Our guide to what’s new and notable in the fashion world, Viva’s Retail Therapy column offers a handy guide for navigating the fashion market. This week we’re looking at fresh designs from local labels, new stores (both online and IRL) and how Ruby is shaking things up.
New in
Huffer has teamed up with Studio Bon
Here’s something a bit fun and nostalgic for your Friday. Huffer has gone back in time (the brand was founded in 1997) and teamed up with illustrator Bonnie Brown on a Y2K-inflected capsule range of cheerful, unisex pieces, including sweats (pictured), T-shirts and a tote bag. Comfortable and upbeat, it’s just the thing for weekend wear.
Love tartan? You’ll like this
An autumn print if there ever was one, designer Adrienne Whitewood has just released a timely range of pieces in a smart tartan. Like everything she does, these are all thoroughly wearable, and you can find them online, or in-store at Ahu Boutique in Rotorua and Pōneke, Whitewood’s “home of Māori fashion”. 3010/1178 Eruera St, Rotorua and 5/115 Victoria St, Te Aro, Wellington.
Fresh new fashion from Mina
Another local brand with newness is Mina, which has launched the first chunk of its new collection “Three.1″ for autumn. Though the brand’s ethos is very much on the natural, breezy and classic (it describes the new range as a “season of nostalgia”), it’s not without some pep. A vibrant electric blue is a hero of the range, and can also be found in the floral print, which offers an excellent example of colour theory, seen here on Clementine and Valentine Nixon (formerly Purple Pilgrims) who star in the campaign, lensed by Katya Brook. 600 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland.
There’s a blissful new batch from Baserange
Got the blues? This could be just the thing. A new selection from Baserange, the Danish-French label that’s earned a devoted following of people who like their basics a little bit buzzy (think baby-locked seams and velvet undies), is in store now at Penny Sage. These soothing blue hues come courtesy of Woad, a natural plant pigment that has been used to colour both clothes and bodies for centuries. Cool indeed. Baserange is part of the multi-brand stock assortment at Penny Sage, alongside its own lovely label, which has autumn pieces in store and online now — more beautiful blues in fact — and it’s worth a visit to the brand’s studio store, which is open to the public Thursday to Saturday, 10am-4pm. 6A Kirk St, Grey Lynn, Auckland.
(And for those in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Sully’s has a fresh drop of Baserange too.)
Simon James has some new treasures from Sophie Buhai
If adornment is your thing, then have a look at the latest from cool, chic LA-made brand Sophie Buhai. Materials include pearl, jade, sterling silver and mother of pearl.
A stylish way to support breast cancer research
Breast Cancer Cure has released a new “Tees for a Cure” collection for winter, available for pre-order now (until May 18) and collaborated with nine famous fashion names once again — including Juliette Hogan, Moochi (pictured here on Black Ferns Ruahei Demant, Liana Mikaelel-Tu’u and Maiakawanakaulani Roos), Trelise Cooper, Kathryn Wilson and more — on a range of apparel. Not just limited to its popular T-shirts, the range also includes sweatshirts, hoodies and even a jacket. All profits go to Breast Cancer Cure NZ, a registered charity that works on research projects and awareness raising.
On sale
Mahsa has updated its archive
A small-batch, locally made brand, Mahsa’s pieces are sought after for a reason. Good news then that it’s updated its online archive, offering an array of timeless, breezy designs for a more affordable price — including many of its signature blouses. Don’t dally.
In the news
Jakob Carter has opened his flagship store
It’s always nice when a small-town designer sets up shop in the big smoke, it makes our city more interesting and brings a plurality of voices and ideas — things we all benefit from. The latest is fashion designer Jakob Carter, who has opened his flagship store on Newmarket’s main drag, providing a brick-and-mortar home for his glamorous, locally made wares, which can also be found in 300 retailers around Aotearoa. 238A Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland.
A bold vision is something I appreciate about Ruby, which always looks at how it can do business better (last year, it shifted to printing its Liam Patterns range on NZME’s newspaper reel ends). Its latest moves include shifting offices to Bond St in Grey Lynn, and a relaunch of its website Rubynz.com: the “Rubyverse”, unveiled today, home to Ruby and sister brand Liam. To help its audience make well-thought-out purchases, you can now filter the online store with classifications like zero production waste, made in Aotearoa, organic and more.
The new site also includes the impressive new “toolbox for change” which seeks to democratise knowledge, sharing better practice information on manufacturing processes, materials, waste minimisation and sizing with its readers and the wider industry. “We know that the way that the industry, and society, works needs to radically change. And also, trying to gain a detailed understanding of how we arrived at this point, and how to change it, has at times been bloody hard. It’s my hope that by us synthesising and sharing what we have learned, we are adding to the collective knowledge and helping to increase the rate of change,” general manager Emily Miller-Sharma tells Viva.
“People and companies can take what we have learned and add it to their own Toolboxes for Change. Maybe they will have a more efficient way of dealing with a problem than we do, and they share it with us. That could mean that we take that efficiency and redirect more resources to the next thing on our list.”
Great vintage at the click of a button
Another retailer with a refreshed website is Gojo, the beloved vintage store in New Lynn that has a rather sensational assortment — much easier to access and navigate with their new online store, where you can even shop by era (good news for those wanting a slice of Y2K style, or a trip back to the 1920s).
There’s a new bridal business in town
Unconventional, avant-garde and fashion-forward are just some of the terms employed by the founders of newly launched boutique LVR Bridal, geared towards servicing brides who want to feel contemporary and chic. Founded by friends Jacque Shaw and Lauren Kay Hooper, the pair have vast experience in the wedding industry — Lauren as a senior designer at Rue de Seine, Lovers Society and Leave Her Wilder Bridesmaids, and Jacque creating her own bespoke wedding dresses.
“We are both drawn to the romance of wedding dresses,” say the designer duo. “But we know you can feel like you’re losing your own sense of style in the ‘fluff’. We want our brides to be able to showcase their unique taste so they always feel like themselves on their wedding day, with our focus being able to create and curate unique style for fashion-forward brides.”
LVR Bridal will offer a bespoke wedding service with a full edit of curated brands for the discerning bride-to-be. LVR Bridal is officially open for bookings now via Lvrbridal.com. The physical space opens March 16. 13 Mt Eden Rd, Grafton, Auckland.
(Speaking of weddings, those in the market for matrimony would do well to RSVP for the Cordis Auckland Wedding Showcase. It’s free, but you need to secure your spot by emailing cdakl.rsvp@cordishotels.com by Thursday, April 20.)