Vanilla Ink

www.vanillaink.co.nz
facebook.com/vanillaink.boutique
twitter.com/VanillaInkNZ
Physical Address:  293 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden & 438 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland.
Operating Since:  I began on the 2nd April 2001, almost 12 years ago.

What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
Vanilla Ink is stroppy and rebellious - we believe that some of the latest trends are unflattering and irrelevant & at best contribute to landfill.  Good clothes should last season after season.  We make beautiful, colourful clothing with a slight nod to fashion but more focussed on finding our customer's individual style.  Versatility is really important to us, creating pieces that can be worn in more than one way.

We are also playful and kind; we've never understood how cool morphed into hostile.  Apart from the sheer joy of designing, pattern making and choosing beautiful fabrics, we have fun with our clients. Problem solving and flexibility are really important to us - if changing a hemline or tailoring a garment slightly differently is going to make it sing, we'll do it and usually for no extra charge.
We also hold evenings for groups of busy women on request, providing wine, food and styling.  These are inappropriately good fun.

Who makes your clothes?
I design, pattern-make, make most of the samples and do most of the cutting. I keep the first three jobs for myself because I love it so much. Going from idea to reality is bliss; cutting I do kinda because I have to. I have two machinists, Kim and Rabya, they're great, they live locally and it suits them to work from home because they have school-age children. I see them everyday and I'd hate to lose them.  We stubbornly reject manufacturing offshore; producing locally increases spontaneity and ensures a good quality of life for our machinists - it's worth the extra money to us!

Who sells your clothes? Can we buy them online?
We have the two retail stores mentioned above. We are in the process of adding an online shopping feature to our website but for now people can email or phone to purchase if they're out of Auckland.

What price range are your clothes in?
Our clothes range from about $89 to almost $300.
(It's hard to keep NZ-made clothes cheap.)

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas? 
Honestly I think the only answer can be greed or survival.  Sometimes I wonder if my business, so hands-on and local, is a dinosaur.  I'm not going to change though - I don't want to do it any other way.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
The goverment could do the following: 1) care; and 2) campaign for buying NZ-made again, making mention of the fact that if money is spent in NZ on NZ-manufactured product then the total spend is contributing to your local financial health. 

Anything to add?
Check out the 3/50 project, started by an American woman at the beginning of the recession - it's very interesting.

Minnie + Ree

www.minnieree.com
minnieree.blogspot.co.nz
facebook.com/MinnieReeSmith
Physical Address:  I am based on the Kapiti Coast.  My business is web-based but I do have a stall at Underground Designer Market on Wellington's waterfront most Saturdays 10am - 4pm.  I also go to other markets and these are notified on my website.
This year I am looking to be in Auckland a lot more!
Operating since:  My first website went live in June 2007, I had been working on the business part time since June 2006.

Maree Smith

What are you all about?  
What kind of clothes do you make?
I believe that wearing lovely clothing that fits easily helps make women feel good about themselves. At Minnie + Ree I design clothes that are full of colour, pattern and touch; clothes that are flattering and individual.  

Wherever possible I stick with my two flexi-sizes: Small is NZ 8-10-12 and Average is 14-16-18.

It all started with Sonsie swimwear – swimwear for women with a larger bust.  Sonsie swimwear is bright, colorful and flexi-sized with a design that is chockfull of tricks to make the boobs look smaller and to flatter the rest of the body.  The range includes the Sonsie tankini and Sonsie swimskirt to cover the least favorite parts of the body and each coordinating piece is sold separately to allow the woman to choose the size and what she wants to reveal or cover when wearing a swimsuit.  I then created a range of merino scarves.  They are made to be beautiful and practical.  For example the hoodie scarf can be a hood, an infinity scarf or a shrug. 

Minnie + Ree skirts are the latest creation.  The skirts are made from designer cotton fabrics and I choose patterns that are interesting and colourful.  They are fastened with snaps which enable the wearer to do up as many of the snaps as they want so the skirt can be worn high on the waist, lower on the hips or during any changes in weight or shape.  They are cool to wear in the heat and winter-up nicely by adding tights and boots.  I am currently working on a dress that is flattering and easy to wear, a range of winter skirts and some new merino items...

