Lillie Toogood
Lillie Toogood has an instinctive flair for colour and design. Some of her earliest childhood memories are of looking at everyday objects through the lens of a camera. This unique perception has continued to frame her view of the world.
It also brings an added dimension to Lillie’s creativity, offering an endless source of visual inspiration for her distinctive collection of digitally printed silk and linen blend scarves under her proudly-New Zealand label GOOD&CO.
An intelligent blend of fashion and art, the GOOD&CO aesthetic delivers luxury, vibrant design, and quality. Each piece is unique, from jaunty silk neckerchiefs and silk chiffon scarves to linen blend scarves and oversized wool scarves.
The New Zealand designer’s love of photography, travel, textiles and design are infused into each creation, with her signature whimsy and elegance evident throughout. There’s a fascination in how the same print is represented across different fabrics and textures – from the shimmering vibrancy of silk chiffon to the more textural hues of the linen blend scarf.
The additional delight of these pieces is around the mysteries of perception, with a dawning awareness of the details of the print (all created from Lillie’s photography) only revealed upon closer inspection. There’s a delightful playfulness and creative thoughtfulness that makes each piece a treasure to be cherished and enjoyed.
Lillie’s first print was created from a photo she took on a trip to Paris with her parents and sister. Paris By Night remains one of her favourite designs, not just for its visual impact, but for the emotional connection to the print and where it was taken.
FashioNZ finds out a little more about what inspires Lillie.
When did you first realise your love for imagery, colour and design?
This has always been an interest of mine since I was a little girl. I remember saving my pocket money to buy my first camera (a bright green point-in-shoot) when I was about 10. And have had a love of photography and design ever since.
What did you want to do as a career when you were younger?
I wanted to have a shop and make nice things to sell. Then I wanted to be a graphic designer (which I studied at Uni). I changed tracks to focus on fashion after Uni, working for various designs in different departments to learn about the industry.
What are your interests and passions and how have they evolved?
Travel, design, photography. Creating and making. Getting outdoors. Since moving back to New Zealand from Sydney and having my daughter (now 4), I’ve had to shift the focus on these activities and passions and focus on her, as all parents do. I especially miss travelling and exploring new places with a camera in hand.
How have various paths in your life converged to create Good&Co?
I was working at Camilla and Marc in Sydney when I first had the idea to create women’s scarves from my photography. I was struggling to find a local printer who could print on 100% pure silk, either in Australia or NZ, and was lucky to come across a maker in India who I started sampling with. The rest is history.
What is some background info on your roles with previous fashion brands?
Over the years I’ve worked in roles across design, graphics, styling, production, sampling, sales, warehouse management, and quality control.
What have you learned from these roles that have shaped anything about your business decisions today?
Everything! I didn’t study fashion, so everything I know about the industry I learnt from the roles I worked in, and the experience I have had running GOOD&CO for 10+ years.
What finally ignited you to create your own brand?
Getting that contact who could create my designs was the initial push. Once I realised I could get the product made I pushed through to launch the business.
What was your original vision for Good&Co?
Originally I wanted to create work for myself where I could get paid to travel and work from anywhere.
What’s something about you people might be surprised to know?
Alongside GOOD&CO, we also have a custom design and manufacturing arm of the company working with brands and business designing and producing custom scarves and other products for their brands.
Where do you live today and some information about your lifestyle?
I live on the North Shore in Auckland and have a busy life jumping hats between being a Mum to Molly (4), running GOOD&CO and also helping my husband with his businesses ERSTWHILE, GOODWHILE and LANDROAMER (no rest for the wicked!).
When we’re not flat-tack we like to get out to the beaches, go bush, or head to our family bach by the river in Turangi. My husband is from Germany so next year we’ll get back into annual trips over to Europe to see his family and go exploring new places which I’m very excited about.
What gives you the most personal enjoyment around your designs?
Seeing them on complete strangers on the street. The lovely messages that come through from customers who are happy with their purchases or retailers that are super excited about the new season.
Three things you wish everyone knew/considered about scarves?
- Scarves aren’t just for special occasions. They can be worn anywhere and everywhere.
- A scarf can completely transform any outfit and add an element of effortless style to immediately elevate any outfit.
- A scarf makes special gift (hello 40ths, 50ths, Christmas!).
Images supplied