Wednesday, June 20, 2012

highnoontea

www.highnoontea.co.nz
facebook.com/highnoontea
twitter.com/highnoontea
Physical Address:  163 Vivian Street, New Plymouth 4310
Operating Since: The first highnoontea collection was produced in June 2011.

Sheryl White
(Jenn Hadley Photography)
What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
highnoontea is about quality New Zealand made clothing.  We run a sustainable business model, dealing with local NZ SMEs like ourselves.  We can follow each process for our garments from its design to landing on the rack; knowing that each person who has a hand in along the line is in NZ and we have spoken to them personally.  We want our customers to know that they are paying for quality and for small runs that are thoughtful and intelligent designs.

Our underlying ideology is to make womenswear to make the wearer feel good.  These are classic pieces that will last in your wardrobe and compliment other pieces so that you don't have to buy cheap new items from chain and fast fashion stores.  We don't follow trends - we have artistic integrity; we like to design with a conscience for women who want to be noticed, women who know themselves, are confident within themselves, aren't afraid to wear a pop of colour or something slightly standout, slight risqué.  Our influences are of different eras, showcasing strong independent women.  Influences include Jane Birkin and Patti Smith.

Who makes your clothes?
Pattern making and sample production is produced in-house, while range production is made by small owner operator machinists and factories in Wellington, New Plymouth and Auckland.  We use small factories because we really want to be able to talk with the person who is actually constructing the garment.  Quality is paramount - we use good machinists who we know are going to produce the best quality product.  We are extremely dedicated to NZ-owned and operated companies from every aspect through to buttons, zips, retailers and fabric wholesalers.

Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
You can buy online though our websitein-store at Madame Fancy Pants (217 Cuba St, Wellington) and on their website, or in-store at Salisbury Boutique (104 Bond St, Dunedin) and on their website.

What price range are your clothes in?
Items range from $105 to around $400.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
It is simple - Cost.  The NZ public thinks they are getting a real bargain when they buy something that is cheap but they don't think about the business practice that went into producing that garment.  The challenge for NZ designers is to stay true to what we believe in: to keeping it local & designing and making quality garments that people are prepared to pay a reasonable price for, knowing that there has been a fair (and local) process from inception to production.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
This is a big question and I feel that a lot of mistakes were made in the 1980s with tariffs and free trade.  Investment hasn't been made into the clothing manufacturing sector, forcing the closure of many factories as they can't compete in terms of technology, production runs and cost.  I think the Government could support SMEs better with more funding put into things like New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Anything to add?
We believe that, if you are going to make more things to go into this already full planet, they must be quality pieces which make the wearer feel amazing and will last for many years.  We are building a brand that aims to enrich, fulfill and inspire.   

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

de Vol

www.devolclothing.com
Physical Address:  Our work room is in Otaki.
Operating Since:  We have been operating since the mid-1990s; difficult to pin a date on as it was a slow evolution to get where we are.  I started using the name de Vol in my last year of polytech when I was selling thru markets and to our friends.

Brendan and Stacey
What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
We are about making an income from something we love doing.  It is just the natural thing for us both to be doing.  We strive to make timeless garments of good quality.  Our range is vintage-inspired mainly 1930s thru to early 1960s; sometimes we make it totally girly, sometimes with a bit of an edge.  Many of our fabrics come from the States and Japan whilst our knits come from a mill 15 minutes up the road.

Who makes your clothes?
We do everything ourselves; sourcing fabrics, designing, pattern draughting and grading thru to construction.  Back in the day, we used to do screenprinting also.

Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
Most of our range is available at Frutti in Wellington but we also sell thru Blush in Takapuna.  We are currently seeking another outlet in Auckland if anyone has a suggestion!  We have an Etsy store, "Hope and Anchor Boutique" and also you can purchase thru our Facebook page.

What price range are your clothes in?
Our prices start from about $55 for a purse thru to $250 for a coat.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
We think NZ labels outsource due to cost, of course!  Brendan and I both lost our jobs in a sewing factory in the early 1990s due to this.  (I started out sewing for JAG, Adele Palmer, Expozay and then Stax.)  Outsourcing is to the detriment of many.  Not just the factory workers but also the machine mechanics, thread and notions suppliers & the availability of cheaper machinery for smaller labels to purchase as the factories upgrade.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
The industry started its downward as soon as the Government lifted tariffs on imports.  So maybe putting tariffs in place again would help us all.
I can't see it happening though!

