In 1997, Steve Dunstan and his then business-partner Dan Buckley started what was to become one of New Zealand’s most loved and most recognisable fashion brands. Rooted in street, skate and snow culture, Huffer grew and grew through careful nurturing of social groups, tapping into music and fashion in an organic, natural way. Huffer is truly a household name now in New Zealand and will go down as a seminal brand in our country's sartorial history books. The brand's 2020 campaign was shot in the ...
Dec 14, 2020•47 min•Ep. 25
The fashion stylist is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful job titles in fashion right now, and in New Zealand Sammy Salsa is at the top of the game. In this raw and very real episode, Sammy and Murray talk about Sammy's personal journey from his school beginnings, coming from a family of high-performing, sporty siblings to how he fell in love with fashion through a magazine in his high school library. Sammy's honest and emotional account of his struggles to be accepted by the fashion fra...
Nov 30, 2020•54 min•Ep. 24
A trip to India to study with, and learn from garment workers, led New Zealand-based women's wear designer Natalie Procter to start her own label in Auckland, and focus its narrative firmly on the people who help it come to life. In 2020, the global pandemic has pulled this narrative sharply into focus, with many other businesses starting to promote this positive, emotional side to their world, too. Likewise consumers have acted to shelter friends and businesses from the effects of an economic d...
Nov 05, 2020•40 min•Ep. 23
In the fast-paced world of PR and marketing, for outsiders wanting to get into the industry it's sometimes hard to see where you can get an opening. Especially if your studies have pointed you in one direction, yet you feel the desire to chase down a new career in communications, where do you even begin? Rebecca Mahoney has made a successful career from taking opportunities as they presented themselves, working her way into a senior role at David Jones from a starting position as social media ma...
Oct 12, 2020•39 min•Ep. 22
As modelling careers go, Kiwi sensation Juliette Perkins has achieved what most other young girls could only dream of. Growing up in Nelson, New Zealand, Juliette's life changed when she was signed to international mega-agency IMG at the age of 15, and later moved to Paris at just 16, catapulting her into fierce competition alongside the world's biggest names. But unlike so many before her who may have chased fame over steady income, Juliette has assessed the industry and knows her strengths, me...
Sep 22, 2020•41 min•Ep. 21
Launched in 2015, The Twenties Club came to life to share, dissect and ruminate on life topics facing people going through their 20s. Now with a modest but powerful social media following, editor Madeleine Walker is carving her own path with a loyal fan base and equally loyal commercial brand partners who see this lively platform of ideas and conversation as a private yet inclusive online home. Murray spoke to Madeleine about how and why she started The Twenties Club, the rise of blogs and influ...
Jul 14, 2020•49 min•Ep. 20
Kiri Nathan is one of New Zealand's most renowned Maori fashion designers, and has positioned herself as the guiding light for many young indigenous designers looking to find their way in the fashion world. Along with her husband Jason, himself a skilled self-taught carver of Pounamu, Kiri has led designers to push their own boundaries both locally and around the world, including taking a group of 15 Maori creatives to China on a hikoi to understand first-hand how the biggest world markets opera...
Jul 07, 2020•47 min•Ep. 19
Sydney-based editor, creative director and stylist Megha Kapoor chats to Rosie Herdman about her independent print magazine and online platform Inprint, plus her unconventional start in the fashion industry via an internship at Vogue India.
Jun 24, 2020•43 min•Ep. 18
New York-based Lili Sumner is one of New Zealand's most well-known models working internationally. Having graced the pages and covers of many top international magazines, fashion campaigns and runways, she's now turning her creative eye to the world of film-making. Lili chatted to Rosie Herdman about her modelling journey and foray into film, sharing advice and talking about her latest project.
Jun 09, 2020•59 min•Ep. 17
A fortuitous role as Gucci's in-house fit model was how New Zealand model Ella Drake burst onto the global fashion scene. The Auckland-based AUT student had never intended to follow a career into modelling, but a quick trip to Tokyo and then Milan changed all that. Now at the helm of her own jewellery brand, Monarc, Ella spoke with Murray about her whirlwind modelling career and why she's now pursuing a business that champions sustainable, man-made diamonds.
May 27, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 16
'How Laura Brown is making fashion fun again' sums up how the Editor-in-Chief of America's highest-selling fashion magazine has gone about her business in her incredible rise through the ranks over the past 20 years. Now at ease with a circle of friends and collaborators including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Laura Dern, Rebel Wilson, Rihanna, Kate Hudson, Emily Ratajkowski and many more, Brown has positioned herself as one of the industry's most magnetic, honest, fun and down-to-earth creator...
