Storm set to hit town

Maria Kozub (left) and Deborah Caldwell have been designing up a storm. Picture / Carolyn Robertson

Sometimes there are tears at a fashion shoot.

Sulky models, bolshie photographers and angry make-up artists can all bring on a bit of weeping if you're not in the right frame of mind. And for a minute it looked as if there would be tears at a shoot for one of Auckland's newest fashion labels too. But for totally different reasons, as it turns out.

"It was quite emotional, actually," says Deborah Caldwell, the mastermind behind Storm, New Zealand's latest not-quite-mainstream label, "seeing it all put together on a beautiful model. It was like seeing my vision come together."

Caldwell has been working in the New Zealand fashion industry for more than 20 years, with stints at some of the country's biggest fashion manufacturers such as Max and Glassons.

For some time she's felt there was a gap in the mainstream clothing market for reasonably priced garments - but with a designer difference.

"It's something I've always wanted to do. Partially [the idea] came through talking to lots of my friends. Because we have all these beautiful brands in New Zealand so, of course, they want to shop for something new every couple of weeks.

"But they can't afford to pay $500 or $600 every time they do."

The solution, Caldwell felt, was to come up with something different that had more of a unique New Zealand designer aesthetic (as opposed to a copy of something from the international runways), but that didn't cost so much.

For most average earners who like a frock and a heel, a label like Max might come in at the right quality and a reasonable price, but might not look very different.

Many of the looks are imported from overseas, too. And a store like Portmans or Supre might provide a fast fashion fix at a low price, but often the quality of the fabric and workmanship reflects that - and anyway, you don't always want to shop alongside your teenage neighbour.

And for the best of the local labels - Kate Sylvester, Zambesi, Karen Walker and the like - the quality is fantastic, the ideas are original but the prices are, accordingly, high.

So what do you do if you want something that reflects local design but doesn't have you eating rice for dinner for the rest of the month?

Well, maybe from now on you'll shop at Storm - at least that's what Caldwell is hoping.

On Friday, the first of two stores will open in rather trendy Teed St in Newmarket. The second store will open in Christchurch's fashionable High St.

The boutiques - more are planned - are the result of around six months' dedicated work by Caldwell and her younger designer colleague, Maria Kozub.

It all started last July after a casual conversation with Tim Glasson, of the Glassons fashion chain. Glasson, who'd had a similar idea about the gap in the market, encouraged Caldwell to put together a business plan, which she did. He was impressed with her plan, and his company decided to back Caldwell.

She began looking for a young designer to assist her, and met Kozub, relatively fresh out of fashion school, and who had spent the past three years in the Zambesi workroom, working her way up to designing one or two pieces.

Since October, with the hefty business backing of Glassons, the pair have been putting together a collection of Caldwell's vision.

They work well together, say the women, laughing and shuffling papers and fabric around in their small Grey Lynn office so the Viva reporter can have a seat.

"For instance, we know we need a jacket and a pant, so Maria will sketch it up and she comes from a more quirky, design angle.

"And I come from a more commercial background.

"So we keep working until we find a happy medium," says Caldwell.

Over the past few weeks they've also been doing things together that are not quite so glamorous. Like sticking hundreds of bar codes on to their swing tags on Caldwell's mother's kitchen bench. And pre-shrinking silks in Kozub's bathtub.

But what it all comes down to is the clothes.

And this is where, despite the cunning nature of Caldwell's plan, a few fashion purists may get upset.

If one is being completely honest, Storm's new range looks like a cross between, well, Zambesi and something more simple.

Just quietly, Kozub and Caldwell acknowledge this.

"Of course, there's going to be a comparison with Zambesi. I worked there for three years. But even when I was studying I had this feeling to my designs - it's quite a New Zealand look.

"So yes, there is an influence. But I believe that as Storm evolves that style will change and progress," says Kozub.

But while the truly dedicated Zambesi fan may never visit the new store, that's not to say your average shopper won't rejoice at finding this kind of look at more affordable prices.

And for now, just a few days away from opening, Caldwell and Kozub are nervously optimistic. "Basically, we want people to walk in and be surprised.

"We want them to see something that's cool and edgy and a little different at a price point they wouldn't expect."

Storm opens at 4 Teed St, Newmarket, on Friday, ph (09) 529 0200.