Anything to add?
Buy NZ made, it's good for our country!  Also it's good to know if you buy from a small business, you can guarantee your purchase was made with love.

Lone Moose

www.lonemoose.co.nz
facebook.com/lonemooseclothing
Physical Address:  The Moose Company Ltd, 10A Palm Grove, Berhampore, Wellington 6023
Operating Since:  The Lone Moose label was originated in 2007 when Canadian born Bonnie de Gros began lovingly making clothes for her son and the requests came flooding in!  In 2009, the label was taken over by two new mothers, Jule Hartung and Alexandra van Niekerk, who strive to continue making Lone Moose the best that it can be.


Jule and Alexandra
What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
Beautifully crafted children's clothes for girls and boys, aged from 6 months to 8 years.  The Lone Moose range includes wool coats, raincoats, screenprinted and recycled hoodies, tops, dresses, trousers, leggings, shorts, bloomers, skirts, bibs and hats.  We use carefully chosen quality materials (new, recycled and vintage) to create beautiful timeless garments which are practical with a touch of whimsy.


Lone Moose garments are created in small runs in order to make them special, just like your child.  Although colours, fabrics and prints vary seasonally, our popular designs remain the same so you can find the items you love each year as your child grows.  In addition to our new garments, Lone Moose offers a recycled range - the charm and appeal of these garments is that they are all unique!


Who makes your clothes?
Our clothes are cut at home and then we are lucky to have a couple of marvellous seamstresses (in Auckland and Wellington) who do our sewing. For bigger orders, we use trusted manufacturer Stitch Products in Porirua. Once our garments are sewn, they come back to us for finishing - we have become very good at sewing on buttons and using the snap press!


Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
Lone Moose can be bought online & can also be found at seasonal markets such as Knack Market (Wellington), Martinborough Fair & Craft 2.0.
In addition, Lone Moose can be found at the following lovely stockists:
Offspring Lane and Dalston (Auckland)
Infantesimal, Little League, Kids Collection and Organic Baby (Wellington)
Found My Way (Invercargill)
Big Tums Little Bums (Wanaka)
Miracle (Dunedin)


What price range are your clothes in?
We feel Lone Moose is fairly and reasonably priced for beautiful quality garments made in NZ.  To give an idea of our price range, you can purchase reversible beanies for $22 and fully-lined wool coats for $100.


Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
Unfortunately it always come down to money.  Many labels look overseas to manufacture as labour costs are cheaper and in some instances the NZ dollar goes further.


What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
It would be great if the Government supported NZ labels to keep manufacture here - maybe they could provide an incentive to keep ownership and manufacture in NZ.


Anything to add?
We feel very proud that Lone Moose is NZ-made and thank all of our customers for being so supportive.  It is heartening to us that adults wish we made clothing in their sizes & wonderful to know that Lone Moose garments are the ones which are held on to for your grandchildren!

Monday, June 18, 2012

shelley d

www.shelleyd.co.nz
facebook.com/shelleydnz
twitter.com/shelleydnz
shelleydnz.blogspot.co.nz
Physical Address:  Auckland
Operating Since:  The label was founded June 2011 but officially my company, Shelley D Ltd, was incorporated in March 2012.


Shelley Dunn
What are you all about?  
What kind of clothes do you make?
The passion that drives me to design is a passion for all things unique, high quality & items that will last.  I have pieces of clothing I made for myself 6 or 7 years ago now and I am still wearing these pieces - they still look current and reasonably new!  This is quality at its best; it's what I believe in most and I want my customers to get an investment when they buy from me.  Their purchase will be something that will last and adds value to their wardrobe.


Who makes your clothes?
A lot of the clothing and all of my leather accessories are made in-house by myself.  I have a pretty well-equipped little workroom in my home and access to some great machinery in the area too.  As things progress with my brand, I will work towards having more of my garments made by small local factories.  My very first production run of garments have just come off the line this month; made by a great little sewing factory in Pakuranga, Auckland.


Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
I sell my clothing and accessories directly through my website.  I also have shops on Etsy and Felt.  My leather bags are stocked in Salisbury Boutique in Dunedin, Struth in Martinborough, The Vault and Rex Royale in Wellington & they will also be in a new store to open up shortly in Hawera called Quirky Fox.  My sales agent will be out and about seeking stockists for my Winter 2013 clothing range from September.  And a recent development:  I will be joining the team at the City Designers Market from 20th July, where you will be able to come in, meet me, have a chat and see my clothing and bags in the flesh every Friday and Saturday in Auckland.


What price range are your clothes in?
I have basics from $79 through to more expensive pieces that can be over $500.  My bags range from $115 to $239 and I also do smaller items like cardholders and necklaces from $23 to $59.  There are also sale items and samples up for grabs from time to time so it's best to keep an eye out.


Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
It's cheaper.


What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
It's not really the Government who need to adjust, it's consumers.  Most people don't even think about the kind of factory environment they might be supporting when they buy overseas made garments (out of sight, out of mind).  At least with NZ-made, you can be sure that the work environment is decent; they are paid wages and given breaks.  There are still factories in NZ that will do the work if it's on offer; we just need an increasing demand.


Anything to add?
I read a great article recently about why a designer garment costs what it does.  It's written about American designers but it's very applicable to small NZ designers too.
There were a couple of excellent points in it that I'd like to share:
1).  The people behind small designer labels live in neighbourhoods like yours and work in factories that treat people like people.
2).  Nice materials are pricier.  Silk, leather, cashmere all sound fancy for a reason.  It's made to last.
3).  There is a thing called scale.  If you buy a truckload of anything, it's cheaper. So when the production run is smaller, it's more expensive - there is a price to pay for exclusivity!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Love Love Lorelei

www.lovelovelorelei.blogspot.com
facebook.com/lovelovelorelei
twitter.com/lovelovelorelei
www.etsy.com/shop/lovelovelorelei
Physical Address:  Wellington
Operating Since:  I have been making clothes since I was little and used "Lorelei" as a label name for over ten years.  "Love Love Lorelei" has slowly evolved and has been going steady in its current incarnation since 2008.

Lorene Harris
What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
It's all about the romance and fun of dressing up for me; the little aspects of fantasy and whimsy that can be added to everyday life by embracing that.  I'm also very passionate about quality and just really hate the idea of throwaway trashy fashion; not just for the style of it but for the detrimental effects it has on the industry, the environment and quality of life for both the producers of those garments and the end users.

I make all kinds of everyday women's garments that are a little bit dressy or special without really being formal but I'm known for my dresses.  I love vintage-style colourful prints - it's always the fabric that really attracts me at first when I'm looking to make something new.  Love Love Lorelei garments always have a hint of nostalgia and girlyness & sometimes I take that to the next level and just make the cutest thing I can think of.

Who makes your clothes?
I make everything myself in my home studio; it's pretty small scale at the moment.  

Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
Love Love Lorelei is stocked in the Swonderful boutique in Wellington and Salisbury Boutique in Dunedin.  I also have an online Etsy store and I do private sales through my Facebook page.  I am always happy to make my designs up to measure or in a different fabric choice so sometimes my customers get in touch with me directly, which I love as it's so personal.

What price range are your clothes in?
About $130 for simple tops up to $300ish for a fancy frock.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
Cost of production though I always think it must be such a hassle to deal with.  The manufacturing industry here in New Zealand has been slowly disappearing as a result of everyone outsourcing too, so I guess we have less capacity to produce garments on a large scale even if demand did grow back again.  I'm not really that clued up about larger scale manufacturing, having always preferred a more personal (and smaller risk) business model.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Jasmin Sparrow

www.jasminsparrow.com
facebook.com/jasminsparrow
Physical Address:  Wellington
Operating Since:  I launched the website June 2010.


Jasmin Scott
What are you all about?
What kind of clothes do you make?
I make a range of handmade pieces; jewellery and clothing, embellished with feathers.  I love making one-off pieces.  I have done small collections of one-off tops, dresses and collars.  At the moment, I'm working with metals and creating a collection of unique jewellery pieces.  I love working with natural materials, beautiful silks, leather and feathers.


Who makes your clothes?
My business is of a smaller scale so at the moment I'm making everything myself in my studio at home.


