Fire Five is our latest journal feature in which we interview the brilliant minds behind our favourite brands & retailers – a mix of creatives, designers, & buyers. We’re very excited to begin this journey and take you along with us as we dive deeper into the energy behind our favourite brands.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Harris Gould and Lauren Tapper, the duo behind New Zealand womenswear brand, Harris Tapper. These two beautiful humans design each Harris Tapper collection, imbuing each piece with their positive energy, skill, & intention.
Sarah Harris Gould and Lauren Tapper met while working for a global clothing brand in New Zealand. Sarah has a background in buying and brand management in New Zealand and London, and Lauren in design and PR. In 2017 the duo saw a gap in the market at the time, for high-quality, directional women’s shirting at an accessible price point. Two years on and Harris Tapper has quickly progressed from a tight range of women’s shirting into full collections due to customer and retailer demand.
Get to know the visionaries behind Harris Tapper to connect even further with the brand.
1. Can you please tell us your inspiration and intention behind the latest ‘Overtime’ Collection?
Our intention is to build a business centred around career-women, designing a 360° wardrobe for them and their lifestyles in a fresh, considered way.
OVERTIME is an ode to mid-century tailoring codes and undulating proportions. Built with a balance of natural fibres, functional suiting pieces, as well as end-of-line fabrics that would otherwise go into landfill, each collection harmonises our intention to build collections of sustainable, enduring, cherished pieces.
2. What are the most used fabrics in the collection and why did you choose these?
We always use a balance of natural and man-made fibres, as well as end of line fabrics (that otherwise would end up in landfill). OVERTIME uses superior fabrics such as heavy silk organza, 800gsm wool and teddy cashmere, which balance the structure of twill cotton coating, wool felt and cotton shirting. We always try to find a medium between more sustainable fabrications and technical, solution based fibres. Polyester and triacetate make up a small part of the collection, the reason for this is that both have technical benefits that are unable to be met in other fibres, such as anti-crease (in suiting), or anti-pilling (in knitwear). This means pieces can be worn more frequently and last longer.
3. Tell us your favourite top 5 pieces from the range.
We love the oversized Agnes Coat made from soft pistachio wool, it feels like more of a big blanket, rather than a coat. The Kooning Trouser is strong, powerful piece with an incredible silhouette. The Chateau Top and Dress feel amazing on, there’s silk organza panels in the side seam that look like wings when you walk. The Wes Shirt is available in both Merlot Silk/Polyester and Ivory Silk/Cotton. Both fabrics are structured but still have a nice fluidity to them. You cant help but feel sophisticated when it’s on.
4. We love your 360 approach to dressing, can you describe this a little more? Also what is your hope that the Harris Tapper woman feels when wearing HT?
We see a shift in the way many women are integrating their personal and professional lives – the workday is rarely 9-5 anymore, and many professional women need wardrobing solutions that are malleable to their lifestyles. We want our women to feel like themselves.
5. You make sustainability a priority, can you tell us more about what that means to you and your goals for the business?
We are committed to making cherished pieces that sustain a long lifetime in a women’s wardrobe. Approximately half of our fabrics are sourced as end-of-line or discarded fabrics that would otherwise end up in landfill and approximately half of our fabrics are from natural fibres.
All of our packaging is recyclable, except for our courier bags, which we are changing over to a compostable fibre this year and all plastics that come into in our business from other suppliers are reused, ensuring there’s no single use plastic.
All of our suppliers are required to sign our Code of Conduct, based off the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) global code of conduct, ensuring all practices adhere to global ethical standards set by the ETI. Where possible we pay regular personal visits to our suppliers to build on our relationships and ensure these codes are being met.
We believe in a long-term sustainable business model and have goals to try to find a balance between environmentally friendly practices and sustainable business planning. We do not compromise on the quality of any product released, focusing on uncompromising fit, refined and considered detailing and exceptional fabrications
