The launch coincides with her runway show for Miromoda at New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) taking place today at 1.00pm. This is the 3rd NZFW for Whitewood who was described by Australasian website, Concrete Playground as the "number one designer to watch this year". Her collection explores Maori motifs and symbolism and is her first fully stocked commercial collection for NZFW.
The newly developed website has been built on cutting-edge eCommerce platform, Shopify.com an international industry leader, which has made online stores possible for New Zealand icons, including Karen Walker and Wellies.
Both fans and customers will now be able to go online from anywhere in the country or the world and choose from a variety of her original designs. Visitors will be able to shop online securely and easily navigate through her whimsical, elegant and indigenously inspired collections. More pieces will be loaded over the coming weeks.
Ms Whitewood branched out last year and currently shares retail space in The Living Room Collective. This step convinced her that what she really wanted was a place of her own and has secured new retail space in Rotorua and will be launching her own store, AHU Boutique, next month. AHU is the Maori word for fashion. It will open on 15 September in Rotorua (1178 Eruera Street).
"I wanted to find a tangible way to help others support the idea that buying locally and using sustainable products is beneficial for the whole community. I'll be stocking locally made and designed pieces of art, jewllery and accessories." says Ms Whitewood. AHU Boutique will also stock Ms Whitewood's two collections BLU, and her instore vintage inspired collection."
Adrienne Whitewood enjoys blending traditional concepts with pieces that push the bounds of fabric manipulation and technology.
Her passion is in weaving together design with cultural narratives, for women who want to have an emotional connection to the clothing they wear. "As women we tend to cherish key pieces of clothing, those pieces mean something to us because they tell a story of something intangible, mystical, something greater then ourselves…" says Ms Whitewood.
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