Earlier this year Kowtow created a physical space in Smith & Caughey’s that celebrates the brand’s minimalist aesthetic and sustainable values.
The space was collaborated on with Rufus Knight of Knight Associates who also developed the identity for Kowtow’s flagship Wellington & Newmarket stores. Kowtow’s core values of sustainability are incorporated into the area, for example, sustainably sourced wood and Barber Osgerby Japanese made paper lanterns.
Founder of Kowtow Gosia Piatek explains how the thought-out space keeps the customer experience in mind, “Smith & Caughey’s carry most of our collection, so we needed to find a way to display our clothes that represented the minimalist aesthetic of our brand. We were adamant in offering the same experience you receive in our own stores, so we were sure to include notable accents echoed in our Wellington & Newmarket spaces”.
The retail space has been a long time coming, with Kowtow being in partnership with Smith & Caughey’s since 2013. Gosia says “we love that they are a heritage store in New Zealand and have been working in the fashion space for over 130 years. It’s special to be thriving as a business after so many decades and we hope we can learn from this”.
Kowtow’s current collection launched in September and follows in the footsteps of early explorers and pioneers. It’s adventurous and seeks to inherit the same gusto and courage displayed by icons Jeanne Baret, Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart & Beryl Markham when they set out to make history. There are utilitarian and minimal styles juxtaposed with feminine and playful silhouettes, prints and colours. As per the foundations Kowtow is built on, the majority of the range is made from certified fair trade organic cotton, dyed using GOTS approved dyes and inks. With a selection of Tencel styles which are made from FSC approved wood.
“We continue to work with minimal trims and fabrics so that we can carry our circularity work with greater ease”, says Gosia.
