RORY WILLIAM DOCHERTY

Rory William Docherty grew up in an artistic family, and it was from a very young age that he began drawing. From there, he found a passion for fashion and drawing up his own designs.

Following college, he decided to study fashion design at Massey University and has been immersed in the fashion world ever since.

His first role at twenty-two was as a designer at Swanndri, where he was responsible for designing, developing and delivering workwear, activewear and casualwear to farmers.

After that, Rory spent some time in London, where he gained industry experience working on the shop floors of Prada and Yohjio Yamamoto.

“Through this work, I gained a love for craftsmanship and conceptual design and learnt about the importance of a strong visual brand identity,” he explained.

After that he moved behind the scenes to develop tailoring for a larger supplier to multinationals including Topshop.

He then worked in design and production for around five years, an experience he said strengthened his attention to detail and melding of functionality and creativity. While at the same time contracting for various companies in areas like design, fitting, merchandising, illustration, print and textile design across men's, women's and children's wear.

From there, Rory decided to create his very own fashion brand, Rory William Docherty.

“I wanted to create something personal and new, but still beautiful, unapologetically so, relatable but not of the moment, like a lingering dream. The pure form of selfexpression has evolved into a brand which now has much consideration to comfort and cost per wear as to the vision,” he said.

Rory William Docherty stands for timeless craftsmanship, seasonless slow fashion, and original artwork. Each print is based on his own drawings and paintings, reimagined in signature silhouettes.

He sources his inspiration from what is happening around him while answering questions like, what do people need and desire in their wardrobes now? Who does this item serve? And what impact does it have?

When it comes to the brand's aesthetic, his inspiration is diverse and often seemingly disjointed, but always a result of external observations and internal reflections from urban environments, architecture, artist movements, literature, and the abundance of inspiration in nature.

“I am driven by the desire to create essential, optimistic, restrained and relevant solutions that stand the test of time and provide people with pieces that solve a need, empower, comfort and elevate.”

The latest collection, ‘REBUILD’ is a considered collection of effortless pieces to rebuild a wardrobe for a new era. With core items intermixed together offering solutions for the weekend, work, and the evening, with a spirit of independence. Crafted to last with unmistakable Rory William Docherty original artworks.

The collection also reflects Victorian buildings both aesthetically and emotionally, in its architectural origami like details, and the elongated and exaggerated proportions.

Rory advises anyone looking to step into the fashion industry to explore, be open to opportunities and willing to roll up their sleeves and give things a go. His own journey has seen him have the privilege of dressing many people for special moments along with transforming, uplifting and empowering many people with his work each day.

His goals for the future is to grow the Rory William Docherty brand in a sustainable way. While simultaneously developing meaningful long-term partnerships with retailers and connecting directly with the people who wear and appreciate his work.