FNZ Publisher Murray Bevan muses on an evening spent in the corridors of power, while wondering where all of the fashion industry’s good intentions will lead to.
On Tuesday, 4 November, a few dozen senior members of New Zealand’s fashion industry gathered at Parliament in Wellington to hear from the members of Mindful Fashion about some of its ideas that will continue the good work the organisation has done since it’s inception in 2020. Joining us in the room were also a dozen New Zealand politicians from both Labour and National who were keen to show face and, in some cases, show support for an industry which has been steadily declining over the last two decades. The talk in the room was boisterous, excitable and optimistic, but I couldn’t help but think the general vibe was that of a small amount of people operating in a tiny economy, pushing their agenda against what seems like an overwhelming global shift away from hyper localisation.
One of the biggest announcements of the evening which summed up why we were all there was an announcement made by fashion designer and Mindful Fashion Board Chair, Juliette Hogan, on behalf of Mindful Fashion, that the organisation will be changing its name to Fashion and Textiles New Zealand. This change, Hogan said, points to a more inclusive organisation that doesn’t just speak on behalf of its designers and fashion industry, but also makes a concerted effort to work with and champion the country’s textile makers and fibre manufacturers. Interestingly, for me, this announcement was one of the night’s nuggets of information that helped me understand why the organization exists – potentially it’s a fundamental decision that will steer the organization in a more meaningful direction from where it has been in the past and, most importantly, get politicians to sit up and listen.
When Mindful Fashion was first conceptualized back in 2019, one of my good friends (a designer in the local industry) said that they didn’t want to be “the egg in someone else’s omelette”, meaning they were hesitant about joining MF as they were unsure what its real purpose was (or if there was an ulterior motive). To me this exemplified the siloed culture of New Zealand’s fashion industry – the fact that few companies wish to work together to build a brighter future coupled with the assumption that bold new ideas are probably going to fail. This is symptomatic of New Zealand’s tall poppy syndrome, and is especially unhelpful in motivating in industry, which is currently on its knees.
As the title of this story suggests, I worry that a lot of of our industry’s most vocal leaders are not being heard to the extent that they deserve. Are they screaming into the void? Perhaps. But maybe I’m as guilty as the next person in not having the patience or the vision to see where all of this posturing and networking is heading. In the room last night were National MP‘s the Honourable Nicola Willis (Minister of Finance, Minister for Economic Growth and Minister for Social Investment) alongside the Honourable Todd McClay (Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Trade and Investment and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs). These two MPs alone wield enough power to shake New Zealand’s fashion industry out of its slump by announcing exciting changes, innovations, partnerships, trade deals and investment that would stimulate our little economy, however the cynic in me left the room thinking that it will be a long time before we see the fruits of anyone’s labour really manifest into something tangible.
On a personal level, seeing Juliette Hogan front a room full of fashion industry leaders and senior politicians was an incredible moment for me. I remember when Juliette knocked on my door after returning from Parsons Design School in New York (she’d won Karen Walker and Steinlager’s ‘Dare To Be’ scholarship) with a suitcase full of samples as we started to discuss her future in New Zealand and what it would take for her to build a fashion business. Juliette was one of my most long-standing clients and, looking back now, some of the work we did together shaped what Showroom 22 has become today, including the ways we work, the relationships we’ve built, the respect we’ve earned as an agency and what reputation we created by helping to build up clients like Juliette within the industry. Juliette was a vision of seniority, expertise and stability in the room last night and she spoke to the crowd with an earnestness and at the same time a air of relatability, which made me think that she’s the right person to lead this organization into the future.
After the function about 10 of us returned to Loretta in Wellington for a shared dinner to discuss the night’s events and where we go from here. Included at the table were Kowtow creative director Gosia Piatek, Kowtow Managing Director Emma Wallace, Frame HR founder Rachel Smart, Ruby General Manager Emily Miller-Sharma and Twenty-Seven Names co-founders Anjali Stewart and Rachel Easting. Over the course of about two-and-a-half hours our conversation moved candidly from what was discussed at Parliament and where we go from here. We discussed the changes in New Zealand’s media landscape (especially fashion media) coupled with the distinct changes we are seeing in the way Kiwis consume New Zealand fashion, and how that affects our businesses. Gone are the days of New Zealand fashion fans breaking the door down at their local boutique in order to buy the hottest new item. There is no longer a desire to save your money and wake up on a Saturday morning have a coffee and go shopping when the stores open at 10am. Now any consumer can buy whatever they want, whenever they want, from anywhere in the world, at the click of a button. This is ultimately what is decimating our local industry but it also makes me think: Do young, modern New Zealand fashion consumers really care about our local industry, or are they more driven by price, trend and value rather than local skills and sustainability?
Despite what may seem like a pessimistic tone, I am and always have been desperately optimistic about our local industry. We must all adapt quickly and continue to keep up with change as fast as possible. Does this mean that maybe we have to except our industry won’t be like it was 20 years ago? Maybe yes. Are we living in the past if we think people will take the time and spend the money to buy a pair of pants made by the local tailor out of New Zealand wool? The jury is out for me, but I sincerely hope that what I witnessed tonight is the beginning of our Government acknowledging that we have a powerful and influential industry that generates jobs and massive revenue in the billions, and it’s an industry worth believing in.
