With Special Guest, Wynn Hamlyn
On returning from Paris and Shanghai Fashion Weeks and launching a new collection, Wynn Crawshaw of Wynn Hamlyn is For All Season's first designer appointment.
The most luxurious part of being a fashion writer (for me) is not the front-row seats but finding a quiet moment to talk with those behind the scenes. While a show is over in a flash, speaking with designers offers moments of clarity, where the bigger picture of the fashion industry comes into focus.
The first Wynn Hamlyn show I saw was the aptly titled ‘Seasons’ at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2017. On an atmospheric runway, models walked past ghostly glasshouses dressed for autumn, winter, spring and summer at once. (Note: Wynn’s parents are horticulturalists). From the outset, the New Zealand-based label has challenged fashion’s approach to ever-changing seasons – its new ‘Lenticular Vision’ Resort collection included.
Here and now, Wynn shares his notes from the just as fast-paced showrooms of Paris Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week – where he has experienced the flux of the industry first-hand. Will the label’s endlessly wearable designs be back on the runway for New Zealand Fashion Week 2025? Only time will tell.
What was it like being back at Paris Fashion Week this year?
The collection's been going to Paris every season for the last five years, and I hadn't been for two. I needed to get back out there and have a look at how the collection is being received and see some of our longtime customers. You get to your showroom and set up appointments. The buyers are extremely busy, but there's lots of wining and dining.
What was discussed over the dinner tables?
There’s an air of positivity coming back into the industry after a tumultuous four years. It started with Covid. We then had a big bump in orders (probably overordering) and that caused an overstock.
Some of our key customers haven't had the budget to travel to Paris to buy, when they've been doing that for 40 years. It’s a recession that hasn't been talked about as much as in the past. Maybe that's similar to the elections, where people are sick of talking about it.
It’s a relief that our key suppliers (Neiman Marcus and Revolve in the US, Selfridges in the UK) are back feeling positive.
You visited Shanghai Fashion Week on the way home. What was this like?
Shanghai was very different – it's set up for much higher traffic. We were a bit shocked that we needed to have all this admin down on the collection, like print tickets for each garment with a huge number on it. And that's so that they can quickly reorder the collection back into its original setting as soon as a buyer leaves the little booth. There was always someone waiting to look at the collection straight after.
There's definitely interest in who we are and what the hell we're doing there. But we didn't see a huge amount of actual sales appointments happening in real-time.
It’s interesting how different it is to the romanticised view of Paris. That’s not to say that it wasn't in a beautiful showroom with a huge amount of effort and resources put into the way it's presented, but there's a different mindset.
What were the vibes like in Shangai?
It felt like China is doing it tougher than the rest of the world. We went to have a look at some new shopping centres that had contemporary offerings of young and international designers and the entire place was empty.
It’s felt on the supplier side of things, too. For most of my career, we've been working with Chinese suppliers on a goodwill basis – we’re well under their minimum orders but they accept this as we're growing and soon our orders will be at the level for them. At the moment, they're happy with anything you can give them. It's interesting to see this shift.
What are your thoughts on the return of New Zealand Fashion Week, which has announced they will not be charging designers to show?
I think that's really smart of them, because they recognised that whatever was happening before wasn't working and that they needed to get new revenue streams.
The last New Zealand Fashion Week had a different feel to it, which was much more community-focused.
People overseas think that if New Zealand Fashion Week isn't operational, then it's a really bad indicator for New Zealand fashion brands in general or the state of the industry. But I don't think that's true. New Zealand Fashion Week, or any Fashion Week, is a business. Sometimes businesses are viable and sometimes they're not, and it doesn't give an indication of what the state of the brands are in that country at the time.
Are people back out shopping in New Zealand? How’s your Commercial Bay store in Auckland?
The Commercial Bay store is performing really well, and we’re seeing a noticeable return of people to the city. It’s impressive to see how the store is holding its own.
You have always challenged the traditional ‘fashion cycle’ with your transeasonal collections.
Our customer base is so widespread, so our collection has been transeasonal for years. Our main direct-to-consumer customer base is still in New Zealand and Australia, and our main wholesale volume is from the Northern Hemisphere.
We do three collections a year. There would normally be four, but we skip pre-fall. We’re now working on next fall. We sell that in January, and it delivers in June. For the Northern Hemisphere, it’s their winter selling season – even though June is the middle of summer in Europe and America.
If we can deliver early enough, we get the collection to ourselves by June too, and that's right on time for our middle of winter. You can be delivering for two different seasons, but weirdly it works in both hemispheres.
Why is your international outlook so important?
If you become too New Zealand-centric, you run the risk of an offering that's not unique. When people shop, they want to experience something new and different.
Shop All Seasons
Autumn – After a series of sombre grey days, Wynn Hamlyn’s Rose Field Top provides a welcome return to blue sky thinking, with a burst of red autumnal tones. Like all of the label’s designs, this top will work whatever the weather, layered under sweaters or worn on its own when the sun does shine.
Winter – A tee may seem a surprising choice for winter, but, again, layering is essential when ‘the elements’ include blasts of heating as much as cool breezes. Fruity Booty’s Second Skin Tee is soft and slinky and an absolute upgrade on static thermals. The London-based lingerie label has just opened a pop-up store on Greek Street in Soho. Their doors will be open until Monday, so if you are new to the brand, it’s a great chance to get to know them.
Spring – Concours is a mindful new fashion label by Christopher Smith, a New Zealander in London by way of Berlin. After 18 months of development, the Jacky Western Shirt is the first design. It's made in London, with denim from one of the oldest mills in Japan, and finished with custom-made German snap domes. “It's very much a ‘no expense spared’ product, for better or worse for my margins,” says Chris. The fabric is expected to fade, age, and adapt to your body over time – to be loved for many more seasons to come.
Summer – Wynn Hamlyn’s Woven Beaded Bag (also available in red) is so tactile, it’s hard to put down. Wynn tells me the bags are made by a new supplier in India that works on hand beading, embroidery and embellishment for couture houses, including one of my favourites, Schiaparelli.
Time for One More Story?
The reclusive heir of Hermès says his fortune was stolen. Was it the handyman or the consigliere – and how can someone misplace $13 Billion? The Wall Street Journal investigates this strange case. – It takes 10 minutes to read, and is full of intrigue.
What’s More…
The results of last week’s poll are in, and I’m working on a story about the ‘It’ items to shop now, and how such items rise to the top of editor’s and TikToker’s lists.
I’m always thinking about the next story, so I hope you will participate in the new poll.
The topics explained:
– Liberty’s Beauty Advent Calendar is the fastest-selling item in the legacy store’s long history. I have my hands on one, and I will be persuaded to start opening it early, should you like a review of what’s behind its little numbered doors, to see whether it’s worth the anticipation.
– This week, I am one of the first to see Vogue’s Immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ exhibition at Lightroom (which has previously hosted iconic artist David Hockney, and Tom Hanks’ narration of the Moon Landings). Vogue’s turn will tell the history of the runway show to striking effect. Who would like to know the most illuminating moments of this?
– Will New Zealand Bring Boho Back? There’s been whispering about Boho's return in the UK, but will this free-spirited fashion movement blow in or blow over Aotearoa?
Thank you for taking a moment to read For All Seasons, along with like minds.
We’d love to know your thoughts on our first special guest edition! The comments section is always open.
Love!
Love it JB.