Footwear designer and businesswoman Kathryn Wilson celebrates fifteen years in business this year. Image supplied.
Kathryn Wilson celebrates fifteen years of her successful footwear business this year and her recent New Zealand Fashion Week show and party afterwards were a joyful way to acknowledge how far the Kathryn Wilson brand has come. From her first small footwear offering in 2003, the brand has grown to a full retail business with stores in New Zealand and stockists throughout the country and Australia. As part of the anniversary festivities Kathryn wanted to recognise fifteen of the key supporters of her business and created a special tribute booklet to acknowledge them.
“In reflection of the last 15 years since the Kathryn Wilson brand was launched, I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the people around me who have had played their part in the growth of the business,” says Kathryn in her introduction of the booklet. “Barry Betham was the creative force behind our 10th anniversary exhibition at Saatchi and Saatchi in 2013 and now the 15th anniversary celebrations at NZ Fashion week 2018. Barry came up with the idea of ‘The Tribute’ being in print and film… a nod to those who have mentored or influenced my career both creatively and professionally. I have been fortunate to have had so much support from so many people over the years and each major milestone has been due to involvement from advisors, friends, mentors and colleagues…it would be hard to name them all, but I thought I would start with the following fifteen…”
Those fifteen people include not just fashion industry colleagues but friends and family such as Kathryn’s young daughter Lola Taylor. “The most important thank you is to my mother Linda who taught me to choose a job you love and you never work a day in your life…,” adds Kathryn. “She is an optimist who looks at the world as a wonderful place to learn, laugh and love. I hope I grow up to be like her one day…”
Kathryn has kindly granted us permission to share the images of her supporters with notes about each one by Kathryn herself on their relationship and what they mean to her.
Images by Stephen Tilley.