Meet our Friday Muse: founder of Georgia Jay, Georgia Davison

30 June 2022
By Fashion Quarterly

Fashion Quarterly talks to Georgia Davison, the designer & founder behind one of Aotearoa's most coveted accessories label, Georgia Jay.

Founder and designer of Georgia Jay, Georgia Davison. Image: supplied.

Creativity runs in the family, explains Georgia Davison, the designer and founder of Georgia Jay – the homegrown accessories label with a cult following for its buttery-soft leather handbags, slouchy silhouettes, and playful colour palette. “My sister Ruby and I grew up in Whangamata in the Coromandel. We lived by the ocean. We were independent and had a lot of freedom from a young age,” Davison recalls. “Creativity was always encouraged, by our mum and dad, both very creative – Mum more of an artist in every sense, and Dad more design-minded, a perfectionist at his craft.”

But it wasn’t until she completed a Bachelor’s degree in design with a major in fashion from the University of Otago that Davison discovered a passion for crafting leatherware. “What was a form of sartorial self-care, to cure my post-fashion school come down, I would hibernate in a creative haze and start to create small leather bags and purses,” she says.

Davison had started by cathartically creating for herself before friends, and then friends of friends caught wind of what she was doing and commissioned pieces. “It was all very organic, and almost by accident that I had created an accessories label.”

“Every single bag was a one-off,” Davison explains. “I was learning the craft and developing what would become the essence and aesthetic of Georgia Jay. It was an immensely ripening time for me creatively.”

In 2015 Georgia Jay officially launched as a brand. “We had cultivated our identity as a brand, and my focus was to create timeless yet directional pieces which are luxurious yet functional.” A few years later, Davison’s sister joined Georgia Jay. Together, the pair continued to develop, explore and hone design principles and apply their practices across a range of styles that were soon adopted and adored by women in Aotearoa and beyond.

“What unites every creation is a reputation for quality, refinement and a deceptively pared-back aesthetic,” Davison explains. She says that while many of their shapes and silhouettes appear simple, as a brand, they are incredibly focused on all the details. “It’s the small things — the patterning, the fluidity of our seams and our love for balanced asymmetry. To this day, we are an independent, female-led brand that proudly makes every single piece by hand at our open studio in Eden Terrace, Auckland.”

Discover the Georgia Jay collection right here, and head along to the brand’s sample sale this Saturday at 203 Karangahape Road or shop the sale online at georgiajay.com from 10 AM this Sunday.

Georgia Davison with one of her creations.

Personally, I dress in a lot of black clothes, yet love colour in my accessories…

Everyone’s relationship to colour is different; it’s something we are always curious about as a form of self expression. I love that you can take one of our most instantly recognisable styles, the Little Ombra in two vastly different colourways, both adhere to one woman, or two completely different women; that’s something we celebrate. 

We have just dropped our new colourways for the season. Our recent additions are Powder Pink and Baby Blue for pastels, and super brights Verde and Fig. All fresh, zesty, creamy, vibrant and uplifting tones. For our Pebble texture range we have Seaweed, Brulee and Creme added to the crossbody range.

We are always developing our colour range, keeping in mind part of our market who may be entering summer, the other is entering winter. So rather than seasonal colours we organise our offerings into four categories. This includes neutrals, pastels, super brights and our pebble texture range. We are always developing colours and textures that work well together but also present as inter-seasonal. We are also experiencing an increasing demand for colour, no matter the season. 

When I’m in need of inspiration I look to…

Books, films, furniture, architecture. We design very sensorily, deceptively to our pared-back aesthetic. We celebrate colour, silhouette, quality, and functionality. While many of our shapes may be simple, my sister and I are incredibly detail-focused, it’s the small things — the patterning, the fluidity of our seams and our love for balanced asymmetry. We are always looking at ways we can further refine our techniques and improve the functionality of our products within these disciplines.

The best books I’ve read recently… 

In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki.

Atmospheres by Peter Zumthor.

Clarity and Connection by Yung Pueblo.

My current podcast recommendation…

Raising the Curve, with Victoria Harris and Sophie Hallwright: an educational platform providing investing and finance content to women. They are both great conversationalists, intelligent, well founded and have a great sense of humour. 

My favourite place to dine… 

Dine in: Gemmayze Street, Ramen Takara.

Takeout: Petra Shawarma, Francesca’s Pizzeria.

Best coffee spot… 

Coffee Pen.

Best place for a wine… 

Cave a vin.

My favourite Kiwi designer…. 

My friend Natasha Mead of 1/1 studio.

Best current season fashion purchase… 

Paris Georgia ‘Eliana’ bodice.

The item at the top of my wish list… 

Frank Gehry ‘Wiggle’ side chair.

The best fashion advice I ever received… 

A quote by Mary Quant: “Fashion is a tool… to compete in life outside the home. People like you better, without knowing why, because people always react well to a person they like the looks of.”

My style icon is… 

Both Phoebe Philo and Jil Sander.

The three beauty products I can’t live without… 

Medik8 Retinol Face Serum from Ines.

Sans Ceuticals Superdose Sleep Infusion Masque.

Maryse Manuka Leaf Exfoliating Polish.

If I wasn’t a handbag designer I would be…

Furniture/spatial/product designer.

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