Shortly NZ’s fashion elite will descend upon Auckland for Fashion Week, but there is one Kiwi designer that won’t be – Rebecca Taylor has been busy showing her collections at New York Fashion Week since 1997…
Soon New Zealand’s fashion elite will descend upon Auckland for Fashion Week, but there is one Kiwi designer that won’t be. In fact, she has never had her collection shown there. That is because Rebecca Taylor has been busy showing her collections at New York Fashion Week since 1997.
Pictured left: Rebecca Taylor in her showroom.
Taylor’s line is sold globally at high-end retailers and at her flagship stores. She has a loyal fan base and gains more with each collection.
Taylor is also opening more flagship stores because, as she explains, “[it] lets us tell the Rebecca Taylor story.”
Below: The latest from Rebecca Taylor’s Fall 2011 Collection in her flagship Meat Packing District boutique.
What is her story? As it goes, Taylor left Wellington for New York City with $600 dollars to her name. While working at minimum wage, she kept designing and networking. Taylor is matter of fact about her achievements; she acknowledges that a lot of hard work went into building her empire. She laughingly quips, “It’s taken me 15 years to be an overnight success!”
More from Rebecca Taylor’s Fall 2011 Collection.
When asked if she always wanted to be a designer, Taylor muses that she knew she was meant for “something big”, but it wasn’t apparent early on that she would be a clothing designer. She does admit she always had a unique style and fondly adds her mother as an early influence.
In fact, much of the Taylor family are talented artists. Rebecca’s younger sister Victoria is half of the jewellery design team Tory and Ko (www.toryandko.com) based in Wellington. Earlier this year, the two design houses collaborated on a stunning silver pendant called ‘The Cove’. Proceeds benefit the Oceanic Preservation Society and currently sold in their respective flagship stores. Having been raised in Wellington, Taylor speaks of the ocean and the wildlife with love that she felt this could be her contribution.
The Cove Pendant at the Rebecca Taylor boutique.
Taylor does hope to collaborate with Tory and Ko in the future, barring time zones and schedules. For there is no rest for Taylor, as her mind constantly races with new ideas for the upcoming seasons and further expansion, such as specialty wear. But Taylor is firm that she will only commit to those ventures if she can ensure that quality is not compromised. High standards are only part of the reason why women flock to her clothes. The other is that Taylor designs are of classic cuts with an alluring sensuality. She is also particular on the look and feel of the fabric; making the clothes an experience to wear. “Kittenish” is the adjective she uses to describe her style: savvy, soft, sexy and sophisticated.
Rebecca Taylor’s Summer 2011 Collection still available online and in her flagship stores.
But even after all of her accomplishments, Taylor is modest, unpretentious and welcoming. She talks with interest on many subjects outside of fashion and tells anecdotes of New Zealand, New York and her young children. In a city that is known to make people jaded, Taylor is still enthusiastic about life.
Even the chaos of Fashion Week still excites her. Taylor is a genuine soul, which her designs reflect every season. And that is the ultimate charm of her clothes.
Rebecca Taylor’s full collection can be found at www.rebeccataylor.com or selected items at Muse Clothing in Newmarket, Auckland. See www.museboutique.co.nz for details.
Rebecca Taylor outside her showroom in Manhattan’s Garment District.
Over the course of the interview, Rebecca gave some suggestions that I thought should be shared with all of the savvy readers of Thread.co.nz
Pictures of Rebecca Taylor courtesy of Rebecca Taylor Ltd.
Other pictures by Iris Chan
Rebecca’s Recommendations
Buy: Though her Fall/Winter 2011 line is currently being stocked, Taylor said there are pieces that can be worn all year round for those in the Southern Hemisphere going into summer. One she points out is her Snake Print Tee Dress; the light jersey maxi dress can be worn in the winter with stockings and boots right through to summer with jandals.
Read: The Beautiful Fall, a book about two of the most influential fashion designers, Yves St. Laurent and Karl Lagerfield, and their tumultuous rivalry.
Eat: ABC Kitchen for their organic and locally sourced ingredients. It boasts an inspired gastronomic menu and actually reasonable for Manhattan (sorry, it’s in New York City). Reservations a must.
By Iris Chan, 27 August 2011.
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