by Robecca Leyden
Hi Jacqueline-Anne! So great to see you making fashion industry waves again - so soon after your stunning Gala show a few months ago.
Everyone who saw the collection (myself included) were blown away. Did you know you were opening the shop when you did the gala show?
Yes, I was planning on opening well before the Gala and thought I would use the Gala event to get some fresh runway photos of the latest styles. Which is what I was getting ready to stock the Maison de Couture.
What made you open in Parnell and not closer to your home in Hamilton?
I have my key clients' customers in Auckland as well as working with some of NZ top stylists and really wanted to have the Auckland base. I was looking at locations for the flagship shop, and settled on Parnell. Parnell village and it's vibe is just so perfect for my brand, it's really a great place to eat and the beautiful shops close by as well as the luxury department store Faradays really brings elegance and a lot of charm to the suburb.
It's a very beautiful shop. What can consumers expect from an in-store experience?
Thank you, we tried really hard with the budget we had and really loved the heritage of the area, so worked on a style to fit within the luxury of the brand, I love our peacock lounge, I had fun finding and importing some of the elements to create this space. As a Masion de couture, (Fashion House) We not only offer our ready to wear, and also straight from the runway styles, but we also offer custom make and custom fittings of our ready to wear. It's creating a space so you are wearing well-made clothing, that can be fit for your individual requirements , we can custom make from size 6-26.
Tell us a bit about the latest collection - really blew the audience back! What inspired those gorgeous block colours?
Oh yes when it came out and the crowd screamed in excitement, it sent chills down our spin back stage, I honestly had never seen a response like that from a runway show before.
My love of colour, the bolder the better, I have always researched forecasted colour trends, I had been forecasting colours for global brands for a long time so it was amazing to see colours we used in our collections, pop up on the catwalks in Milan and Paris 6 months later.
How difficult was it to go from being a very boutique label online to opening a full destination shop! Any advice for designers starting out?
Don't do it...lol, I have aged a little as going into a business like this is definitely taking you out of comfort zones and into a lot more stress related areas. and it's terrifying. But really it's also rewarding to see your dream come true and see some celebrity clients wearing your outfits on the red carpets too. Also great to be your own boss and having total creative freedom. that's the greatest gift in all of it.
Seeing as you've done so many great things in '22 - what can we expect from you in the new year?
Oh boy, oh boy we have some wonderful plans in the future, we are working on a swim resort brand to sell globally as well as for our next NZ Fashion Week runway we are focusing on a very "Haute Couture" show. Working now on some of the incredibly detailed handmade designs we will be showcasing, so never a dull moment...or actually never a free moment to spare.
Check out more of Jacqueline Anne's amazing fashions online on her site
