Describe your personal style and how it influences your designs?
My personal styles is diverse and is activity based on the rich variety of things I do in my day.

My Waiheke Island lifestyle means I start most days at the beach, I’m not a big fan of “activewear” so in the winter I have a selection of my sustainable vintage blanket dresses or hoodies, then in the summer I produce a few pretty beach dresses that are feminine and correspond well to the cafe lifestyle in the mornings. From there I could be working in my studio, attending corporate or community meetings on the island or in the city. In the evenings I’m also often involved in or supporting Arts events.

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I hate getting changed too many times in one day so I try to select pieces that can last the distance of the day. like a soft tailored dress, a lot of blazers and coats. I enjoy wearing colours and fabrics that keep me feeling positive. This year’s collection contained nice bright monotones or hints of gold.

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I love to wear silk scarfs preferably, gold, pink or navy, as it keeps me warm and enhances my skin tone and my feeling of being properly dressed. I’m more likely to be over dressed than underdressed. When we were growing up we had ‘home clothes’ and ‘town clothes’. Now I have ‘island clothes’ and ‘city clothes’.

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What is your all-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠time favourite purchase?
This would have to a vintage, peach coloured wool Dior El Jay coat that I bought when I was a fashion student that has stood the test of time and still feels wonderful when you wear it.

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What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?
Everyone should support sustainability and slow fashion by investing in a beautiful bespoke piece. In fact, I recommend one of my original pieces from this collection.

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Do you have a style rule you always obey?
The first rule would be to find your style, this can be done by finding your best feature, accentuate it. Then consider the impact it is going to have both on your enjoyment of wearing it and the environment. It will hold your attention, is it sustainable, is it easy to care for, is it made well. Sorry! That IS a list of rules and values to consider.

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What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Everything has been amazing so much more that I would ever have dreamed. Every collection has continuity and is an improvement of the previous collection. So this year’s NZFW collection is “the best one yet”. I’ve been lucky to show in London, Paris and Melbourne, however one of the absolute bonuses of showing at NZFW was having family and friends in the audience mixed in with the fashion hierarchy and of course our amazing sponsor Auckland Council.

Going forward I feel I am able to formulate dreams and activate them with the assistance of supportive people I have met on my journey so far.

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What can’t you live without?
My classic navy blue Louis Vuitton scarf. I just gives a good finish to every outfit and can elevate denim from looking casual to looking formal.

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Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
Pyjamas to the supermarket.

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Editorial images by Grant Triplow.