Zambesi: the Story of a New Zealand River

Australian Financial Review Magazine devotes 5 pages to edge fashion label Zambesi. “They have been called the Belgians of the Asia-Pacific region [by Harper’s Bazaar fashion editor Jane Roarty]. Over a quarter of a century, cult fashion label Zambesi has turned ‘quirky, cerebral and dark’ into an international brand.” Co-founder (with partner Elisabeth) Neville Findlay locates their success on the edge, finding their uniqueness has much to do with their relative remoteness, and “because New Zealanders had to be self-sufficient for many years [owing to] import restrictions, we have developed an individuality.” After conquering the Australasian market, success in the UK (Selfridges, House of Fraser, Question Air), they’re now looking to the US market. The Findlays are conscious of not betraying the roots of their “unswervingly original vision … their strong philosophy is said to be not just about the clothes, but about where they come from and their culture.”