Made in New Zealand

Zambesi’s 2012 collection shown at the recent New Zealand Fashion Week was a fusion of sportswear, workwear and tailoring with unexpected pops of electric blue and acid yellow amid the brand’s signature black. Models wore fisherman rib jumpers with roadworker-style vertical neon yellow stripes; boilersuits with zips or leather trim were offered up for both sexes; and trench-coat sleeves and belts were embellished with industrial-style studs. “There is an industrial workwear influence and relaxed formality to the whole collection,” Zambesi designer Elisabeth Findlay says. The brand takes inspiration from the uniqueness of the New Zealand landscape, which is breathtakingly beautiful, yet almost foreboding at times. All Zambesi garments remain “made in New Zealand”. “I believe in [being made in New Zealand] and I think there is a quality aspect to it that our customers appreciate as well,” Findlay says. Zambesi was founded in 1979.