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Physical Address: Ferrymead, Christchurch
Operating Since: 2000 - ten years this summer, so we are going to celebrate by surprising our customers with some special birthday treats before Xmas.
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| Teresa, Zest and Liz |
chalkydigits designs and produces high-quality lifestyle clothing. We call it lifestyle because we aim to have all your bases covered with our range of styles; we have your sporty, outdoor clothing like our Crank N Climb Shorts and we have your everyday clothing like our comfy but cool skirts but then we also cater for your evenings, with some snappier outfits of super-sexy dresses! We pride ourselves on the striking graphic elements of our clothing, which are quirky and relevant to Kiwi culture and we often commission local artists to contribute designs for our ranges. This keeps our gear fresh and interesting and showcases some of the extraordinary artistic talent we have in NZ.
It's also really important to us that we are keeping our carbon footprint in check, so we are committed to using organic cotton where we can and homegrown, ethically produced merino is one of our favourite fibres. This is also one of the primary reasons that we keep production in New Zealand, along with maintaining strict quality control, paying fair wages to our manufacturers and keeping jobs and skills in NZ for future security. We are also in the privileged position of being able to give something back to the environment, which is why we initiated the restoration of the vulnerable South Island robin to Chalky Island and have some other exciting conservation projects in the pipeline. We are first and foremost a values-based company and the values outlined above are the glue that binds chalkydigits together and cements us as a pioneering force in Kiwi design and culture.
Who makes your clothes?
Various CMT factories in Christchurch.
Who sells your clothes? Can we buy them online?
We have over 60 stockists in New Zealand and some of those sell our gear online.
What price range are your clothes in?
Because they are made here in the highest quality fabric we can source, they are not cheap, but they are value-for-money and should last a long time.
Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
To make more money, but this only works if you mass-manufacture your lines and we prefer limited edition styles so all your friends aren't wearing the same thing.
What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
Restrict the amount of low-quality and exploitative clothing we import. Currently cheap and nasty fashion floods the market, buy it this season and throw it out the next. We deplore consumerism for consumers sake and throw-away society. The government could also re-instate some of the BUY NZ MADE campaign funding they cut when they came into power.
Anything to add?
We are excitedly watching the increase of 'conscious consumerism' as more and more people awaken to the global environmental pickle we have got ourselves in, and they are now realising that every dollar they spend is effectively a vote for what they believe in. At chalkydigits, we can't wait to see what the next ten years brings!
