Mitchell goes mainstream

NEW ZEALAND: Red carpet couture label Liz Mitchell is set to wow a whole new audience.
Following in the footsteps of prominent UK designers Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney and their alliances with H&M, the Auckland-based designer has teamed with national department store Farmers to launch an exclusive new diffusion range.
Dubbed Mitchell by Liz Mitchell, the new line encompasses 13 pieces across daywear, dresses and denim, all of which will have a distinctly "vintage feel".
The initiative is understood to be the first of many designer collaborations planned by the 55-branch store as a means of introducing more "affordable design" to its ranges.
Mitchell, who was appointed to the as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the fashion industry last year, said the new collection would retail for between $NZ70 and $NX299 ($A58 and $A248).
Available in easy fit sizes between eight and 16, the range will be manufactured in China - unlike the couture collections which are all made in New Zealand.
The Mitchell by Liz Mitchell range constitutes a significant workload for the designer - who counts among her fans Kiwi Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, Kiwi Oscar winner Richard Taylor as well as New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark - as the agreement requires her to design at least 10 ranges each year.
However the initiative presented a good opportunity for the brand to expand and be taken to a wider audience, she said.
Mitchell said she was untroubled that an alignment with the department store, which also stocks Eight by Table Eight, Jigsaw and Van Heusen, could potentially damage her reputation as a leading couture designer.
"[We] will always have control over quality, The diffusion line, Mitchelle by Liz Mitchell, reflects Liz Mitchell's brand qualities and values."
Mitchell admitted she intended targeting the Australian market but said this was unlikely to be a priority until after her solo show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week in September.