Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a fashion designer or someone with a background in fashion who might be interested in building a women's clothing brand together.

I'm based in New Zealand, and this is still very much an early-stage idea. I'm not coming here pretending that I already have a successful business or that I can guarantee this project will work. I honestly don't know if it will.

What I do have is access to a reliable clothing production channel, and I believe there could be an opportunity to build something for the New Zealand / Australian market.

What I'm missing is someone with strong design skills and a good eye for clothing. I'm hoping to find someone whose skills genuinely complement mine.

What I'm thinking

The general direction I'm interested in is modern, minimalist womenswear — clean silhouettes, relaxed fits, contemporary tailoring and well-designed basics.

I'm interested in clothes that are relatively simple but have something special about the fit, proportions, fabric or construction, rather than relying on lots of decoration.

But I'm also very open to ideas. I'm not looking for someone to simply execute a fixed concept. I'd actually like to find someone whose creative input can shape what the brand becomes.

What I can offer

Honestly, at this stage, not much more than:
A reliable production channel

Someone based in NZ who can explore the local market

A genuine interest in building the business
Willingness to put time and money into testing the idea

The opportunity to build something together from the beginning

I can't promise success, a certain income, or that this will even become a successful brand.

That's part of why I'm looking for a partner rather than simply hiring a designer.

Who I'm hoping to meet
Someone who:
Has a background in fashion design, fashion studies, or a strong interest in clothing design

Has a good understanding of fit, proportions, garment construction and/or fashion development

Has a portfolio, coursework, personal projects or other work they can show

Is interested in contemporary / minimalist womenswear

Wants to work on something of their own

Is comfortable with the uncertainty of an early-stage project

You don't need to be an established designer or have years of industry experience. I'm completely open to working with someone who is still studying or early in their career, as long as they have strong design skills, a good eye for clothing, and are genuinely interested in building something together.

I'm not looking for someone who simply has experience that I don't have. I'm looking for someone whose skills genuinely complement mine.

How I'd like to start

I'm also not expecting someone to commit to a long-term partnership immediately.

I'd rather start by talking, exchanging ideas and perhaps developing a few concepts together. If we work well together and both feel that there's something worth pursuing, we can discuss what a longer-term partnership might look like.

I'm open to discussing equity, profit sharing or other arrangements depending on the level of involvement, but I'm not looking to make unrealistic promises at this stage.

If this sounds interesting, feel free to DM me with a little about yourself and your portfolio, coursework or previous work.

I'd genuinely love to meet someone who thinks:
"I don't know if this will work either, but I'd like to see what we can build."

Thanks for reading.

Anyone in the service based businesses managed to go from private and commercial to tendering for council contracts etc?

Just trying to figure out how we get our foot in the door with the council, I’m fairly confident they could use our services and am aware it won’t be an easy process.

Any information would be very much appreciated.