In an industry in which accessories often play second fiddle to clothing, there’s a crew of local creatives causing a stir with their burgeoning brands. Well-chosen extras elevate outfits from good to great, so FQ spoke to two Kiwi talents whose accoutrements could be just what your wardrobe’s after.
Flora by Viarni Bright
Launching a label was something Viarni Bright had always dreamed of, but her new label Flora ultimately came about due to her desire for a unique accessory to wear to a friend’s wedding. Using hemp cord she braided by hand and glass beads sourced online from a supplier in Turkey, she crafted a belt that would become the blueprint for her brand.
Prompted by the interest she received from people at the event, Bright started making belts for a wider audience and set up a dedicated Instagram account from which to sell them. “I thought I’d make a few more for friends who wanted them, and it all happened naturally from there,” she says.
Having moved to Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi/the Bay of Plenty from Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, for the past two years, Bright’s been living on a rural property in Te Puke, surrounded by bush. “I’ve gone from basically not having a backyard to having native trees and a vege garden, and being able to grow my own flowers in a greenhouse,” she says. “It’s definitely inspired me to do more creative things.” She chose the moniker Flora for its ability to capture the feminine aesthetic of her pieces, naming it after the Latin word for ‘flower’ and the Roman goddess of flowers and spring.
Harnessing a flirty, bohemian feel that draws not only from florals but also from her personal sense of style, Bright’s belts were destined to garner attention from fashion enthusiasts. Thanks to the distinctive qualities of their handmade glass beads, every belt within the range is individual. “Although [more than one] might be in the blue and yellow colourway, they all have their own quirks, so no one’s going to have the exact same thing [as you],” she explains. Bright’s pieces are currently stocked exclusively at Ruby. The opportunity to collaborate with the local fashion label arose shortly after Flora launched, and it seemed like a match made in heaven. When Bright paired one of her first belts with a Ruby dress and posted a photo on Instagram, the team got in touch to express their interest in becoming stockists. “I’ve always loved Ruby and I love that they’ve moved into more sustainable practices lately,” she says. “It felt like the perfect pairing to me — the belts go so well with their collections.” Collaboration underway, Bright placed an order of beads and got to work braiding the hemp while she waited for them to arrive.
Caitlin Snell
If there’s one thing Caitlin Snell knows a lot about, it’s bows. Leaning into a hyper-girly aesthetic that she describes as ‘feminine’, ‘chic’ and ‘fun’, she’s championing them on hair accessories, earrings,
bags and beyond. Born and raised in Te Matau-a-Māui/Hawke’s Bay, Snell spent her formative years on a farm among her sustainably minded family. “We had our own eggs, grew our own meat, and had massive vege gardens and an acre of fruit trees,” she says. “We did everything from home, which inspired me as a designer.”
After high school, Snell moved to Pōneke/Wellington to study fashion design, earning first-class honours at Massey University. Focusing her studies on recycled leatherwork, she incorporated scraps and second-hand materials into her pieces. “When I was studying, it was like, ‘There will not be a fashion industry unless designers start considering sustainability as a huge part of it,’”she says. It wasn’t until late 2021, a few months after graduation, that Snell’s brand took shape rather serendipitously. “I ended up starting it because I wear glasses, and when I was in lockdown I found it difficult to find face masks that wouldn’t fog them up,” she says. “I guess I was also inspired by the goth side of Wellington, where everyone would wear big black hair accessories and leg warmers and that kind of stuff.” Like Bright, posting photos of her bow-adorned face masks to Instagram led to others expressing an interest in her work. Two years on, Snell has formed a business based on her accessories, which you can find on her website and at stockists around Aotearoa.
Continuing her focus on low-waste techniques and deadstock textiles, she handcrafts them as sustainably as possible in her home studio in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. Exciting developments are on the horizon for Snell’s eponymous label. While continuing to create her sought-after styles, she’s venturing into clothing, with plans to launch a line of simple, size- inclusive daywear. “I wanted to create something that could be worn to work and as an everyday staple,” she says. You can expect her signature bows and lengthy ties to feature throughout. “I think you’ll see the connection,” she says with a smile.
Words: Amberley Colby
Images: Supplied, Nadezhda Macey, Willow Handy & Cam Neate
