Artist does her homework

By ELLEN READ

Planning and managing growth in a small business is one of the most common stumbling blocks for owners.

The company can grow too fast, things get out of control and staff and quality suffer; or else there is no time to plan for growth and the business stagnates.

Fashion designer Nadine Freundlich was determined to avoid these pitfalls.

She is about to launch her first womenswear range and take part in her first L'Oreal Fashion Week, running from October 19 to 24.

And it was all carefully planned, to the extent that she targeted the third annual fashion awards as a launching pad.

Her theory was that after a couple of years the week would have grown and attracted international attention.

With the decision by some of the country's top designers to take part this year - Karen Walker is showing for the first time - this is definitely the case.

"I knew it would offer fantastic profile and marketing in conjunction with launching the label. And there are also international buyers there," Freundlich said.

"I've spent a lot of time getting the production and contracting stuff sorted out, so if it takes off then I'm ready to go."

Without a current range, Freundlich had to enter via a presentation pitch.

That worked and she is one of nine new-generation designers chosen to take part in Fashion Week.

Freundlich graduated in 1996 from Whitecliffe Art College with a fine arts degree in fashion.

She knew she wanted her own label but decided she needed to learn the production side of the business first.

"I always knew I wanted a label of my own. One of the hardest things in fashion in New Zealand is finding good production staff, so I thought I'd better learn all about it myself."

She focused on production so she could develop knowledge in production planning and establish relationships with sub-contractors who one day would be key players in launching her own label.

Seven years and two redundancies later, Freundlich has her own company, DF Studios, established with help from her family and a loan from Maori Women's Development Inc, an organisation that provides small-business loans and mentoring to Maori women and their whanau.

A grant from Te Puni Kokiri also enabled her to pay for some hours with Yvonne McLaren from venture catalyst company Valentine Addis.

McLaren has helped with the business plan and pitching and will help to arrange for venture capital or other finance if it is needed.

"A specialist in her industry who's now become a designer," is how McLaren describes Freundlich.

She works in an office and workroom in her Devonport villa and says she likes working from home.

"I did have to be a bit strict with friends and family who think because I'm at home then I'm not working, but that's sorted now.

"It's more than likely I'll keep working from home. I'll sub-contract out the production."

As well as preparing her clothing range - under the Zya brand - winning a Westfield Style Pasifika menswear award and planning for Fashion Week, Freundlich has just finished a business diploma at Auckland University.

She describes her garments as clean and well tailored with a slightly masculine feel. She says they are also elegant, as shown by the use of Swarovski crystals in a pattern derived from a design called Aramoana (based on plain zigzags and representing the ocean path).

Freundlich uses fine merino wool material, sourced from a supplier she promised she would use 15 years ago.

With a woman that focused, it's not surprising to learn that DF Studios is planning to take on the world in the year ahead.

The merino fabrics appeal to the Japanese and American markets, so these are the first targets.

* For more information email: info@zya.co.nz. Freundlich's website (www.zya.co.nz) will go live during Fashion Week.

Herald Feature: New Zealand Fashion Week

L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week official site