavia Lui certainly had big shoes to fill when she ventured into the footwear industry. The entrepreneur, whose company Staavias specialises in high heels and sandals from sizes 10 to 14, is from South Auckland’s Manurewa. Born and raised in New Zealand, the 28-year-old of Samoan and Tuvaluan descent attended James Cook High School where she dropped out before the end of Year 11.

Lui comes from an extended family of doctors, CEOs, teachers, nurses, and IT specialists, but no fashionistas. She always wanted to become a lawyer.

“I have a strong personality and I’m pretty good at talking, that’s what people tell me, so I thought it would be a great job for me. However that all changed when the idea of business entered my head,” Lui said.

It was a total change from the role of case manager she did all of her adult life. However, her role with WINZ made her realise what life could be like if she didn’t strive to succeed and chase her dreams.

Lui did a small part-time evening business course while working full-time and did a three-day shoemaking course in New York. “I like to learn on the job, it’s faster for me, and in some ways cheaper than education. I have a young family to support so formal education was out of the picture for me.” Lui basically runs every aspect of the business from finances, sales and marketing to customer service, website and designing.

She said people skills, relationship building skills and money management skills are most necessary for her work. The job has taught her basic coding, marketing, and how to put together a website. “But above all, my job has taught me the importance of having faith in God, patience and perseverance as well as believing in myself.

“Any skill can be learned, I believe attitude is more important than anything because if you have a great, positive attitude, you will be open and willing to learn the skills needed to run a successful business. These skills are usually way out of your comfort zone.”

She attributes her success at such a young age to her faith in God, just doing it, and having a great support network. Her husband and their boys are her biggest supporters, and her parents, close circle of friends and church family are always supporting and praying for Lui and her business. “I’m always thinking of ways to improve and increase. I have a mad passion to succeed.

I have huge goals – some would say they are a bit unrealistic – that’s just how I am. I set ridiculous goals and then strive to achieve them and I surprise myself every time. Her goal is to literally disrupt the footwear industry and the way things are done.

“There seems to be a traditional way of doing things and not many people are willing to go off course, whereas I love to push boundaries and take risks a little.” She wants to extend her size range and look into a men’s range. “In the future I would love to look at designing luggage as I travel a lot, I swear I have a different bag every time. For now, my sole focus is plus sizes with wide widths.

“Yes the bags under my eyes are a result of no sleep.

When you want to succeed, yes sleep is important and should not be neglected but sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything. I have to fit all my different hats into 24 hours.”

industry according to . . .

Fifteen years ago when I launched Signature Style there were two other “Image Consultants” listed in the Auckland Yellow Pages. Now, if you google “Personal Stylist Auckland” there are more than 100 results. That in itself speaks to just how rapid the growth has been in my sector of the fashion industry.

Admittedly, there’s a fairly low barrier to entry and many of those listed are simply working part-time with their ‘love of fashion’ but no training, muddying the waters for those of us who take what we do more seriously.

While our Kiwi fashion industry has grown and developed, my branch of it has enjoyed being taken more seriously, too. I can recall in the early days not being allowed to put garments aside in one store where I was told it was “because we might sell it”.

I remember thinking, “But I most likely will sell it to my client” (by way of explanation I usually put things aside in the hour before I meet my client – not days prior). Now, there’s often a host of business cards attached to garments on the holds rack and

26 I April 2016

numerous stores reward our clients by offering ‘stylist only’ discounts of up to 20 percent. Although many stores call their staff ‘stylists’, some now actually recommend our services to their customers.

The growth in my industry can really be attributed to the growing public awareness that the way you wear a garment has an impact on how you look (and yes, we really do have Trinny & Susannah and Gok Wan to thank for that). I also believe that as our fashion industry has grown up and diversified, so too has the New Zealand public’s perception of it.

Our fashion information now comes from so many sources beyond our Kiwi borders and we now expect so much more from our local stores, and faster, too.

We are personally more discerning, and want what works for ‘me’ and ‘my lifestyle’, not simply what a designer or magazine might describe as this season’s ‘must have’.

