We talk with Anjali Stewart of twenty-seven names about the fashion brand’s new tone-on-tone flagship store in Newmarket.
What do you hope this space will convey about twenty seven names? First and foremost we wanted to create a unique space. It had to be beautiful and it had to lend itself to creating a welcoming and intimate shopping experience. For us it’s all about making our customers feel comfortable when they are in store. Very early on in the process we locked in our friend and interior architect Rufus Knight. His thoughtful approach led to the space being both functional and beautiful.
What was the renovation process like? My business partner Rachel and I wanted to be really open to Rufus’ suggestions, so we did our best to give him as little direction as possible. Which worked, because we were in love from the first concept PDF he sent us. Rufus was great to work with. If there was anything we were hesitant about he was always very reassuring. He also mucked in, dressed in his active wear, which was so refreshing.
We started with an empty shell and ended up with a space that we are so proud of.
We had a few weeks before we took the space over to get started on the transportable pieces for the store. This is where Will Clinton-Baker at CB Developments nailed it – literally. We were so lucky to work with this exceptionally talented joiner and craftsman who built all of the beautiful American oak pieces for the store – the daybed, stools, display plinths and my most favourite piece, the counter. Will also built the changing rooms and rattan screens which divide the salon from the racked areas.
Our little Wellington-based team relocated to Auckland for two short weeks to get everything ready for the opening. Will and my husband Drew clocked in some serious overtime. Somehow I have managed to marry up – Drew was really the key factor in making the whole store fitout come together. He’s responsible for the beautiful herringbone tiled flooring, overseeing the entire project, and he even managed to keep his sense of humour.
The final hour was a sight to behold – Drew was stapling down the rug, Will was screwing the daybed together, my sister Priya was loading the tools out of the store, Rufus was on his hands and knees scrubbing the floors, Rachel was upholstering the stools for the changing room, while our amazing team filled the racks with our autumn collection. It was a true labour of love, with so many people to thank. We started with an empty shell and ended up with a space that we are so proud of. It blows my mind that we managed it and I’m so in love with the end result.
The materials feel as though they would be equally appropriate in a home environment. Was this planned? There is something really comforting about the warmth of the space. I think that Rufus made some really good calls and directed the colours, textures and finishes in a way that made the space feel very welcoming and intimate – so inadvertently it could totally work in a home environment, yes. We worked with amazing local companies for the finishing touches – Olivia from Nodi provided the beautiful rugs and we have Douglas and Bec to thank for the beautiful lights and hooks for the changing rooms. I personally would love to have the salon as a room in my own home… dreams are free.
The interior works particularly well with the collection with which you opened the space. How do you ensure it continues to reflect your aesthetic from season to season? It does match perfectly with the peach and camel wools in our current winter range, Still Life, but I don’t think we’ll have any trouble fitting our future collections into this space. If the range itself works well together, the warmth of the store will always work as a perfect backdrop.
Photography Larnie Nicolson