May 10, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 15
After 10 years in business, New Zealand womenswear label Ingrid Starnes has recently re-built the business based on a 'less is more' model, encouraging media and customers to celebrate value in fashion, and providing additional transparency into the size and scale of their operation. The business duo of Ingrid Starnes and her husband Simon Pound have also recently launched a crowd-funding scheme to allow lovers of the creative arts to buy a piece of the brand, and help it survive and thrive afte...
May 03, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 14
It's April 20, 2020, and Fashion Revolution Week has just started around the world. The week-long event to commemorate the Rana Plaza collapse where 1132 garment factory workers died has united fashion companies and customers alike in a march towards greater sustainability, transparency and ultimately accountability within the fashion industry. Murray Bevan talks with Jacinta Fitzgerald of Make.Good about the very complex landscape of fashion sustainability and what's next on the global agenda....
Apr 23, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Los Angeles-based Jaime Ridge has carved out a path in fashion that has seen her become a magnet for luxury brands around the world. Her role as freelance stylist, influencer, creator and fashion ambassador has cultivated priceless relationships with the likes of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, H&M and adidas and at the same time Jaime has represented New Zealand fashion labels in her work, helping many to get invaluable global exposure. Murray chatted with Jaime as she settled in to life in LA in the...
Apr 21, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 13
London-based New Zealander Greta Villiger is succeeding on the global fashion stage and making it look effortless. Starting with 1st Class Honours from design school in Sydney, Greta landed roles with Christopher Kane and Chloe before senior positions at Jonathan Saunders and J.W. Anderson. Greta now spends her time between Paris and London working for Spanish luxury house LOEWE. Greta spoke with Murray over Zoom during the Covid-19 lockdown to talk about her love of fashion and her work at some...
Apr 20, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
As a special birthday treat, we are incredibly proud to welcome Mr. @timblanks to the Fashion In Focus podcast. Today Showroom 22 turns 18, but our time in the industry is nothing compared to the decades Tim has spent reviewing shows, interviewing designers and trend setters and writing for the world’s most influential fashion media. After he left Auckland, Tim hosted CBC’s seminal fashion TV show Fashion File out of Canada for 17 years, before stints at Style.com and of course now as Editor-at-...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Georgia Alice is the brand that has come to epitomise New Zealand's newest wave of internationally-focused young designers. Launched in 2013 with the help of Showroom 22, designer and founder Georgia Currie has gone on to refine the brand into an award-winning, aspirational, ready-to-wear trailblazer with stockists around the world. Georgia sat down with Fashion In Focus host India Leishman to talk about her career to date, industry pressures, life as a working mother and what drives her.
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 9
One of New Zealand’s brightest fashion talents, Wynn Crawshaw arrived in the industry through a less-than-typical path and now finds himself at the helm of a brand making waves around the world.
Apr 07, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 8
India speaks with Sally-Ann Mullin about her role as a leading stylist in New Zealand fashion and film, and her journey out of film and into print media. As Bauer Media NZ announce their decision to shutter the doors at their NZ head office, Sally's insights about the state of the industry and a potential move back into film are perfectly timed.
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Kiekie Stanners has truly forged her own path through fashion, keeping true to her style along the way and being rewarded with one of Australasia's most prized jobs. India Leishman speaks with Kiekie about the big, bad world of beauty and what it takes to stay on top.
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Australian fashion journalist Grace O'Neill shares her experiences with India Leishman, from cracking her dream writing job to what it really takes to survive and thrive in the global fashion week circuit.
Mar 31, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 3
If there's one name in New Zealand fashion that makes you sit up and listen, it's Karen Walker. Murray Bevan speaks to the icon herself about her decades in business and what lights her up.
Mar 31, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Maggie Marilyn designer and creative director Maggie Hewitt sits down with India Leishman to discuss the rapid rise of her namesake label and the relentless pursuit of making fashion a greener economy.
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
India Leishman checks in with the quintessentially chic Margie Cooney - writer, jeweller and social maven - about life as a freelance creative in the New Zealand fashion industry.
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Murray sat down with Deadly Ponies directors Liam Bowden and Steve Boyd to chat about the business's 15 year history and some incredible plans for 2020 and beyond.
Mar 29, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 4
