Kathryn Wilson: Kiwi footwear designer on the return of NZ Fashion Week

New Zealand Fashion Week is set to make a return.

After the cancellation of last year's event due to economic concerns, Giltrap Group has been secured as a naming rights sponsor for three years. 

One of New Zealand’s premier designers, Kathyrn Wilson of Kathryn Wilson Footwear, says everyone's 'delighted' that they can celebrate the industry after a rough few years.

"We were really hoping it was coming back this year - there's also some really awesome changes to the structure of it and the venue and the way that they've been approaching the designers, which is really exciting."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
New Zealand Fashion Week is back. After the cancelation of
last year's event due to economic concerns, Giltrap Group has
secured naming rights sponsor for three years. It's great news
for the fashion industry, which just had a bit of
a rough time. One of New Zealand's premier designers, Katherine
Wilson of Katherine Wilson Footwear, joins me. Now, good morning Catherine.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Good morning Franciska.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Hey, So this.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Naming rights sponsorship with Giltrap, particularly given it's a three
year deal, has you know, secured the future of New
Zealand Fashion Week. How important is that security for the industry?

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Well? Absolutely, I mean it's fantastic news and it's been
a tough time for many industries, but retail and fashion
being one of them. So we're all delighted that we can,
you know, celebrate the industry, celebrate the talent that's here
and hopefully increase our wholesale and export sales.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Again, did you have concerns with the event would return
it all?

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well?

Speaker 3 (01:11):
I guess the other way around. We had hopes that
it would, and I think it was intended to be
a bi annually. The announcement not last year, so we
were really hoping it was coming back this year. But
there's also some really awesome changes to the structure of
it and the venue and the way that they've been
approaching the designers, which is really exciting to have some
change there.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, tell me about that. What's fashion we're going to
look like this year? Wow?

Speaker 3 (01:35):
As I understand it, I think there's just a lot
more options for designers to contribute in ways that are
within their means and whether that means the time, you know,
the commitment of their time. You don't necessarily have to
do a big show, a catwalk show. There's some brands
doing cocktail nights in their store or hosting events in
a local bar or restaurant, so supporting the local hospitality

(01:56):
as well and the CBD, which is really important to
the board and the team that have put the event together.
I think they're really stuck to make it more of
a you know, a lot for us the whole CVD,
rather than just on site at the venue.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Oh that's great, and designers are feeling really positive about
these changes.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
I hope. So, I mean, it doesn't make it more
feasible for a lot of people that aren't in a
headspace or financially capable of doing a big show. Obviously,
it's a huge commitment for the designers to put on
the big catwalk shows. I'm excited to be doing a
show because our brand we love to, you know, celebrate,
and our product really does come to life on the
models and on the catwalping shoes. You know, you can

(02:35):
do a lot of storytelling with music and models and
build the kind of the romance around the brand. So
we're definitely doing a big showcase on site at Shed ten.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
I was going to ask you about that while ahead
you Cass's showcasing shoes quite different compared to those who
are showcasing garments. I mean, do you have to be
careful that you don't let the garments sort of take
your eye away from the shows?

Speaker 3 (02:58):
You know, while you'll be sitting front right of mine, Francesco,
you can give me a review. But I always like
to have a bit of fun our shows, and it
is important to I guess uplift the audience. I think
with shoes being the only product that's changing throughout the show.
Even if you're a huge shoe fan and a huge
Catherine Wilson fan, we still are really focusing on entertaining

(03:21):
the audience. So often you'll see our shows have really
playful eighties and nineties playlists. The models are upbeat, they're
almost dancing themselves on the catwalk, And it's a true
celebration of the people that work on the brand behind
the scenes, all the hair, the makeup teams, and the
Cather and Wilson team that put it together. So we

(03:41):
try and make it as lighthearted as possible, but definitely
feels like a celebration.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
You sort of touched on it a little bit at
the beginning of the interview, but as a designer fashion week,
why is it important? What does it do for you?

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, it's hugely important, I think for the industry to
celebrate each other of nothing else. You're kind of bringing
each other together as a support network. There's a lot
of learnings there and shared learnings with wholesale contacts, manufacturing contacts.
It's our one big industry event. Annually we come together
and kind of, I guess share, not only share ideas,

(04:17):
but share your energy and share your resources across the brands.
I think it's so important for wholesale, like getting the
buyers throughout New Zealand and hopefully Australia buyers, hopefully Asia
Hong Kong. You know, back in the day we used
to this platform is what got Catherine Wilson sold into
Hong Kong, la New York. We've picked up stock us

(04:38):
from all all over and that was due to Fashion Week,
because I guess they bring the attention down. This platform
is a great way to showcase a brand, but it's
also a great way to showcase our industry and the
talent that's here for export.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Which is great. And look this morning we've been talking
about a couple of end of eeras today. You know,
the retailer Smith and Coe's shuts today at four and
Columbine of course have been our last hosary manufacturer in
New Zealand has announced it's going to close. So it
is good to have some possible poss activity. We know
a lot of retailers struggling. How is the fashion industry firing? Well, absolutely,

(05:15):
it's tough.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
I mean it's been tough for five years for lots
of reasons. And I think you're just you know, I'm
twenty two, twenty three years in business, and it is cyclical,
so you have to betten down the hatches, you know,
head down, bums up and try and be you know,
inventive and creative about how you're bringing in new ideas,
new energy to the brand. It is an opportunity and
I know that sounds like sometimes it's the hardest thing

(05:38):
to do when you're running on low tank of resilience,
but it is an opportunity to turn around what you're
doing as a business and as a brand. And sure
retail has been quiet, so you know, our focus as
a brand for four or five years has been e
commerce and rarely pushing our brand into a global audience,
but definitely nationwide as well, just providing the best service

(05:59):
possible that we can with our online store. And when
our retail stores picked back up again, there's an opportunity
there to your audience is already ready for you. You know,
we're actually opening a news store in Orotown in two weeks.
So call me crazy or bray, but I think it's
the timing that you have to do some different things,
you know, as a brand and as a business, and
possibly those rests you don't take have everything's smooth sailing.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Oh God on you, Catherine. Really appreciate your time this morning.
Best of luck with the new shop in Orowtown and
I love the optimism right. Fashion Week is returning from
August twenty fifth to the thirtieth and it yeah, it
does sound like a lot of designers. Karen Walkhan it's back.
She hasn't been part of fashion Week for a long time.
She is pretty excited about the change of direction as well,

(06:44):
so I think that that is a very.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
Good sign for more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin.
Listen live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
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