What’s key for me is what will look best on my client. That means that if your colour palette this season isn’t going to suit her colouring, we won’t be

trying it on, much less buying it. As a personal stylist, I can often pick at the beginning of a season which pieces will be languishing on the sale rack at the end of it. That piece that may be referenced straight from a European runway won’t sell if it makes a woman feel stupid or look fat.

I suspect that because we work at a retail level, personal stylists are still seen as being on the fringes of the industry. Perhaps the scale in which personal s 0tylists are able to affect your sales is smaller than that the mass exposure of a magazine or website, however in a multi-channel, fragmented market our endorsement of your product is valuable. Each of our clients has friends and colleagues that see them in your garments, and I can’t count the number of times a client will tell me “I’ve never been in here” when we enter your store. We are a gateway to commercial success and no matter how pure your fashion ethos, it makes sense to ensure we are aware of what you are doing - the bottom line is you want to sell your product, and we are a conduit to do that for you.

behind the business

Melanie Child The ethos behind Melanie Child’s collection remain the same since the brand’s inception in 2012, make the most out of somebody’s pre-loved clothing. Child’s latest collection Serge de Nimes focusses specifically on one type of garment, a pair of jeans. The idea was to utilise a garment that has become a classic, one of the most popular items in the modern wardrobe.

The collection is a trans-seasonal presentation of reinterpreted garments that began in mass production and have moved through the particular hands of Child. Serge de Nimes pays homage to traditional sewing techniques including smocking, weaving and hand stitching, drawing attention to processes that seem all but lost in the world of fast fashion.

“The main philosophy behind the label is to reduce textile waste into landfill, and keep any use of virgin material to an absolute minimum,” said Child.

While Child usually draws inspiration from a variety of garments, this season saw her focus on only one type of fabric which is fast becoming a Melanie Child signature.

“They are such a universal garment, they are classic, durable and they come back every season in varying shapes and forms.”

The magic is in the way Child has incorporated high-end techniques to a common fabric and produced a collection that not only looks good, but also brings focus to the effects of mass production, and a possible solution.

“The hand-stitched pieces had to be the most difficult, I underestimated how long it would take to complete each piece, and I have great respect for the art of hand-sewing. It is beautiful, but also very time consuming. Combined with such a hardy fabric as

denim also made for many a callous.”

While Child stands by her collection as a whole, her stand-out piece was the finale dress, a woven bodice made with jean inseams and a full length fringed skirt made with a gradient of different blues from the pant legs.

“The entire bodice is hand-stitched together. It moved beautifully on the catwalk, and has a contrasting structure and fluidity that I love. I’m looking forward to developing my next two ready-to-wear collections inspired by the pieces in this collection. ”In describing the narrative, Child explained the collection as being feminine but strong, delicate but sturdy, a concept of multiples within unique garments. The collection is a culmination of stories,

with each layer of denim representing a different individual who wore it.

The concept of stories is something that can be expected from each collection moving forward, as the ethos that sits at the center of Child’s design process will always involve taking something that once belonged to something else and transforming it into an entirely new garment for more stories to be made.

Outside of the collection, Child is looking at expansion opportunities, hoping to move into more stockists and exploring the possibility of taking her designs off the body and onto other surfaces.

“Eventually I plan to open a flagship concept store and studio, and break into the European market where ethical fashion is thriving.”

FUR COAT

Synonymous with style, the fur coat is an icon of sophistication and class. While it has been widely protested by activist groups internationally, new innovations have generated a changing fur market that is producing synthetic replicas almost indistinguishable from the real thing. There are however still figureheads in the industry that campaign for fur’s acceptance, most notably Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief, Vogue.

“I love fur! Fur is very much part of the fashion industry. When it comes to the raccoons and paint thrown at me I simply ignore it,” said Wintour.

Wintour’s passion for fur, alongside her senior position within the industry has helped bring fur back to the mainstream market, demanding desirability for a product that for a period was considered taboo.

“Nobody was wearing fur until she put it on the cover in the early 1990s. She ignited the entire industry,” said Tom Florio, former senior vice president and publishing director, Condé Nast.

The key to incorporating a fur coat into an outfit is keeping other elements simple. On its own the coat is a statement, so any additional details are simply a distraction.

