As New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) kicks off, ragtrader.com.au shines a spotlight on its emerging designers. Here, Blackeyepeach designers Lucille Ness and Natalia Baird discuss overcoming the Christchurch earthquake.
The designers
What is a break-through moment you are most proud of?
We are proud of every step we have taken to grow Blackeyepeach. We started really small creating collections, which we have always sold through our online store. We showed those ranges in small pop up shops wherever we could in Christchurch, during a time when the city was recovering from a life changing earthquake.
This meant we would find different locations where we would create our own pop up shops, for instance using a container, and creating a temporary shop in it.
We have now moved into our own flagship store which has been really exciting for us, to be able to have a permanent space for our loyal customers along with the retail stores we stock in. We are also really excited to be joining NZFW for the first time this year.
What is the biggest career challenge you've faced and how did you overcome it?
The biggest career challenge we have faced would also coincide with our greatest opportunity, and that would be starting the brand in a city that was finding its feet again.
We found ourselves at a time when everything was being rebuilt and there were so many opportunities to be part of that and start something new.
This encouraged us to found Blackeyepeach and host pop up stores in random locations within the city, but it also meant it was our biggest challenge.
It was difficult to find safe, available locations suitable for holding a pop-up store, and when we did we were faced with the challenge of people not knowing we were there, as there was little to no foot traffic within the parameters of the city.
We relied on word of mouth, social media, and our own growing reputation to develop knowledge of our brand.
The business
How many pieces is your average collection and what are the average price points?
We have around 30-35 pieces each collection and our average price point sits around $180. Our prices range from $80-$350, as our vision was always to create high quality, small runs, at a moderate price point.
How many wholesale accounts and/or stores does your brand currently operate?
Currently we operate online through our own store, from our flagship physical store based in Christchurch, and then through three other retailers.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing New Zealand designers?
The biggest challenge for New Zealand designers would be competing with the ever-expanding online chain stores, which offer trending pieces at incredibly low price points.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity?
New Zealand is a country that really appreciates New Zealand talent and is incredibly supportive towards emerging designers as well as established New Zealand designers. It’s a great opportunity for any New Zealand based designer to grow here as there is a supportive platform that are interested in what you are doing.
The collection
What is the inspiration behind your collection at NZFW?
The AW17 ‘The Dream is Real’ collection is inspired by the working woman and man who have their own dreams and individuality, and express this through the way they dress. ‘The Dream is Real’ offers a unique look on a tailored aesthetic that fits into every working woman and man’s wardrobe.
What are some of the core fabrications used?
Our main emphasis is based around the high quality fabrics we work with every season. This sees us particularly focusing on wool, cotton and silks in this collection.
What about key embellishments and detailing?
Our aesthetic combines a flattering tailored fit with an understatedly cool-style, this means we really let the prints of the fabric speak for themselves. We have a stand out embroidered fabric that is the pinnacle of our AW17 collection.
Where will the range be manufactured?
We travel to Vietnam twice annually to work on our spring/summer and autumn/winter ranges. Our main focus for Blackeyepeach was to establish a close working relationship with our team. This has turned into more of a family dynamic than a business, which has also helped us to establish fair trade between our manufacturer and us. This continues to be our main priority and our Vietnam base has become our home away from home and we are proud of the close-knit relationship we have with our team.