Tauranga designer has no intention of moving

When she had daughter Kyah, Teresa Hodges quickly learnt her high-fashion wardrobe wasn't entirely suitable for fulltime motherhood.
But while most women would simply retreat into trackpants and jeans, this fashion designer decided to create her own label - and BLAK Basics was born.
"I had left my old job and had all these designer clothes, and they got wrecked," she said.
"I wanted something stylish but simple.
"Now I live in the Basics range most of the time."
The Mount Maunganui woman began BLAK Basics three years ago when Kyah was just one.
With a focus on stylish, everyday pieces, it filled a gap in the market and was a hit with high-end boutiques.
BLAK Luxe followed 18 months later, with a focus on beautiful fabrics and high-fashion pieces.
Ms Hodges will show both labels on the catwalk at New Zealand Fashion Week on Friday.
It will be her second Fashion Week show - she was part of the New Generation show soon after starting BLAK Basics, and has attended the event each year since as a seller.
A graduate of the esteemed Bay of Plenty Polytechnic fashion design course, Ms Hodges was head designer for Moochi for four years before having her daughter.
While she loves working with BLAK Basics, her creativity comes into its own with BLAK Luxe.
"That's where I thrive - I get to use my creative side."
The BLAK Fashion Week show will include clothes from both aspects of the BLAK label.
"It will be mostly Luxe, with a little bit of Basics mixed in - that's what the basics are designed to do."
And the trends for winter 2011? Lace, long dresses and skirts, and high necklines.
Her catwalk show will include 28 outfit changes on 12 models.
She chose the models from a casting call of 300, and was looking for a walk "with attitude", high cheekbones and a "softness".
With stockists in New Zealand, Australia, Britain and America, BLAK is a thriving business.
But Ms Hodges has no intention of moving from Mount Maunganui to New Zealand's fashion capital, Auckland.
Although her pattern-maker and manufacturer are based in the City of Sails, the Bay lifestyle will keep Ms Hodges and her family in Tauranga.
"I love it here. I don't want to be bringing up Kyah in a big city like Auckland.
"I like being one street back from the beach, and we walk down every day after I pick Kyah up from preschool. That's inspirational."
While Fashion Week is the culmination of months of hard work, Ms Hodges hopes to find time to sneak away to view a few of her favourite labels - Jimmy D, Cybele, and fellow Mount Maunganui label Riddle Me This.
And it will be a thrill to see her creations on the catwalk.
"It's so nice to see it as a collection."