Victoria Beckham

Kate Foley Jason Wu

Alberta Ferretti

Lily E Violetta

Gianvito Rossi

Etro Sarah Mink

Forte Forte

apparelmagazine.co.nz

I 27

DESIGNERprofile

EMILIA WICKSTEAD Having grown up living above her mother’s fashion design business, Emilia Wickstead is no stranger to the fashion industry and inevitably has found herself following in her mother’s footsteps.

Wickstead was born in Auckland, and lived there until she was 14 before moving with her mother to Milan, a strict contrast to the fashion she had been surrounded by.

“Milan was all about women dressing for men and it was all about being feminine. As opposed to Auckland where the girls would wear board shorts over or bikinis. It went from a very masculine way of dressing to all of a sudden everything was super feminine,” said Wickstead.

Leaving her Milan home at 18 to pursue a university career in fine arts, Wickstead soon found her passion for design and fell in love with the fashion industry. A lot can be attributed to her time growing up in such a fashion influenced city, and Milan still holds great value for Wickstead as she progresses in her fashion career.

“At that time it was the centre of fashion and it was having a moment. And you know, I was very young and impressionable teenager where you absorb all of that.”

At 26, Wickstead moved to London to study fashion design and marketing at the world-renowned Central Saint Martins, home to legendary names including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Stella McCartney.

London is now home to Wickstead’s made-tomeasure business, which she launched in 2008.

“Basically it was – to be perfectly honest – all about timing. And it was all about the fact that we had ‘x’ amount of money in the pot and so that meant making one garment at a time,” said Wickstead.

Timing, and powerful friendships meant Wickstead soon began dressing some of the most influential people in the UK, most notably the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

Before the Duchess however, came Britain’s First Lady, Samantha Cameron. Having befriended Lohralee Strutz, David Cameron’s sister in law, Wickstead designs soon started showing up on Samantha Cameron on multiple occasions.

“It was on the cover of about 15 newspapers and in every magazine,” said Wickstead.

While Wickstead is hesitant to talk about her relationship with Middleton, she has expressed what an honour and privilege it is to have such an influential woman want to wear her designs.

Wickstead is not short on high profile customers however, with the likes of Kate Bosworth, Diane Kruger, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brie Larson all on her list.

“The minute that a celebrity wears your clothing, that gives you international exposure and the best advertising you can get.”

Wickstead is a firm believer that every woman, regardless of celebrity status, should be able to put on

28 I April 2016

“The minute that a celebrity wears your clothing, that gives you international exposure and the best advertising you can get.”

a beautiful product that makes them feel fabulous.

“I believe you can save up for a key piece in your wardrobe. You can wear a great pair of jeans or cigarette trousers, or a great T-shirt. I haven’t always been dressing in designer clothes. But if you have an eye for it – it’s a look that is very groomed, and it’s flawless.”

Wickstead’s most famous customer, Kate Middleton, who has worn multiple pieces by the designer and is known to wear outfits multiple times, shares the idea of a key piece.

She describes her brand as the ‘most modern woman in her circle’. A woman who walks into the room best dressed and most noticed. Confident, smart and sassy are key attributes of her customers that can age from 22 right through to 100.

Her Kiwi roots meant she was a natural choice for the judging panel at the latest iD Dunedin Fashion Week, in which she also showcased a range of her creations.

“Emilia Wickstead’s chic and elegant designs have created an international following and we’re delighted to have her back in her home country showing at iD. From her very latest pieces from London Fashion Week, to couture garments worn on the world’s red carpets, iD audiences enjoyed a spectacular fashion experience,” said Cherry Lucas, committee chair, iD Fashion Week.

While Wickstead lives in London, she still considers New Zealand to be her home, and tries to visit at least once a year depending on business. She is currently living across the road from her store with her husband.

“New Zealand is the most grounding place I know and is a place where I have felt most nurtured and confident to be whomever I wanted to be. I 100 per cent mark growing up in New Zealand as being the time when I experimented with trends, fashion tastes, second-hand clothing, very short hair cuts… the list goes on,” said Wickstead.

