Storm brews in New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND: New womenswear brand Storm has opened two stores in New Zealand with more on the way.
Financially backed by New Zealand fashion chain Glassons, Storm is a womenswear label bridging the price gap between chain stores and high-end designers.
Offering NZ-designed and manufactured boutique clothing, the well-priced collection has been likened to Zambesi but at a more affordable price.
Recently opening her first two NZ stores in New Market and Christchurch, owner Deborah Caldwell said a third store was due to open in Auckland in September and she looked forward to branching out into Australia.
"I'm hoping to take the brand to Australia, particularly Melbourne. I feel Storm is most suited to the Melbourne customer. They dress similarly to New Zealanders, with layered dressing. They seem to jump onto NZ brands more regularly, as both the climate and the city is more suited to NZ style than Australia's other cities."
Keen to also find some more sites in NZ, Caldwell says the financial backing from Glassons has allowed the company to jump on sites straight away, "however finding new sites at the moment is our biggest challenge."
Giving the line her own contemporary stamp, Storm's designer Maria Kozub was previously a design room assistant for Zambesi for three years.
"I started designing this range straight after [a collection for Zambesi for] fashion week. As the seasons progress the similarity may fade out slightly. What I quite like about the range is that we offer lots of knits in merino that we can mix with silk pieces, jeans and suiting. We didn't want to pigeon hole the collection in one direction. The range is flexible, allowing you to wear a piece in maybe five different ways [looks]."
A chiffon drop waist dress with a leather belt layered over cotton leggings and a soft merino wool turtle neck knit (Also selling bags, belts and jewellery, Caldwell has commissioned a specialist designer to produce the jewellery. "Long chains with semi-precious stones, the jewellery has an edgy look that complements the line. We thought we'd only sell a few as they are priced at NZ$169 to NZ$179, but they have been flying out the door."