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Design

Can you talk a bit about your career background and the journey to taking up your role at Allbirds?

I originally worked for Fisher and Paykel. I moved from there to Italy to work for an architecture and design consultancy, then I took my dream job with a wind surfing company in Hawaii and Hong Kong. 

Working in Hong Kong, I was confronted with just the scale of consumption in the West. As a New Zealand designer, I had no real exposure to the scale of the world at that time. So in that moment, I decided I was going to go to London, because that’s where I believed to be the centre of design and all things cultural, and in large parts it was. 

I walked around the whole city dropping off letters and walked in on Tom Dixon having a meeting in his little Portobello studio, which was an old shop front. This was just as his own brand was taking off after he left Habitat. He obviously liked what I was doing and asked me to help him out on a project. I briefly freelanced with him and then eventually he hired me. I worked for him for about three years, but I knew I had to come home. I moved back to New Zealand but kept consulting for Tom and the windsurfing company, meaning I had a very weird blend of work that I was doing at the beginning, and then grew my own practice from there. 

My consultancy was always small and niche, but over that time I picked up a bunch of very interesting clients like Cathay Pacific, Avanti Bicycles, and designing furniture which I was growing to love. I think the landscape of design had really changed in New Zealand over the ten year period that I was away. I left New Zealand believing that everything existed beyond these shores, and came home almost surprised to think that there were vehicles for designers such as myself to present themselves. 

In 2011 I was connected with Tim Brown who had this idea about this little piece of wool that he wanted to make running shoes out of. He approached me, and we got along really well. At the time, I figured how hard could it be to make shoes? I’d done so many other things like chairs and lights and kayaks. It turned out that shoes are really difficult and for lots of reasons: we were trying to make shoes with no knowledge, with a novel material, and with nobody willing to open their doors to us. But Tim and I are both pretty tenacious, and through this process we finally made a shoe and established a philosophy that we ended up becoming really dogmatic about. We launched this shoe on a kickstarter as a really basic version of the wool runner, as we decided that we wanted to make an athleisure shoe rather than a runner. The kickstarter proved that this thing had really latent potential. 

There were a lot of moments where it seemed like it was going to be too hard, but to me it just seemed like too big of an opportunity to not keep going. I don’t think any of us ever expected the shoe to have quite this resonance. Certainly we expected that there was potential in this idea, but the speed in which this thing has taken off has been pretty exciting. Fast forward to 2016, we launched our first shoe and it seemed to be going pretty well.

Towards the end of the year, the core team all sat around and discussed our vision for the product and where we wanted to take it. Our co-founder Joey said “I just want to drive petrochemicals out of the footwear industry”, and that was so inspiring. It felt like we were making a difference and it was a project that was bigger than design. Later that week they made an offer for me to come on board full time and move myself and my family to San Francisco. It was a big call given I’d already lived abroad, but this was too exciting and too important an opportunity not to take it.

What enticed you to join the Allbirds team?

It’s the high level mission and the purpose. As a designer it’s very easy to live with this cognitive dissonance. To me certainly it was about designing the world around me, but you’re always aware that in doing so it’s at a cost. It’s really hard to navigate sustainability just as a designer. Here was an opportunity to have an answer where I could satisfy those needs to build out a world around me. This brand was a vehicle where it was clear from the very early days that it was more than just footwear, so this was going to allow a similar amount of diversity of thought and inspiration that my own practice was allowing. 

I would go to San Francisco, and I would come back super wired. There was this energy having this purpose, and it attracted such smart and interesting people in their fields. Being able to pick their brains and work alongside them was so much more rewarding than working on the project as a consultant. As a consultant there always comes a time where you have to let go which is the nature of the relationship. I loved my other clients and the work I was doing was super special, but the work I was doing in San Francisco was just on a different level of bravery and optimism.

Where do you draw inspiration from when designing? 

The materials are the thing that are really special. I love celebrating the honesty of the object. 

At Allbirds, doing the opposite of what everyone is doing is such a great way to differentiate ourselves when everyone else is over-designing and continually re-designing in this hyper-obsolescence that exists in fashion. The idea that we would try to solve problems in a singular way, try and solve them by taking things off and being very pure is what inspires us at Allbirds. 

I think also a vision for the future is inspiring. We have a broader long-term vision which is very future facing and it’s informed by natural materials, and finding ways to put together that are more and more sophisticated.

You’ve worked all over the world. Do you notice a difference in the way you approach design depending on where you are?

I think certainly the way that I am informed, and New Zealanders in general, is that we are so much more connected to a couple of things – the bi-cultural nature of our nation and our connection to the land. There’s a rawness, a kind of a pragmatism, an earthiness, a realness to the way that we think about design. We take these things more seriously.

I think we have a really interesting point of view here that I don’t see anywhere else. There’s great design happening elsewhere, but it’s very hard to look at other design work and pick where it’s from these days. I think New Zealand has a unique aesthetic that is more raw, that is connected to the land. It’s really exciting and I feel really proud. I think even in San Fran I’m still channeling that Kiwi point of view, and think I always have been.

Why are you getting involved in Semi Permanent, and how do you think events such as these benefit creative industries?

