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New Zealand doesn’t always get the credit it deserves when people talk about fashion innovation. If you had to mention Kiwi style, most people picture the outdoors – hiking gear, maybe the odd rugby jersey here and there.

But finally, a new generation of startups is slowly but surely changing that narrative. And something that threads them all together but makes them so different from other startups is that they’re approaching fashion from the ground up. Not just chasing trends or rushing to the bottom on price, but asking the harder questions about waste, supply chains and how to build a brand responsibly.

From deeptech textile manufacturers to circular fashion marketplaces, New Zealand is building something exciting in the fashion space.

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How The Fashion Industry Finally Found Its Footing

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The fashion and textile industry in New Zealand contributes 1.9% of GDP. It may not really sound like much, but it’s more than supermarkets and the construction sector. Now that says something. That figure tends to surprise people, and it speaks to just how embedded fashion is in the fabric (pun intended) of the Kiwi economy.

Sure, the industry has faced its own set of challenges. In 2024, some of the country’s most iconic labels closed their doors and designers headed offshore. But that’s just half the story.

What was once dominated by a handful of big names has now become an industry where startups are prioritising sustainability, circular economy principles and, of course, technology.

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The Fashion Startups That Went From Idea To Icon

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The startups taking over New Zealand’s fashion scene span the full breadth of what their industry has to offer. A textile recycler turning waste into raw material, a deeptech manufacturer pushing the boundaries of what fabric can do and a pre-loved marketplace that humbly began as a Facebook group.

They each tell a different story, but together, they give you a pretty clear picture of where New Zealand fashion is headed.

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1. After

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After was founded in Melbourne after a lockdown wardrobe clear-out revealed a gap in the market. Yesha Patel, the founder, realised there was nowhere to send clothing that was too far gone for donation – something that we all deal with from time to time.

With After, unwearable clothing, fabric scraps and unsold second-hand garments are collected and shipped to India to be recycled into yarn. The company now works with 300 businesses across Australia and New Zealand and has a pick-up service for excess fabric in Auckland.

An estimated 180 tonnes of textile waste is sent to New Zealand landfills every year but since launching, After has collected 140 tonnes of material.

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2. Designer Wardrobe

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Designer Wardrobe began as a Facebook group created by Donielle Brooke. After a thyroid cancer diagnosis, she began to think about affordability and sustainable consumption. The group grew quickly, indicating a strong demand for pre-loved fashion and the appeal of community-driven marketplaces.

In 2017, they raised NZ$1.7 million through a crowdfunding round. A subsequent round secured $1.9 million to invest in rental inventory and today, the platform has become one of the biggest marketplaces for pre-loved fashion enthusiasts – boasting about 350,000 users.

Designer Wardrobe has now expanded into physical retail, rental subscriptions and AI-powered tools.

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3. Maggie Marilyn

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Maggie Marilyn was launched in 2016 by Maggie Hewitt a year after she graduated with a fine arts degree in Auckland, with sustainability and ethics at its core. It gained significant traction early on, with her first collection selling out in 72 hours.

In 2020, the brand shifted entirely to a direct-to-consumer model for the team to stay closer to customers and deepen its sustainability focus. The company reduced its carbon footprint by 73% and became a climate-positive business.

The brand reached another milestone in 2022, earning their B Corp certification with a score of 109.

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4. Seabreeze Apparel

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Seabreeze Apparel manufactures fashion and casual-wear for the New Zealand market, and has been doing so since the 1980s. Today, they have evolved into a specialist manufacturer and printer focused on sustainable segments where New Zealand-made is a key requirement.

The company sources only the most ethically made brands for its custom printing and eco-friendly fabrics for its manufactured garments. They also have quite an innovative partnership with a merino recycling enterprise that sends bales of offcuts to be made into blankets.

For emerging designers who can’t afford the minimums of offshore production, Seabreeze is a partner that makes local, sustainable manufacturing actually viable.

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5. Olivia Cashmore

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With four years of experience at Maggie Marilyn in production, sampling and design, Olivia Cashmore launched her Auckland label in 2021. The brand embodies the duality of feminine and masculine – think classic silhouettes that combine the nonchalance of masculine tailoring with the comfort and wearability of feminine ease.

Initially, they launched with a pre-order model to avoid overproduction but now has evolved to standard sales directly on their website. Today, Cashmore operates both a well-stocked online store as well as a boutique and workroom in Newmarket.