DESIGNER FILE.
ZAMBESI. BY JENNY BURNS.
In 2009, iconic New Zealand fashion brand Zambesi celebrated 30 years, a milestone for any business but one made even more incredible considering designer Elisabeth Findlay and her husband Neville are still steering this strong, independent ship just like they were back in 1979. And, three decades on, Zambesi continues to trailblaze with its dark, edgy design ethic and supreme wearability.
The Findlays began their fashion careers in the mid-seventies with two multi-label retail outlets in Auckland. The shops stocked all of the duo’s favourite homegrown brands, created by some of NZ’s best young designers.
“Even back then, the fashion scene in New Zealand was amazing,” Elisabeth recalls. “I’d worked in the fashion industry for about seven years before we had our own store – and all of my money went on buying local product. We didn’t really have imports in New Zealand, unlike Australia where local designers had to compete with all of these amazing European labels. So it was a lot easier to carve your path and create an identity that people would recognise and respect.”
Experimenting with her own aesthetics and direction at the time, Elisabeth and Neville decided to create their own brand and Zambesi was launched in 1979.
“We started off very small and I would say it’s been a very slow, kind of organic growth,” explains Elisabeth. “We were always editing the labels in our shops and paring everything back until we had the right feeling and vibe that we wanted. But when we found our flagship store in Auckland’s Vulcan Lane, that was when we felt we truly had an environment that was totally and instantly recognisable as Zambesi.”
Over the years the brand continued to evolve and its first foray overseas was at Australian Fashion Week in 1997. With a bevy of global retailers in town and audience members including Italian fashionista Anna Piagi and CNN style doyenne Elsa Klensch, it was a pivotal moment for Zambesi that helped catapult the brand into international waters. Today you’ll find the brand, albeit with a purposely discerning presence, in as far-reaching destinations as the UK, Japan, Singapore, the US and even Russia.
“That year was a real turning point for us,” Elisabeth recalls. “I still remember that show and I loved it – we had amazing hair by Sharon Maher and makeup by Dotti. Then in 1999 we showed in London with Karen Walker, Nom*D and World – we were called New Zealand’s fabulous four. That was another really cool moment for Zambesi too.
“We’ve always been a little bit off the radar and that’s kind of the way we like to work – and these two shows resulted in a lot more people standing up and taking notice. It was a great feeling for us, almost like we were being validated for what we were doing.
“We don’t really push PR. We like to be a little bit underground, a little bit mysterious and off the whole mainstream fashion agenda. Even our presence overseas, whilst quite selective, has been as a result of interesting store owners approaching us because they can relate to the brand and feel passionate about it. It’s almost like finding a certain kind of retailer and clientele that understands the Zambesi essence rather than us pushing the brand into marketplace. It’s more natural.”
The Zambesi ethos is very much about doing their own thing their own way, and consequently the team do everything in-house, from sales to publicity, ensuring that the vibe they’ve created is not diluted in any way. Fashion runs in the family, with the Findlay’s two daughters Marissa and Sophie involved in the business and Elisabeth’s sister Margie at the helm of another reputed NZ designer label, Nom*D.
“My mother was a seamstress and she loved clothes,” Elisabeth smiles. “We were always raiding her wardrobe and trying on everything. She didn’t have a lot, but what she did have was always very interesting and she was quite besotted with shoes and makeup and hair. Mum taught us how to sew and she loved manipulating patterns and making things. Even now, at 84, she still talks about fashion and clothes. She just loves it. And obviously that rubbed off on us.”
History and memory contribute strongly to Elisabeth Findlay’s attitude to design. The clothes reflect both realism and imagination. Her desire is to propose unexpected contrasts to give the collections a harder edge whilst pursuing the notion of function and wearability. For Elisabeth, the design process has always been very instinctive, resulting in a familiarity that has run through the Zambesi collections from the very beginning.
“I think that is what has helped forge the name of the brand and its identity,” she says. “Our clothes are very wearable – we don’t do pieces just for the shows to be extravagant or grab attention. We just try to work with what we have, so although you can look effortless, underneath what you really have is something that’s quite considered and worked out.
“New Zealand fashion overall is a little bit dark, and I don’t know why that is to be honest – I think it’s just our mentality. I think climate and geography has a lot to do with it, but also, we’re not really showy people. Design comes from an emotional place inside you and I think you need to feel what you want to wear. Our design process is very organic and thought-based. It’s about style and what works for us – not about having to do miniskirts because that’s the latest trend. We encourage people to create their own style and be individual – to explore their own creativity rather than looking like a brand.”
In 2003 Zambesi launched its first menswear collection under the watchful eye of designer Dayne Johnston. Inspired by the design values and philosophy of the label, the Men’s Collection offers a masculine interpretation and conveys a modern attitude and influence. Dayne describes the pieces as ‘clothes to wear every day, but not everyday clothes’.
The Zambesi collection for SS’10 blends the old with the new, the strong with the fragile. Utilitarian suiting and leather is mixed with softer sheer silks and pieces of lace. The vibe is pared back and Spartan in a way, with Amish influences and masculine overtones. Its launch at RAFW was also the debut of a new partnership with haircare giant TIGI, which started under the guidance of hair director Grant Norton and will continue on to fashion week in New Zealand in September and possibly extend further afield into other global fashion capitals.
“We have an amazingly talented team and the environment within which we work is not only stimulating, but also very easy going and supportive,” Elisabeth adds. “We are fortunate to have fantastic clientele who authenticate what we do and a very loyal following. It’s inspiring that people love what we do; such an awesome feeling, all of that loyalty and trust.
“I never fail to be surprised that we are still doing what we do. I was surprised after 10 years, and that feeling never wanes. I get very humbled by the belief of our staff and our clientele and I still love the whole design process, starting with the ideas and watching them develop. Because Zambesi is made in New Zealand, we get to see the patterns and the finish and then we visit stores and see the garments in the retail environment. We feel very proud of what we’ve achieved and the environment that we’ve created.”
Three decades on and the individual Zambesi spirit continues to redefine convention with an ironic practicality, confirming its reputation in the global market for strength, beauty and independence. And thanks to the tireless passion of its creators, may the cult status continue…