We were heavily inspired by Bauhaus design as we had been looking at it’s furniture design for our store counter and lighting inspiration when we were designing our Dunedin Store.  This followed through into our collection, we were trying to strip back our concepts in the Bauhaus ‘less is more’ asthetic, we always design with form and function in mind anyway but this flowed into our garments more.  Dresses tucking back into them selves to create layers.  The modernist movement also inspired the colour palette of Black and White spiked with acidic yellow, blue and bright pink tones.

The textile print we did with Harlequin Jones, a Dunedin Artist, now based in Melbourne, he played around with the icons and imagery he hand graffittied on our bags from the previous season and transformed our favourite bits into a repeating print.  We printed it on silk georgette for our dramatic long length dress, and toned it down with black panels and then a heavier viscose shirting to mish mash up in pants, shorts, vests.

Showing our summer collection which never usually hits the catwalk as we always show winter at NZFW and iD Dunedin, and being able to show directly to consumers and then they can actually walk out and purchase the peices.  It’s always frustrating for customers that they see our Winter show at NZFW but have to wait 6 months before they can buy it!

I have already worn to death – the spirit slip, terror vest in the Harley print, and have a Lovers Dress in Harley Print to wear to my friends wedding in December (will no doubt crack that out earlier on the sly)

Company of Strangers is available online here. Stockists in New Zealand and Australia are listed at the end of the post.

Photography by James Black