Kiwi Label Widdess Turns 20

By Rosie Kelway
Viva
Widdess designer Yvonna van Hulzen. Picture / Supplied.

Fashion designer Yvonna van Hulzen has always made clothes for friends and family and in 1996, after coming across an empty shop space on Dominion Rd, decided to launch New Zealand-made clothing label Widdess with her partner Vincent Langford. Twenty years on, their approach has remained much the same, with everything still made locally using natural fibres, beautiful fabrics and small runs. Today, the Widdess boutique is on Ponsonby Rd, with new items coming into the store every day — including easy-to-wear garments designed upstairs in the label’s workroom, pieces from her daughter Isabella’s label, Hydrangea Ranger, and items from overseas brands with a similar outlook. Yvonna shares why the store is strictly a polyester-free zone, and her happiness in seeing her clothes worn by women of all ages.

What are your first memories of fashion?
We grew up on a farm and both my parents are Dutch immigrants. My mum was always impeccably dressed, running after us in gumboots and a Louis Vuitton skirt with wafts of Chanel No. 5.

How important is it you that the brand is all made locally?
It is really important to me that Widdess is made in New Zealand. There are so many talented craftspeople here and I am very happy to work with them. I have seen many NZ production companies close down over the years as more and more is made overseas, which is a real shame. Having Widdess made locally is an integral part of our brand and it has been key since the start.

What do you love about using only natural textiles?
There is something about the feel and drape of silk that you simply can't replicate. It's beautiful to wear, comes in the most amazing prints and colours and is long lasting (both of my daughters went through four years of art school wearing silk). We have always used only natural fibres and always will — even though they are becoming harder and harder to source. We are a strictly polyester-free zone. The styles at Widdess work with natural fibres because each piece is easy to wear and our customers have also appreciated the love of natural fibres.

What have been your business highlights over the past 20 years?
There have been lots of moves and progression but one of the main highlights has been moving into our bigger premises at 143 Ponsonby Rd. The larger space has allowed us to grow our business, offer a range of products from other makers and have our workroom upstairs.

What are you proudest of?
I am so proud that it is a family business. My partner Vincent and I started it, then my eldest daughter, Isabella, worked for me as a design/workroom assistant before moving on to running her own successful business, Hydrangea Ranger. Now my youngest daughter, Phoebe, works as my design/workroom assistant. I am also so proud to stock some beautifully made products by a selection of New Zealand makers from the community around Widdess. For some people it is their first opportunity to have their products in a store and it is wonderful to watch their brands grow.

What are your hopes for the brand?
I hope that Widdess continues to grow the way it is. I love the way the brand is now with one store focusing on what we are good at. We have also been working on our website and see that as a big part of our future.

How do you think New Zealand's fashion landscape has changed in the past 20 years?
I have seen an increase in desire and demand from our customer base for New Zealand-made products. Consumers are shopping more consciously.
It's a wonderful landscape to be part of with some extremely creative people. My hope is that things can continue to be produced in this country.

Tell us about your customer.
We feel really lucky to have a wonderful, loyal customer base and we are super thankful to them. We love making things that people feel good in and wear until they fall apart. Our faithful customers come for weekly visits and we are able to listen to them and work with them on pieces. It's really heart warming to hear about how people have worn the clothes, patched and darned them till they are gone.
Unlike other brands, the idea of a "target audience" isn't super important to us. It has been really cool to watch the diverse range of customers who come into the shop. It's really cool to be able to work with people's personal style and have dresses that suit people aged from 16-90.

• Widdess, 143 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, ph (09) 361 1609. Visit widdess.co.nz

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