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AUCKLAND FABRIC PRINTERS

Auckland fabric printers specialize in screen printing fabric on the roll for merino wool, linen, cotton, lycra, nylon, blends, knitted and woven fabric. apparel - fashion - soft furnishings - interior design - home ware

NAJIE CLOTHING COMPANY 30 YEARS MANUFACTURING IN NEW ZEALAND

Quality comes from understanding what high standards are and a strong desire to achieve these on a continuing basis.

We cover all aspects of manufacturing the finest quality woven garments.

sales@afprinters.co.nz

09-274 4100

aucklandfabricprinters.co.nz

• Pattern development • Digitising/Grading (P.A.D) • Lay planning/Marker making • Cutting fabric/Fusing supply • Highest quality manufacturing • Pressing and finishing

Call us now to see how we can help with your manufacturing requirements.

Ph: 07 8475990

email: sales@najie.co.nz

Experts in design and production preparation for NZ and Off Shore Manufacturing Professional Pattern Making, Grading and Marker Making (card or CAD)

Our skills and unique service will help make your Designs a reality www.patternpotentials.co.nz phone: 07 889 3876

email: sue@patternpotentials.co.nz

Complete Samp Pat (compute Computerised Digitisin (Card or Computerised Ma (Compatible with Pad, Gerber Accum Sample cutting with Fabr Sam Prod Produc

Complete Sampling Service Patternmaking (computerised & manual) Computerised Digitising & Grading (Card or paper patterns) Computerised Marker Making (Compatible with Pad, Gerber Accumark and Lectra) Sample cutting with Fabric Estimates Sample Making Production Runs Production Cutting

C Ph: (09) 369 9249 or email he 21D PORANA RD, W

Call the team at Ph: (09) 369 9249 or email helenh@hsr.co.nz 21D PORANA RD, WAIRAU VALLEY

TERRY APPAREL LIMITED

“JOINING YOUR PRODUCT” With our compliments

Complete Sampling Service Patternmaking (computerised & manual) Computerised Digitising & Grading (Card or paper patterns) Computerised Marker Making (Compatible with Pad, Gerber Accumark and Lectra) Sample cutting with Fabric Estimates Sample Making Production Runs Production Cutting

With our threads and needles V

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Call 0800TERRYS to place your order

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CALL 0800TERRYS TO PLACE YOUR NEXT THREAD AND NEEDLE ORDER. C N TH O R E S P U PU I RE A D M U LT

BOOK NOW

CONTACT SARAH 09 304 0142 EXT 702 OR SARAH@ REVIEWMAGS.COM

30 I April 2016

Call the team at Ph: (09) 369 9249 or email helenh@hsr.co.nz 21D PORANA RD, WAIRAU VALLEY

classifieds

KEEN CUTTING CO Automated or manual cutting available.

We can organize pattern making, computer grading and marking.

MORE THAN JUST BIAS BINDING www.generalproducts.co.nz

Give us a call and see if we can help.

Ph 09 276 8338 or email keencutting@xtra.co.nz 5/91 Huia Road, Otahuhu Auckland 1062

Contact PHILIP TANNER philip@generalproducts.co.nz or 09 3735762

FASHION LOGISTICS

Number one fashion logistics company.

• Pick and Pack to Store Level • MAF Compliant • Scan Pack Compliant • Full Steam Tunneling and Pressing Service Available • Close to Auckland Airport Contact Rod Limbrick 029 335 9745 09 629 4540 fashionlogistics@xtra.co.nz 159 - 161 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland

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n Cheque (enclosed)

Card Number:

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Expiry Date: _____ / _____ / _____

n American Express

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OR n please invoice me at the above address.

n Asia/Pacific 190 $

n Visa/Mastercard

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n RoW 210 $

Fax or Mail to: APPAREL MAGAZINE PO Box 37140, Parnell, Auckland, Fax: (09) 377 2794

apparelmagazine.co.nz

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C H A R L E S PA R S O N S FA S H I O N FA B R I C S AUTUMN / WINTER 2017

Book an appointment to see the range.

NZ toll-free: 0508 327 446 Tel: +64 9 969 7300 fashion@charlesparsons.co.nz www.charlesparsonsfashion.com