Havilah fair fashion, fun and frill seeking
Stepping into Havilah’s flagship store is a visual feast for the eyes. Pattern, colour and her unapologetic vibe exudes art and style. Havilah adds flavour, fun and frills to your wardrobe and she does it all while still caring about the impact fashion has on the planet. Win, win.
Meeting Havilah (yes her store is named after her, how cool is she) you can tell straight away that clothing and the way we dress is an art form and she is bold when it comes to print, pattern and colour. We love this about her, she is a walking painting, honestly! We were lucky enough to sit down with her and ask her about her passion for frills, her zero waste, sustainable and inclusive values.
Ashley Church, Evangeline DAVIS, Maddie Jones.
What inspires your one off pieces?
Havilah: Im inspired by art, poetry, architecture and lived experiences. I work from a place of emotion. I convey stories or capture an image in my head and bring it to life through my garments.
Where do you think you got your style from and how would you explain your style?
Havilah: I’d like to say my mom! She is a very fun and unique person who dresses from a place of emotion rather than what the weather permits. She has the dressing sense of Rachel but the style charisma of Monica, from Friends. I’d explain my style as maximalism, I adore layering colours, textures and patterns. To me getting dressed each day is like creating a work of art, but instead of layering painted brush strokes, I'm layering fabrics based on colour and pattern. I aim to reveal a kooky piece of art every time I get dressed, this is what embodies the Havilah style.
Why is slow fashion important to you?
Havilah: I’m incredibly aware of the waste and damage to our planet that fashion causes. When going through the sampling process my first thought is always “does this idea deserve to be alive or can I play around with the design to make sure I minimise waste”. My garments have always been made slowly and in small runs. All those ruffles are hand measured and sewn by my hands. Quality, love and thought goes into every piece I make. It’s such a beautiful and therapeutic process that I cannot imagine rushing, just to create more. I feel that more businesses are starting to slow down and think about the end of life of their products and there is more and more transparency with consumers. This is so great to see because as more consumers start to understand the importance of ethical, fair trade, circular and sustainable practices it puts pressure on larger businesses. The damage to our people and planet that is done on an incredibly large scale by these big corps, and that most consumers don't truly understand the depth of, needs to be addressed and they need to be held accountable for the way they operate. It is small steps in the right direction.
What is one habit you have that helps the environment?
Havilah: Buying unpackaged products or reading the packaging before buying to make sure it can be recycled here in NZ.
Tell us one interesting thing about you that others may not know…
Havilah: I'm an introvert, I absolutely love being at home watching true crime and knitting. I also have over 40 plants in my apartment!
I think Wellington fashion needs more…
Havilah: Colourful garments on the streets.
Where can we find you?
Havilah: Online or in our flagship store 221 Cuba street for now, we have a few stockists to be announced in the coming months!
We loved having this chat with you Havilah!
Thank you! Little Yellow Bird will be in-store at Havilah, to try on and take home, until the end of September get along and experience Havilah for yourself and support two local brands doing good for people and the planet.
Little Yellow Bird creates 100% organic cotton everyday basics that are super comfy, don’t cost the earth (or its’ people) and are recyclable at the end of their useful life. We also do bulk and branding so if you need 1 comfy t-shirt or 100, we can do that. Send me an email at samantha@littleyellowbird.co.nz and I can help you out.
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