Attending the first AGM for Mindful Fashion NZ last week, I was instilled with a warm sense of community and pride to be part of something bigger working hard to bring positive change to an industry that is so important to me.
Co-founded by Emily Miller-Sharma of Ruby and Kate Sylvester in 2018, MFNZ is a collective of leading New Zealand designers, fabric supplier and manufacturers with an aim is to strengthen the local fashion and textile industries. In this short time we have seen members come together to support, collaborate and share in ways we never have before.
When I established this company 16 years ago, it was a truly different landscape with contacts for fabric suppliers and makers closely guarded secrets, so it really is amazing to see an industry shift towards this new collaborative approach both in practice and in sentiment.
A decline in local skilled craftsmanship has put the New Zealand Fashion Industry under threat and it needs our support and attention now more than ever before. At Juliette Hogan, our clothes are predominantly NZ made (97%), and the symbiotic relationships we have with our skilled pattern makers, cutters, makers, sewers, pressers, printers, pleaters, and knitters are all so important to the ongoing success of my business and the people and businesses connected to us.
Mindful Fashion NZ have launched a Love Local campaign with the aim to help create a thriving and sustainable future for Made in NZ clothing by developing a meaningful garment manufacturing apprenticeship programme to fulfil skill shortages and create more jobs within our clothing industry.
I have donated to this important cause both as a business and personally, and I would like to encourage you to do the same so we can continue to proudly see that ‘Made in New Zealand’ tag on our future garment purchases.
CLICK TO FIND OUT MORE, OR DONATE TO THE MFNZ LOVE LOCAL BOOSTED CAMPAIGN >
Thanks so much for your time, and if you have any questions or thoughts please don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally.
x
Juliette