Behind The Design: Autumn Winter 23

We invite you to come behind the scenes and explore the inspiration behind our latest collection, from the eyes of our Lead Designer, Ellie.

From international fashion shows to living in a post-pandemic environment, discover how our in-house design team were influenced on their journey to crafting our new autumnal collection.

Designing through (and post) covid has been a real challenge, having been isolated physically & creatively from the rest of the world has brought lots of challenges to the forefront. Customers' wants and needs have also changed, with comfort & longevity now being key. Accommodating for these changes, as well as creating inspiring product, has meant that we’ve had to go back to basics and focus on what we as a team and our customers really love about shoes.

Personally, I love a pair of shoes that I can pair with any outfit that instantly elevates what I’m wearing and add an edge to it that feel’s authentic to me – I’m an investment customer. This is what we’ve found with both our customers, as well as global trends, shifting towards a more pared-back aesthetic with comfort being key for all designs.

When designing a collection, it's all about context, locally and globally.
We have been looking more at 90’s minimalism aesthetic for inspiration, think early Calvin Klein, Tom Ford at Gucci, and 90's supermodel street style, seen in clothing with sleek silhouettes with oversized outerwear.

We interpret this in footwear by looking at archival toe shape references or chunky outsoles. We took inspiration from elongated, chisel toes and finer heels as well as comfortable rubber outsoles to update seasonal staples.

We use these vintage reference points as the basis for our constructions and elevate them with new uppers & materials and colour combos for the needs of the everyday woman. This more pared-back styling offers new investment pieces that will last for seasons to come, and also gives a warm sense of nostalgia and familiarity.

My style is going through an evolution this season and I find myself putting value in core basics over seasonal trend pieces. I look to @monikh, @chainky @anoukyve, and @brittanybathgate for style inspo that I feel is elegant and timeless, but fun and current.

Aotearoa also has a wealth of amazing homegrown talent that I love to shop from such as Paris Georgia, Francesca Pecchenino, Knuefermann, Rachel Mills, and of course our recent collaborator Kate Sylvester.

This collection has some bold pieces, like our Annie Mineral Blue Cowboy Boots or the Jacaranda Ankle Boots; I imagine these might be the feature of an outfit, paired with a sleek skirt or dress to show them off. However, we’ve also designed some more every day styles such as Wolfe and Walker, where you can wear anything and they will elevate and add edge to every outfit. I’d wear any of these with a straight-leg dark wash denim and an oversized men’s shirt. Although, our nostalgic designs like the Lilibet Platform Heels really appeal to my heart, with her beautiful soft pink patent upper that can be worn with an oversized floaty dress.