Having her new collection hit the stores just yesterday, new womenswear designer for New Zealand streetwear label Huffer, Aimee McFarlane, sits down with us to talk design, her first Huffer collection and creative life in general. Wellington, 2000. Aimee McFarlane has just opened a fresh bank account, ripe with a $1500 overdraft. She buys a ticket […]
Aimee McFarlane x Huffer
Having her new collection hit the stores just yesterday, new womenswear designer for New Zealand streetwear label Huffer, Aimee McFarlane, sits down with us to talk design, her first Huffer collection and creative life in general.
Wellington, 2000. Aimee McFarlane has just opened a fresh bank account, ripe with a $1500 overdraft. She buys a ticket to the US and arrives a week later, snowboard in arm, $100 in hand. Guts beat money any day, and almost always prove a more rewarding investment. These are the words of the brave, and I’m definitely bias – but New Zealander’s are known for this trait – more so than for our fashion, anyhow.
McFarlane is a testament to the proven rumour; a challenge is our forte. After 7 years of co-designing for Lonely Hearts Club, she took on the role of womenswear designer for Huffer in March this year, her debut range showing at NZFW.
The collection is peachy keen roughed up – think boyish charm at it’s most charming. A perfect fit, really, for the aesthetic of Huffer; a street wear label that has always been functional before fashionable – but are proving in more recent years that they can be both. Ironically, her debut range was titled Into The Unknown. But Aimee’s no rookie.
She also has that good kind of red hair and I’ve heard she can dance to Fugazi’s Waiting Room better than most. MOTEL spoke with Aimee and talked fashion and adventures – and why she’s not scared of either.
The theme of your recent collection, Into The Unknown, relates to the reputation New Zealander’s hold for being explorers. Where do you think this collective attitude and behaviour comes from?
When you are this far removed from the rest of the world, it takes a certain kind of person to get here! It must be in the genes.
How do you think this adventurous nature translates in our local fashion industry?
Maybe it’s our openness and a willingness to try new things – as long it comes in black as well! But I think we have a pretty fearless mentality – we’ll generally give most things a shot. Functionality is also important. I took a pair of new Italian made heels to be soled the other day, and the man behind the counter laughed at me, saying they weren’t made for a New Zealand woman – but for tottering between taxis and parties. Realistically, I guess, we do spend more time tramping through rain puddles….
Do you personally consider yourself to be a typical, adventurous New Zealander?
I was always the kid in the family with the itchiest feet; I could never get out the door fast enough. Although – while I’m adventurous in some ways, I’m super mellow in others… like sitting-in-my-backyard-drinking-cups-of-tea-in-the-sun mellow.
The identity expressed in your clothes has survived the transition between Lonely Hearts and Huffer – despite the distinct brand difference.
Yes – I’m still creating clothing that I love and want to wear – just for a slightly different market. My identity will always exist in my designs, and will continue to assert itself with time.
When you’re trying to establish and maintain this identity in the design process… is it increasingly difficult with fashion being more consumer-dictated than ever?
Absolutely, and it requires discipline and confidence, which take time to develop. Sometimes though, you have to shut your eyes and block your ears. I also try to slip in pieces that push the limits a bit. People may not know what they want until they see it!
How do you draw the line between pleasing your market and yourself?
Drawing the line is a pretty important lesson in life in general. There are times when walking away from something is very hard. But there is also great satisfaction to be had in translating a design into a product that does both.
Does this influence where you draw your inspiration? How much of your inspiration is drawn from trends and fashion itself – and how much is drawn from external sources?
It’s probably an amalgam of all of those things that come together to create the overall look. The best source is still one’s own wild imagination.As well as imagination, you must have your theories on how a successful fashion label establishes a following… There are so many reasons for this – but one reason must relate to the whole same same but different theory; in that followers know that brands have a consistent aesthetic, but keep their collections fresh and exciting by adding new things. Good marketing, branding and a few hype-creating parties don’t hurt either!
The internet thrives on fast hype – it’s made fashion so readily available to consumers. How does this affect you as a designer?
Pressure!!! But I think it’s also important to remember to keep doing what you love and are passionate about, and hope this will be reflected in your work.
The most important things are usually where it all started. What do you love about NZ?
The sun, the air, the snow, the beaches, the people I love and adore.
With so much to love at home, why do you think we abandon our comfort zones for challenge? The unknown can be a scary place.
I think in a way we all like to measure ourselves against something, and if we don’t scare ourselves once and a while, it means we’re probably not trying hard enough. Fashion is like everything else. You have to strive to survive.