I was particularly inspired to get involved this year because they put the whole event on for free. Covid-19 has been pretty hard on creative industries, so full credit goes to Alt Group, Special Group and ATEED for sponsoring the event. 

For me, events like these help you to realise that the creative sector is so broad. I exist in only a small sliver of it, as do other people in their own disciplines. It’s so nice to, for the first time in months, just sit there and let other people tell you their stories for a change. I could see all of these serendipitous connections into my own story. Events like these are important for all of us to act as a palette cleanser. It’s great to get an overview, a sort of degustation of what’s going on creatively. It makes me think that design in New Zealand is really special.

What are three pieces of advice you’d give to Kiwi designers wanting to grow their careers offshore?

Treat the journey of figuring out where you belong as exactly that – a journey in itself. For me, there were lots of steps, but the journey helped me understand the landscape of where that destination was. The things you discover along the way really inform your sense of what your purpose is. 

Don’t rush to get somewhere, don’t rush to be an entrepreneur. We tend to champion entrepreneurship a lot, but I think that can be damaging to young creatives. I think there is maybe a time for entrepreneurship, but I think for someone who wants to learn their craft, I think trying to marry that with entrepreneurship can be a bit damaging. I always believed that my time in Italy taught me about the respect for the maestro and the respect for things taking time. 

Be generous, and recognise other designer’s talents, and recognise when you don’t have those talents yourself. When I was in London, it always felt like all of the other designers were competing against each other. Be confident in your own skin. The sooner you learn that as a designer, and the sooner you learn to be confident in your own abilities rather than trying to be something you’re not, then the sooner you’re going to grow yourself. It’s natural to be envious of other designers and wish you thought of ideas, but realising that your skillset is different is important and finding that comfort was a big thing for me. You start to realise that all of the good designers, the ones that bubble up to the top anyway, are the ones that tend to be comfortable in their own skin.

CONTRIBUTOR

Jamie McLellan

Head of Design

Allbirds

Kea member

Filed Under: Businesses going global, Global Kiwi, World changing Kiwi Tagged With: Allbirds, Design, Jamie McLellan, Semi Permanent

WeWork Headquarters, Shanghai
WeWork Headquarters, Shanghai

How did Linehouse come about?

I moved from Wellington to Shanghai in 2009 with an opportunity to work for the international Architectural practice, Neri & Hu. I chose China, as I felt it was evolving rapidly. Shanghai had a progressive pace, with less design boundaries and entrepreneurs more willing to take risks. Eventually I felt I needed to pursue my own business to allow my design ethos to evolve and be recognised. So along with my colleague we started Linehouse.

One of those entrepreneurs who were willing to take a chance early on was WeWork. They were just starting out in Asia, loved our design ethic and flew us to NY. We ended up designing their China HQ in Shanghai, located in a historical building; an opium and ammunition factory. We  repurposed the building, revealing the history where appropriate, carefully balancing new and old. The design process and outcome was well received internationally and for a small company starting out the press was great.

This helped build our profile, but like any business there was still a huge amount of hard work ahead.

Why did you choose to focus on the Asian market?

As many Asian cities are modernizing there are a lot of opportunities, clients are willing to take risks, embrace new design and there is a sense of momentum in the design industry. Even amongst all the developing Asian countries, the sense of design, craft and the willingness to involve good design is very real which for the right designers provides opportunity.

In New Zealand there is often a lot of regulation that you have to work with to have your ideas realized, which sometimes makes the design process more challenging.

More recently in Hong Kong I saw a gap in the design industry which I wanted to pursue. Much of the city’s development is dominated by a few main developers and I wanted to offer a fresh young perspective on design. We got our first high profile Hong Kong project; a restaurant called John Anthony, a modern take on dim sum for a well established F&B operator, this project enabled me to make the move to Hong Kong.

The client backed our fresh approach, and saw it as a steer away from old world luxury design you see predominantly in Hong Kong’s hospitality industry. The international recognition in press and awards was again very helpful to have the design be seen and socialized what we as a design studio offer. This allowed us further opportunity to connect with the leading developers with projects that are aligned with our design ethic. With the move to Hong Kong proven successful, we now use Hong Kong and Shanghai as a base for working on projects throughout Asia, Europe and Pacific.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I always want our work to be contextual and meaningful, we do a lot of research on the project and its context to establish the driving narrative. When starting a project we will investigate the site, location, history, local culture and craft to draw a concept from. In doing so I believe it brings an enriched experience.

There is a huge amount of history in craft in Asia / Pacific to draw from and I am constantly inspired by this. Working with local craftsman and localizing our projects in the sourcing of materials and workmanship.

From a design perspective, the studio operates as a platform to investigate the rituals of inhabitation and how these daily moments can be celebrated through design, transforming the mundane into performative acts.

What has been your greatest challenge throughout your career? What has been your greatest achievement?

It was challenging starting my own company at the age of 30 in a country like China, where nothing is straightforward. The language and the cultural sensitivities were very challenging. The pace of construction and time frames for projects are always demanding in Asia, often we have had to embrace a sense of flexibility in our processes and practice in order to get the best outcome. When I moved to Hong Kong, the challenge was again repeated, with the benefits of what I had learnt perhaps with the added pressure of bigger jobs and soon doubling the studio team and managing those responsibilities.

