Made in New Zealand is a label sewn into our side seams with pride, in part, as the act of making and selling garments in New Zealand is becoming an increasingly special thing. A small country, in the first corner of the globe to see the sun, our fashion journey has been both inexplicably linked with the wider world, while remaining inherently unique to us.
As I have uncovered moments from our country's fashion past, I have come to understand where our industry has grown from and, ultimately, what has irreversibly shifted. Fostered by a need to clothe New Zealanders for work, school and leisure, garment manufacturing in New Zealand has cultivated great social and creative impact over decades. While its scale and output have shrunk in recent years, the significance of its presence is still woven into New Zealand's fashion culture today.
Commercial garment production in New Zealand is now a small and precious part of our fashion industry. However, it hasn't always been this way. At the end of the 19th century, the significant colonial presence in New Zealand was invested in the growth of national trade and economic independence. New Zealand's government, motivated to support the budding local economies, instated significant import taxes to encourage New Zealanders to manufacture their own products. This push toward local production initiated the opening of factories across the country, starting with Hallenstein Bothers in 1873, a brand still alive today.
Focus on localising production encouraged the growth of New Zealand's knowledge and infrastructure, which led to the natural progression of a highly capable and almost self-sufficient industry. Speaking with Trevor Hookway, owner of textile wholesaler Hawes and Freer, he reflects on his career, spanned over four critical decades in this story. Trevor reminds me that our production industry wasn't just sewing garments; it was also textile mills, taking raw wool grown in New Zealand to be scoured, spun and then woven into fabric. These mills could dye, weave and knit fabric that would go on to be New Zealand-made garments worn and loved by people in the country where they were conceived.
My six-year career working in New Zealand fashion has painted quite a different picture, faced with the challenges of finding work after university and the reluctance from customers to leave their online stores and walk into a shop. I find it impossible to imagine, as Trevor describes, "In the seventies, the industry employed about 110,000 people, and today it employs about 8,500." Answering my disbelief, he explains, "That change reflects the percentage of imported garments versus local production."
The decrease in local production cannot be marked down to one change or event. There has been an undeniable move toward international dependence as our world has become more connected. But one moment that had a significant impact was a governmental decision in the eighties to remove tariffs on imported garments. Sitting down with David Lyford, owner of New Zealand label Rembrandt, he reflects on this time, saying, "The then tariffs were 40% to 50% of the imported value." Making manufacturing in New Zealand the economically sound choice. With these removed, New Zealand-made products have become the exponentially more expensive option for designers and a luxury that, sadly, few can afford. Trevor adds to this point by saying, "In the space of two decades, we saw one of the more efficient manufacturing agencies in the world, here in New Zealand, be completely decimated and not able to compete."
In contrast to New Zealand production, New Zealand design was finding a new stride. Speaking with New Zealand fashion historian Doris de Pont, she reflects on this time, describing a new wave of Kiwi designers who were building a new creative identity for New Zealand fashion that "was able to exist in that small production market.” Listening to her describe the moment felt like an incredible crossover. These young designers had unprecedented access to the international fashion world, while our own well-equipped production industry, although shrinking, enabled them to establish themselves creatively. With the removal of the tariffs not yet taking full effect, New Zealand-made products did not have the international competition we see today. Doris explains that many designers found their place in small-run designer production, which was an exciting and special addition to the New Zealand market.
A significant turning point in the perception of New Zealand fashion was the appearance of four New Zealand labels at London Fashion Week in 1999. The presence of WORLD, Karen Walker, Zambesi and Nom*D on the international stage encouraged a newfound respect for New Zealand design, which "was a matter of huge pride", Doris emphasized.
There has been a convergence of the creative and industrial milestones that, while unexpected, makes sense. The foundation of our industry has been built on a great commitment to localised production, which has proven to serve as the perfect space for designers to explore using that infrastructure.
New Zealand, a country of 5 million, has an industry full of unique creativity that I feel lucky to have grown up in. It is a community that has been diligently building over decades of craft and locally grown skill. Although the majority of our production has moved offshore, the design community of New Zealand has been fostered by the culture of craft and care. We still support and love those designers who went to London Fashion Week more than 20 years ago, but we have also made space for a new generation of designers who have been empowered by the history of garment manufacturing in New Zealand.
When thinking about what is next for us as a fashion industry, our future does feel uncertain. The production landscape in New Zealand is becoming increasingly hard, and the floodgates of the internet have opened on our national market. "New Zealand Made" has always felt special to me, but as I learnt about the journey, I have come to understand just how special it is. Learning to protect and empower what is left feels like the only way forward, because what a loss it would be to watch it disappear.