Who makes your clothes?
I design and cut most of them.  I use a couple of home-based sewers on a regular basis.  My swimwear is made by Soma President Ltd in Hastings. They have also done a couple of other production runs for me. They were so helpful when I first set up and didn't know much about the industry - I strongly recommend them!

Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
I currently sell at Underground Market and online.  I am looking at having a few wholesale accounts this year.

What price range are your clothes in?
Currently $35 to $237

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
If you are doing large runs, it is definitely cheaper.  I know some people who have manufactured overseas and it is a new skill to be learned.  I don't think I will become large enough to follow that path.  My goal is to build a network of outsource sewers and grow that way.  I am escaping from the corporate world and don't wish to set up a large company that needs me to be a manager! 

I do source most of my fabrics offshore and do it myself.  I can see a wide variety of fabrics that are all readily available, order online in whatever quantities I want, pay by credit card and have them on my doorstep in a week or two.  The NZ wholesalers just don't try to provide that type of service.  

What could the government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
I think the future of NZ labels is in the SMEs and government can support that by encouraging people to buy NZ-made and providing business training and support.  Brands that get big need to go offshore to compete on the world market but there's plenty of smaller ones coming through.  I work voluntarily as a business mentor through Business Mentors New Zealand (and am also a mentoring client of theirs!) and I think having a mentor is so helpful.  This is a government subsidised service and is great.

Anything to add?
I am becoming more and more influenced by the desire to get away from cheap tacky clothing and books such as Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline help this.  I also love the work of Natalie Chanin of Alabama Studio and am attempting to bring hand stitched work into my clothing.  I recently cleaned out my wardrobe and threw out cheap junk but still kept and wear good clothing that is 10-15 years old.  Buying good quality pays off in the end and having something that is well made from good fabrics and a bit individual is the way to go!

JUIDfashion

www.juidfashion.com
www.juidfashion.com/blog
facebook.com/JUIDfashion
twitter.com/JUIDfashion
Physical Address:  Anywhere with a power-plug for the laptop 
& in close vicinity to caffeine. 
Operating since:  2009!!

James Upton

What are you all about? 
JUIDfashion was founded as a platform for creative license encompassing a number of genres; art, style, photography, progression but mostly fashion.  At first being a men-specific line with an androgynous feel, JUID has starting to do more women-specific pieces with each collection.  The focus however is definitely still on menswear.  All garments are designed and made in NZ, with an extreme level of attention to detail, giving JUID a high-end boutique feel.  Carefully selected cottons, denims,merinos & organic fabrics complement the cuts of these fashion-forward pieces.  Each piece tells an individual story, as well as combining with other garments to fit into the theme of the overall collection in which it sits.  With inspiration coming from many areas both inside and outside the fashion industry, JUID’s edgy but still commercial persona is testament to its growing popularity within the NZ fashion industry.  

What kind of clothes do you make? 
Mainly t-shirts, they are our bread and butter.  However, we do do a small range of jeans, cardigans, polos and shirts as well!!

Who makes your clothes? 
All are made locally in Auckland.  We love NZ MADE.

Who sells your clothes? 
Our biggest retailer at the moment is Needles & Threads in Ponsonby.

Can we buy them online?
Above and through our website.

What price range are your clothes in? 
Our standard print t-shirt is RRP $109. So yeah... fairly pricey, but you pay for quality don't you?!

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas? 
$$$$$$$$$$$ All about the "benjamins".  Although the savings never seem to filter down to the retailers and consumers...?  Some brands are making nice margins..! 

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ? 
Unfortunately I don't think there is anything the government can do. Countries like China and Bangladesh basically have the people resources to make clothing so cheap that NZ can not compete.  They could increase the tax of bring products back into NZ but that is going to hurt a lot of NZ businesses and the cost would probably just be passed onto the customers. It basically means only high end brands can be NZ made.  For us it is a nice point of difference compared to a lot of competing labels that are made off shore.

Anything to add?
We also love organic cotton!!
In an age when consumer products are breaking down the environment, it is important that everyone does what they can to help the cause.  The ultimate goal of “sustainable cotton” is to move sustainable production, manufacturing and use practices throughout the cotton value chain in order to create a healthy and profitable industry for growers, their communities, manufacturers, retailers and users of all cotton products. Besides the environmental benefits that chemical-free organic cotton offers, the quality of clothing produced from organic cotton is also substantially higher.  Organic cotton plants produce longer-stable cotton fibres, leading to stronger yarn and more durable fabrics.  Pesticide-free long-stable cotton also feels softer and more breathable against the skin. JUIDfashion sees this as the future of the “rag trade” & would like to be a part of it.

