While I was away in the States, designer Liz Wilson opened her in Ponsonby, now home to her label Eugenie. Formally Karen Walker’s design assistant, Liz has moved into an old underused space in Mackelvie St. The space has been designed by her partner Simon Oosterdijk of Pie Paper. The beautiful stark white space, with grey painted floors is a complete blank canvas with only two large industrial structures that work as part installation, part practical fit out. The industrial system was designed with change in mind, with pieces customized with paint (in lilacs and pale blues) and patina-ed finishes. The main counter is a work of art with an irridesant  finish to the zinc with an faceted detail working around the entire structure.  It is this remarkable attention to detail that is also a hallmark of Wilson’s clothing. Look close and you will see the attention to detail, the quirk of materials used differently on the front and back of a pair of pants, the waist detailing in the pants, the way the collar is cut on the coats.  Speaking of pants, I have often waxed lyrical about an designers ability to craft a perfect pair of pants.  It is mastered less often than we would like to think. Liz Wilson tailors the perfect pair of slouch pants that can be worn either high waisted or on the hips with a lower crotch. Teamed with her trench coats and luxurious sweats in grey merino there is a tremendous ease with her clothes.

She doesn’t stick to the calendar with collections, rather working to her own timetable.  Her current inshore collection is simply called Two and is trans seasonal. That said some of the coats are currently on sale with 40% off.

This weekend she will be seen with fellow designers Georgia Currie of Georgia Alice, Jessica Grubisa and Madeline Harman from Harman/Grubisa, Kate Megraw of Penny Sage, and Glen Prentice at the Marr Factory’s MF Gatecrashers. That will be something to see.

Eugenie can be found at 51A MacKelvie St, Ponsonby and online here.

Photographs by Michelle Weir