Who sells your clothes?  Can we buy them online?
Most of my sales are made through my online shop.  I also sell in a few selected boutiques throughout NZ.


What price range are your clothes in?
My prices start with feather braids selling at $10 and vary, right up to my one-off pieces selling for around $800.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
Price point.  It's a challenge to make locally and sell at a price that is competitive by the time it hits retail.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
I don't think it's a very big priority for the government.  There are so many New Zealanders out of work; it's an area where we could create more jobs but, at the end of the day, price margins are never going to be as low as they are overseas.  Consumers are the ones that need to support designers who produce high quality NZ-made goods, rather than cheaply made Chinese imports.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Tava

www.tava.net.nz
Physical Address:  Christchurch.  Due to earthquakes and kids, we're working from home - hope to change this situation soon!  A larger warehouse would be nice.
Operating Since:  2010

Brian and Agnes McLintock
What are you all about?
We are two lovebirds that met, married and are living happily ever after.  The happily ever after includes three little ones under 5, a clothing line (that's Tava!) and all kinds of wild adventures as we try new ideas and strive to balance all that.  Busy but fun times!

We didn't wake up one day and decide to start a fashion line, we fell into it and have gained momentum, enthusiasm and a genuine love for what we do.  We're always awed at the response we receive from Tava's customers; we're so blessed to have this support!

What kind of clothes do you make?
Wearable, versatile and happy clothes!  Versatility has always been important for us - why have a simple skirt when it could be reversible. (One sleepless night also brought about the Tava 4-skirts-in-1 concept.) We love strong bold colours and having spent years wearing black pants and tops, I know how fun it is to finally get some colour into one's wardrobe!  We work hard to make all our designs very wearable, yet very feminine.  (Excluding the menswear, of course.)

Tava also realises that most women don't feel comfortable forever tugging their skirt down or tugging at cleavage so we try to eliminate those issues in our clothing.  Life is too short to be wearing clothing that doesn't work for you, or makes you look like everyone else!

Who makes your clothes?
It depends on how big a run we're doing.  There are a couple of factories in Christchurch that we work with; smaller runs are cut in-house - these are sewn by a team of seamstresses who work for us almost full-time.

Who sells your clothes?
We have some great stockists, mainly in the South Island but also in Australia.  We'll be announcing some new stockists with our new Tava summer range too.  We also sell directly through selected events (e.g. Hamilton Field Days this year).

Can we buy them online?
Yes, our online store can be found at www.tava.net.nz if you don't have a stockist in your area.

What price range are your clothes in?
It varies but the Tava range is approx $89 - $200, mostly around $140. Our girls reversible skirts are only $45 and our popular merino gloves are only $39.

Why do you think NZ clothing labels outsource their manufacturing overseas?
It's simply cheaper.  The mark-up on NZ-made goods is tiny, especially compared to imported goods.  It's mostly a matter of labour rates, of course.  NZ-made fashion isn't an easy or high paying industry and we can understand why many go overseas.  It's very tempting.

What could the Government do to help clothing labels keep it in NZ?
I hate to say it but possibly look into whether minimum wage increases actually help people (great if they do!!) or whether they just increase inflation and therefore make things harder for the manufacturing industry when competing with the international marketplace.  (At Tava, we pay quite a bit more than minimum wage but of course every wage goes up with the increase; meanwhile the Chinese stay just as cheap.)  Would be an interesting study.  We could be wrong, of course.  (Would prefer to be wrong in this case!)

General help and support (not necessarily financial) for small business would be super and it would be good if the public realised how important it is to keep New Zealanders in skilled jobs.  I would rather be buying select high quality NZ-made clothing than paying for cheap imports & then consequently higher taxes to support our skilled workers who end up unemployed for lack of jobs.  Having said that we do believe the Government is there to govern and not get involved in business too much. An encourager and supporter but not a player.  It would also be great if there were more MPs that had a working understanding of small business  ;o)

Anything to add?
We are always excited by blogs such as this and people that believe in NZ-made & will walk the talk and fill their wardrobes with NZ-made things.  I get excited every time I recognise a NZ label being worn so if you're wearing something made in New Zealand and find some random couple smiling at you, it's possibly us!