Storm hits Willis St
You may have already heard the rumours. Last night Storm officially opened its Wellington boutique on Willis Street, just by Chews Lane.
As soon as I stepped into Storm, I thought, “Ah yes, these are clothes for Wellington women.”
The label’s founder, Deborah Caldwell, says that the edgy energy of the city suits Storm’s contemporary stylishness.
There’s lots of black, done in a way that is sophisticated and textured, and the fabrics are gorgeous. Cardigans with a luxurious sparkle, silk tunics in the deepest blue and delicate dresses just asking to have leggings layered underneath them.
Deborah says that she has had one customer voice disappointment that Storm was going to be available in Wellington. She’d been buying her clothes from the store in the Hawkes Bay and enjoyed getting envious comments from other women on the outfits!
But the big upside of Storm is that there is no mass-production here. “Once, it’s sold, it’s gone!” says Deborah. The pieces are always limited runs and the print fabrics are exclusive to Storm – so the chances of you showing up to a party in a matching dress to everyone else are zero.
And dresses will be the way to go this summer. Deborah is predicting a fashion trend for upcoming months with more colour: ”Muted tones, almost a vintage look. And lots of blue!”
New items are instore every couple of weeks, so there’s always an excuse to pop in. And with those limited runs, you have to been in quick if something catches your eye! Don’t wait for a rainy day, check out Storm now.
- By Bel, 4 comments
- Posted 12 August 2010
4 comments
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Perhaps a Nautical theme..?
By Melissa, 12 August 2010
Storm do a great job and are turning out great styles at stunning prices. But really? Can you really label a brand that is owned by Hallenstein Glasson, produces off-shore and has seven stores all across the country, as a "no mass production here" kind of outfit? Any fabric that is exclusively sold to a label is only done so because they are buying so much of it as to make this worthwhile for the supplier!
I would prefer to acknowledge Storm for really putting some style into mid-level production and presenting it cohesively and with a total grip on their target customer - big ups for that.
There are plenty of fashion labels, many Wellington based, who really deserve the "boutique/small run" badge somewhat more. I look forward to seeing your reviews on them too!
By neejh, 14 August 2010
Hi there neejh, thanks for your comment :)
There's only half a dozen other Storm stores, so they haven't quite reached the global domination and saturation of Glassons yet! I don't see any downside in their being owned by a NZ company with a long history in fashion, especially as it's given them a chance to expand without having to compromise.
Deborah told me that Storm clothing is a mix of NZ made and offshore, to keep the pieces affordable. There's a lot of different styles in the shop and not a lot stocked of each one - so perhaps that's the minimalist version of mass production?!
I've interviewed Berhampore-based designer Emma Wallace about her workshop and store, Emma, which will be online in upcoming weeks - I hope that suits you ;)
By Bel, 16 August 2010
@Neejh, well put. You stole the words out of my mind.
By Jordan, 5 September 2010