Label-loving thieves target clothes designers

Fashion-conscious thieves appear to be targeting Auckland boutiques in raids which have devastated their owners.

The latest target of the brazen burglars is the Kingsland store Francka Butinar, which was raided yesterday morning.

The store's owner, Croatian-born designer Vanja Canzek-Gizdich, 24, said garments worth a total of up to $20,000 were taken in the raid, which will take months for her to replace.

However, she is vowing to re-open her store as soon as possible. "I'm a fighter. I'm re-opening on Tuesday - even if I have just one rack," she said.

"I've worked too hard to let somebody take it all in 30 seconds. This is not the end of me."

Ms Canzek-Gizdich believes whoever broke into the New North Rd shop, named after her late grandmother, knew exactly what they were looking for.

"They actually picked through the racks. They've definitely been here before and checked it out.

"They would've been in and out and knew what they were doing."

She received a call from her alarm company about 7am. When she arrived shortly after, she found a window open, and most of her winter and new summer collections cleaned out.

Police told the young designer they would not be able to attend until tomorrow.

Thieves have now targeted five exclusive designers over the past 14 months.

Ponsonby-based RJC lost outfits worth thousands of dollars, when a a car parked in Kingsland was broken into in April last year.

Young designer Lucie Boshier's Auckland store was broken into in May last year, and Nadine Freundlich's Kingsland shop was raided in October.

Angela Todd, of the Sabine label, also had garments stolen from her Ponsonby Rd shop last year.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY