NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Jacinda's magic for NZ designers

Kirsty Wynn
By Kirsty Wynn
Reporter·NZ Herald·
27 Oct, 2017 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

After being sworn in as the new PM, Jacinda Ardern gives a speech and addressess the public.

Jacinda Ardern provided New Zealand global headlines after her dramatic rise to PM. And now she is set give Kiwi fashion a huge boost.

The 37-year-old has always been a staunch supporter of local designers within New Zealand and is set to showcase those threads on the world stage.

And New Zealand designers favoured by the country's new PM are excited at the potential benefit from the sharp dresser's increased profile.

On election night Ardern wore a burgundy suit by local designer Maaike, at her swearing in it was a Kate Sylvester dress she chose.

During the leader's debate it was Ingrid Starnes.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tanya Carlson, Juliette Hogan and Harman Grubisa are also Kiwi staples hanging in the Prime Minister's wardrobe.

Ardern is a regular customer at the Ponsonby Road store owned by Tanya Carlson and the designer said Ardern usually shops alone and chooses her own clothes.

"She's is very comfortable with what she wears. She's young and she has quite a youthful edge to what she chooses," Carlson said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She is very aware of the effort that goes into designing and manufacturing in New Zealand and she has always been supportive of local industry."

New Zealand designers Emilie Pullar and Abby van Schreven from label Maaike custom made Ardern's election night outfit and were thrilled to see it the one-off burgundy shirt-dress and draped jacket splashed across front pages worldwide.

"We have had a relationship with Jacinda for a long time now and asked if we could custom make something for her for election night," Pullar said.

"We had a vision for what we wanted to make for her and she put her trust in us."

All of Pullar and van Schreven's garments are designed and made in Auckland - from fabrics bought at local markets to local pattern-makers and dressmakers. It's something they believe sits well with Ardern.

Fellow designer Ingrid Starnes was also thrilled to see her designs worn by Ardern at the televised Leader's Debate.

"It's been such an honour to be along the journey in a small way as Jacinda has chosen to wear our clothes for some of her big moments," Starnes said.

"Any time a woman chooses to wear things we've made for an important day it's a real thrill. But to see someone making history and in the New York Times in something that you were constructing that afternoon is a really special feeling".

PM Jacinda Ardern is set to put New Zealand fashion labels even further on the fashion map. Photos / Mark Mitchell, Brett Phibbs
PM Jacinda Ardern is set to put New Zealand fashion labels even further on the fashion map. Photos / Mark Mitchell, Brett Phibbs

Ingrid Starnes managing director Simon Pound said Ardern had long been a long-term supporter of the label, and local business.

"When she was Small Business Spokesperson she came to talk to us about local production, retail, and being an employer," Pound said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"She really cares about all sides of the work equation, and walks the talk, supporting local design and production."

And Starnes said despite the whirlwind few weeks since the election Ardern took the time to say thanks.

"Something that tells you what type of person Jacinda is, even during how incredibly busy she must have been over the last few weeks she sent the team a thank you card."

Murray Bevan at fashion PR company Showroom 22 said Ardern was genuine with the support she gave New Zealand designers.

"She has always worn New Zealand designs and has specifically asked for designers Harman Gruisa and Ingrid Starnes who make their clothes in New Zealand," Bevan said.

Bevan said it was harder for high profile males to leave such an impression with a suit and tie although former Prime Minister John Key made the news for one of his suits.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Key was a fan of suits from RJB Design with owner Ronald Biddick making him a suit with Greenstone "washed into the weave."

Bevan said other politicians were proud to wear New Zealand designs and said National MP Nikki Kaye wore Ingrid Starnes and Paula Bennett loved footwear by Kathryn Wilson.

Associate editor at Viva Zoe Walker said it was significant and exciting that Ardern continued to support local designers.

"Policies and what she achieves in her new role are considerably more important than what she wears, but Jacinda is making a deliberate choice to support local creatives, the fashion industry and, importantly, businesses by wearing these items," Walker said.

"The majority of the garments are New Zealand made too, so she's spotlighting local manufacturing - which I know is something important, and motivating,
to the designers she has worn.

"Jacinda is now the most visible person in New Zealand, so her choices - in what she does, says, buys, and yes, wears - do stand for something," Walker said.

Ardern did not respond to request for comment.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

New Zealand

'They burned me': Auckland woman scarred after facial treatment at beauty clinic

09 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Society Insider: Have Harts expanded yacht fleet, and who was British lord living anon in NZ?

09 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

'They burned me': Auckland woman scarred after facial treatment at beauty clinic

'They burned me': Auckland woman scarred after facial treatment at beauty clinic

09 Jul 05:00 PM

'Our clinic has never experienced an incident of this nature,' the clinic director said.

Premium
Society Insider: Have Harts expanded yacht fleet, and who was British lord living anon in NZ?

Society Insider: Have Harts expanded yacht fleet, and who was British lord living anon in NZ?

09 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM
What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP