Designer Stacey McIntosh from Harrie & Sam. Image supplied.
Stacey McIntosh is the co-founder and designer of contemporary womenswear label Harrie & Sam which was founded in 2017. The Hamilton-based brand currently sells online and hosts pop-up shops of its popular collections. Stacey has approached her label’s production a bit differently to keep her brand affordable, with each piece designed and produced in New Zealand but it’s all made-to-order which keeps the costs down and minimises waste. Harrie & Sam has a regular pre-order system which means the wait time on garments isn’t long and customers can easily get the pieces they love.
We caught up with Stacey to find out more about her brand, what inspires and what you would never catch her wearing!
Tell us about your latest collection?
Our latest collection is a bit of summer fun. Our general style is to keep to pretty basics that everyone can rotate in their wardrobes. This season we wanted to add splashes of colour that makes the item more personalised to their summer taste. We are forever playing around with ideas and personally I feel like time will help this get better and better!
We drew from strengths from other season adding gathers, frills and prints that have been top sellers.
The beauty of made to order is we can react to what our customers want reasonably fast. Adding new prints to our classic cami has been a real winner! Ultimately this collection has something for everyone. It is fun, fresh and approachable.
What made you become a designer?
This question… I left it to last. The thing is I don’t think I am a designer. In the beginning of H&S a friend and I decided to start a brand we played with ideas and worked things out as we went, started a range and were really please with how people took a liking to the basics we felt like people were trying to find. Having two people with our own styles and someone to bounce off was great! When we went our separate ways I met with an amazing team that pattern make for people that I admire. I was extremely fortunate to have them take me under their wing. I was honest my knowledge was limited and ideas vast! From there they have taken time to teach me endless amounts. My team who create the garments have done the same and kindly enriched me with their knowledge. So when we talk designer I put it down to a amazing team of people who make these designs. I am the ideas gal, the team- we all are the designer!
What inspires you?
Seeing our customers happy. Something I have always found is finding sustainable clothing that is affordable. Keeping things local has a price tag on it, so we have ours set up us as pre-sale and exclusively online, to offset a lot of those costs. Being online means I don’t often get to see women in our garments. I do however, get so many messages, emails, photos of customers in their H&S. These genuinely make me feel wonderful and so inspired to keep on going and creating items that people feel their best in. Through the design process I think about different shapes, sizes and styles that will complement a broad range of women. Seeing a gal beaming and confidently strutting her stuff in clothing you and your team created… it’s amazing.
Dresses by Harrie & Sam.
Describe your personal style and how it influences your designs?
Personally I have a more casual style that can turn into more dressed up with different things on. The Cami dress for me is a real go to. Being able to wear the cami with a tee and denim jacket. Throw it on some sneakers sort of look. The taking it to the evening – cami with heels, a cute bag and a blazer.
This influences how I like to see our range. Items that can be worn in a versatile way right throughout the year. Good quality, multi-season layering and items that can be styled with a knot, tucked, loose or tied to the side to create different looks. I’m all about mixing things up and wearing it your way.
What is your all-time favourite purchase?
A blazer I purchased overseas. The perfect cut, fabric and style that lately goes with everything! This may also feel more like my favourite as I know I will never be able to get another one!
What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?
A couple of things I think everyone should have is a great pair of comfortable jeans you feel good in. The thing with jeans is you can wear them so many ways. Your fave dressy top, a shirt, blazer, summer, winter just whenever! When you nail that pair of jeans you can mix up looks so easily always feeling good and comfortable. Of course… a thrasher dress or top. Biased – yes! I feel like everyone looks amazing in them. Last season we worked on the pattern a bit more as we had feedback on arm fit, length etc. Getting the perfectly cut dress for work, parties, casual day wear is so key. Having something you know you can go to every time and for every occasion is pretty satisfying!
Do you have a style rule you always obey?
Feel like yourself and wear what you feel great in. For so many years when I was younger (yikes) trends would get the better of me. Yes, you can love a style and appreciate it but if its not you, it doesn’t need to be what you wear. Trend is something that can inspire you but choosing comfort and what you feel great in is more important. Stick to what you personally love and what makes you feel like your best. Add touches of trends to your looks, old and new season. Then all the rest works!
Looks by Harrie & Sam.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Last year we had a pop-up shop. After nearly three years of side hustling Harrie and Sam I resigned from my Account Manager role and was finally brave enough to attempt to take the brand to the next level. When I saw people literally lining up at the door and us having to pushing the racks out to fit everyone in, I certainly had a moment. So many of our customers were so complimentary of what we do. People had travelled from surrounding cities and towns and taken days off work. That was incredibly humbling. Something that really inspires me to keep going when it feels a bit tough!
What can’t you live without?
Activewear. Completely addicted. Who doesn’t want to wear pants that fit you like a glove. The funniest part is I have ‘nice activewear’ that I would wear to lunch and pretend I was going to ‘walk or workout after’ because hey, it looks cool and no one needs to know you are going to go home for more activewear non- active time! Then there is ‘real activewear’ that practical, doesn’t sick to you and usually unattractive. I cant live without it!
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
No mascara. I often asked ‘are you unwell’ when caught without it. Also, a tank top. The days are over sister. All about self-love but it’s a overfull cake tin situation. That’s the sort of fashion I talk about admiring. I love it, secretly gaze at the beauties that nail it! But also appreciate there are other things that I can do that complement me much more!
Images supplied.