FASHIONING GREATNESS
As I delved into this issue’s theme, it was amazing to discover a rich heritage and legacy that Canterbury has forged in the fashion and manufacturing world. Many of you will remember the local manufacturing company Lane Walker Rudkin (LWR), which began as a sock knitting business founded by Sarah Rudkin and her husband Alfred well over 100 years ago.
It’s probably most remembered for its iconic Canterbury brand and its long association with New Zealand rugby and the All Blacks. Sadly in 1999, they were outbid by German-based company Adidas and lost their eighty-year association. The company was placed in receivership in 2009 and closed after 104 years of operation.
Canterbury has also produced two of the most well-known names in New Zealand fashion – Paula Ryan and Dame Pieter Stewart. Paula Ryan and her then-husband Don Hope started the magazine Fashion Quarterly in 1980, distributing free into Christchurch letterboxes.
Dame Pieter Stewart founded New Zealand Fashion Week. These local girls have added to the rich fashion landscape of Aotearoa and could be considered Canterbury fashion royalty.
And Peri Drysdale still maintains New Zealand’s claim to fame as leading the first international brand to receive recognition from the United Nations for its sustainability practices, leaving another completely untouched legacy.
I recently attended The Mix: Fashionably Late at the Christchurch Art Gallery. I interviewed panel host and Ara fashion tutor Rachel Gafa. Gafa, who concentrates on the intricate business of fashion as part of her curriculum, was hopeful for the future.
“The fashion industry in New Zealand is a three billion dollar industry, and I love every aspect of it. You can’t mention modern New Zealand fashion without mentioning the likes of sister-icons NomD and Zambesi. But there are always others, and my eye is also on brands like Out Of Comfort who make menswear with the future in mind. Historically, draping and less-structured clothes have been the way of dress that defines New Zealand. This is present today and reflects not only the climate but the laid-back [Kiwi] lifestyle and the crossing of cultures and inhabitants that call Aotearoa home.”
All in all, I’d say that New Zealand continues to punch above its weight, and if this rich fashion heritage is anything to go by, there are many great things to come.