Perhaps my greatest recognition of achievement to date was being awarded the Dezeen Emerging Interior Design Practice Award at the end of last year (2019) in London. This is one of the top platform’s on an international scale for our practice to be recognized, and provides some satisfaction for the hard work we put in.

How do you stay connected to New Zealand whilst living abroad?

I grew up in a rural community in Gisborne. My background draws me close to the land and from that I am always conscious of introducing these forms into my work. Home remains New Zealand, that is where my heart is and I’m always drawn back there and for longer and longer periods with new family commitments and work opportunities.

What’s next for Linehouse?

I would like to see some of the NZ/Australia projects come live as I spend more time in Australasia so I can bring back my learning’s in Asia to the Pacific. There is a small pool of designers in NZ and I think I can offer a fresh youthful female perspective to the architecture and design space drawing from my experience across Asia and Europe with many top operators.

As a business we are fortunate to have navigated our way through different disruptions in the region especially in the last 12 months and are currently loaded with good projects. We have benefited in having diversification across the regions in terms of project locations especially more recently as the regions are impacted at different times.

So we need to continue to focus on keeping the right opportunities coming our way and this is especially important now when economic environment is challenging. At the same time always ensuring our design is relevant and fresh.

As a taste of our bigger projects that we are currently working on:

  • An architecture and Interior design of a 10,000m2 modern office building in Macau;
  • A large residential project with amazing views of Hong Kong south coast;
  • The design of the food market for the new Booking.com campus in central Amsterdam;
  • A restaurant in Osaka for W Hotel opening this year;
  • An upscale Foodhall in an iconic building in central Hong Kong just opened;
  • Two multi level commercial retail projects (45,000m2) in Bangkok.

CONTRIBUTOR

Briar Hickling

Co-founder

Linehouse

Kea member

Filed Under: Businesses going global, Global Kiwi Tagged With: Architecture, Asia, Business, Business Growth, Design, Linehouse, Market Expansion

What’s your story? How did you get to be where you are today?

Perseverance and an incredibly loyal and supportive tribe.

Why do you think it’s so important to bring Māori art and culture to a wider audience?

I think it’s imperative that you stand in your own truth, that you draw from everything that makes you, you. In my case, that is being Māori, a wāhine, a māmā and wife, a friend and a creative. The reach has evolved very organically and although I understand the importance of numbers and a wider audience, the most important thing is that we are adhering to the responsibilities we have when sharing our culture.

Where do you pull inspiration from when creating? 

From Te Āo Māori, nature, natural fabrics and texture. 

How was the Kāhui Collective formed and why?

I formed the Kāhui Collective in 2017 to help four Māori fashion designers grow their businesses and source fabrics. There was a need and no one was helping to bridge or support that need, so I figured someone should start.

Since that first Hīkoi (trip), the designers I took up have ventured to China by themselves and created business relationships. Last year (2019) I took 15 Māori creatives to China, visiting 5 different cities and we met with high-level industry organisations and individuals. 

The focus was to see where Māori fashion could or would sit within the bustling markets of China and how we would navigate the logistics, means to market, scale, commercialisation and within all of this maintain our cultural integrity. 

What does this latest collection mean to you?

I was invited to participate in the Thai silk fashion week, an initiative of the queen of Thailand for the revitalisation and sustainability of the ancient art of handwoven Thai silk. I was completely in awe of these beautiful weavers and to witness a traditional practice that was financially contributing directly back into the villages and people. I purchased some silk whilst there and created a very clean collection with textured handwoven accessories. In effect, I hand wove the handwoven fabric. It reveals a combination of Thai weaving and Māori weaving, tradition, contemporary execution and cultural crossovers. 

What was it like seeing your design on the Oscars red carpet?

I was mostly in total admiration of Chelsea! She was so happy and I could see she felt confident and beautiful. That made my heart sing. It was a wonderful moment that will be treasured always. 

How has the response been to the pop up in Britomart?

I can’t even deal with how incredible it feels to witness people walking in the store beaming with pride that this tiny little department store exists! The joy, excitement and will to support and buy Māori made is overwhelming. There have been so many conversations and connections. I feel so very humbled by the entire experience and so very proud of the Kāhui designers. 

What’s next?

We have three more weeks to test the market in Britomart, track what’s working and what needs attention. We’re full steam ahead with the Kāhui Collective in conjunction with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, which will see us export primarily into China, secondarily into the US. We plan to show at Shanghai Fashion Week in October and there are conversations around New York Fashion Week this year. Most importantly we need to build a strong foundation here in New Zealand first, so the Britomart store is the perfect segue into affirming a permanent presence in the New Zealand fashion scene. 

Check out The Kāhui Collective.

CONTRIBUTOR

Kiri Nathan

Founder

Kāhui Collective

Kea member


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Filed Under: Businesses growing at home Tagged With: Design, Fashion, Kāhui Collective, Kiri Nathan, Maori

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