Stan Walker for Postie’s 110 year celebration campaign. Image supplied.
Postie have achieved an impressive milestone this year with the brand celebrating 110 years in business in 2019. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing but to get past a centenary is rare and Postie are quite rightly excited about it. The brand created a campaign to thank all the New Zealanders who have supported them over the years which launched earlier this year and features talented musician Stan Walker and Postie’s Autumn/Winter collection of course.
Back in 1909 Postie started out as a shoe repair store in the small West Coast town of Reefton which was founded by Thomas ‘TA’ Dellaca. It’s extraordinary to think now that the following 110 years of Postie’s history began from a £68 investment. In the late 1920s what was now a family business run by the Dellacas expanded into the fashion industry opening several stores across New Zealand over the next 50 years.
In the 1980’s Postie added mail-order catalogues to its business aiming to reach rural customers and those who didn’t have their stores in their towns. The first ‘Postie Fashions’ catalogue was released in 1983 and received a healthy 600 orders per day within the year. The mail-order business took off as customers loved the mix of well-priced, fashionable clothes that were accessible and well-made.
Postie mail-order catalogues from the 1980’s.
The company was rebranded to Postie Plus in 1996, later dropping the Plus to be simply Postie, which is the brand name currently used. In 2001 Postie closed the mail-order catalogue side of their business to focus on their retail stores, later moving into ecommerce with the opening of their online store.
While Postie has evolved from being a small family-owned business to a huge nationwide brand with 63 stores around the country, it has maintained it’s core promise to deliver affordable clothing for Kiwi families that is a great mix of on-trend looks and classic wardrobe staples.
The brand’s latest collection and accompanying campaign is a testament to where they have come from with a mix of vintage inspired looks and fashion-forward pieces. The campaign celebrates Kiwi style on a rugged West Coast beach which is a fitting nod to Postie’s heritage while looking towards its future.
Postie’s Autumn/Winter collection is available in Postie stores and online now.
Images supplied.