Design Cartel

www.missabigail.co.nz (This is my label's website. I only have a Facebook page for Design Cartel so far)
facebook.com/Miss-Abigail
facebook.com/designcartel.nz
Physical Address: 109 Willis St, Dukes Arcade, Wellington
Operating Since:  Shop has been open since Monday 5th November.  
I have been working on my own label for about 10 years.  I took a few years away from fashion for a bit of a career change to work in mental health & since moving to New Zealand, I am now completely all into it again.

What are you all about? I am all about meeting local New Zealand designers to share stories and help support each other.  I recently opened Design Cartel; a shop with about 15 designers, which always looking for more local talent.  Part of the reason I wanted to open a shop was so I can make whatever I want, when I want, without designing a year in advance. There aren't any wholesalers in Wellington so it makes it quite hard to source stuff so far in advance; then when you're ready to buy, you run the risk of a fabric not being available.

What kind of clothes do you make?
My designs are fashion forward, being quite girly and cute.  My recent range is toned down a little, compared to usual, to try and accommodate my designs to a wider range of people.  I love using bright colours and cute prints & I love velvet, with some of my pieces having a Victorian feel.

Who makes your clothes?  
My clothes are made in a factory in Napier called Sew Unlimited who are really lovely.

Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online? 
Currently they are only sold in my Design Cartel shop.  Online shop will be going live in the next couple of weeks.

What price range are your clothes in?  
My clothes range from $70 to $300 at the moment.  I am also looking into doing some Miss Abigail accessories soon, which may include brooches and scarfs.

What other NZ-made clothing labels do you sell?
Miss Abigail, Love Hotel, Beau, Desiree Clothing, Millicent, HLDB by Tina and twoWORLDS.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?  
I think as it's cheaper & there just aren't too many places in New Zealand to get stuff made.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?  
Support the current manufacturers in some way.  

Anything to add? 
I just recently found out the only manufacturer in Wellington is apparently closing down in the next couple of months which is really sad.

Jane Sutherland

www.janesutherland.co.nz

facebook.com/janesutherland

Physical Address:  State Highway 6, Kingston 9748, Central Otago

Operating Since:  Established in 2004

 

What are you all about?
When creating our womenswear collections, we take a disciplined approach.  We like to create well-cut, wearable garments that capture attention with clever detailing; pieces that are timeless and will still be in your closet for ten years.  It can be hard to create garments that are creative with a point of difference but yet commercial enough to sell - it’s a fine line.  I feel it depends on whether or not you like creating commercial simple clothes or living a more complicated life!  I feel fashion needs more creativity – it is often as though the main focus is on wearablity, which is most definitely important and is the lucrative part of the industry; however the art aspect should not be lost in the process.  At the end of the day we are not fulfilling a utilitarian function, we are extracting the unique remnants of an artist's imagination that marks the current movements and influences of our culture.  We are creating something that should spark curiosity.

 

Who makes your clothes?
We use a local CMT factory in the South Island and skilled outworkers – it is nice to be able to have strict quality control and a close working relationship with the manufacturers.  Everything is NZ-made, including accessories – all jewellery is handcrafted by local jewelers and artists.

 

Who sells your clothes?
We wholesale to 8 stores nationwide & have just launched an online boutique which we are hoping to build on overtime.

 

What price range are your clothes in?
Anywhere between $90- $500.  Sometimes a fully lined woollen coat may exceed this; with handcrafted metal detailing on a lot of the garments, this can make things a little more expensive but unique!

 

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
At the end of the day I believe it all comes down to cost – this mainly only works for mass produced lines.

 

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
Encourage New Zealanders to buy NZ-made & to advertise and educate people on the importance of supporting our skilled workers, designers and manufacturers.  Reintroduce a Buy NZ Made campaign supporting the fact that eventually if everyone is forced to move offshore, the trade in NZ will drop and where will we be left?!

Anything to add?

It is great to see clothes that are ten years old and people are still wearing them  It's an old-fashioned idea that we build things to last and I think we should all take a lot of pride in that and hold onto it for as long as we can and for further generations.