Kristine Crabb’s work as a fashion designer has played a role in many women’s wardrobes over the course of her career (or evolution, rather). Her earlier work brought a welcomed rowdiness and irreverence to Auckland, with Aotearoa’s fashion scene flocking to her signature silk dresses under former label Miss Crabb (2004-2019) and the unique one-off pieces in Rip Shit and Bust (2001-2003) before that. It wasn’t long until the creative rose again, launching Gloria in 2020 offering a new era of sophistication producing pieces that are “at once modern and subversive yet classic and enduring.” Over her 20-plus years in the industry, the world has changed, and so too have her customers.
Gloria’s suiting range, Know Thyself, has been a significant undertaking and the result of a three-year design journey drawing on her extensive experience creating custom suits for corporate characters for reference. When Crabb announced her upcoming collection, which reflects her signature fluid, adaptable, and inclusive style, we jumped at the chance to speak with her about this new chapter for her studio and why every woman should (and can) feel empowered to wear it.
Continue reading below.
What do you hope your wearers will feel when they put on these pieces?
As with all of my pieces, they truly are a labour of love. So much time has been spent refining this collection, from wear-testing to making custom suiting for clients and friends. In the past, we had also done small ready-to-wear runs too, to test production of our trousers, blazers and coats people loved.
What I hope the wearer feels is the love, energy and wairua that has gone into each garment, from the imagery we’ve made to the manner in which the range is being released. I wanted the collection to have classic suiting symbolism, along with recognisable suiting silhouettes and details, something you could wear to a business meeting or corporate job.
I hope that people feel empowered, ‘put together’ in whatever sense is natural to them, and that they can still feel uniquely themselves as the suits are fluid in how they can be worn.
There is a chic glamour to these pieces.
I love that there’s the option to mix and match different separates, as well as colours and fabrics, and it still be a suit. It’s my desire for people to feel comfortable and their best selves when wearing the designs, but above all else —feel like they can do anything.
What were some key learnings from your previous work that influenced the final designs of these pieces?
As the title of this collection suggests and asks, what is it to Know Thyself? Putting together this collection and over the course of developing Gloria, it has quite honestly been a big personal journey of self discovery and self acceptance. I feel like this is what the suiting design is about, in fact, what all of the work in my career has been about. It’s something that I hope that by wearing my clothes, the wearers can come to cultivate their own understanding of these ideas.
On the use of designer deadstock fabrics and time spent handcrafting the pieces locally… How do these aspects align with Gloria’s overall brand ethos and your vision for fashion in the future?
When touching a Gloria garment, I think you can immediately really see and feel the thought, uniqueness and time put into our fabrications, the pattern cutting and silhouettes, and faultless finishes is something we aspire to for all our garments. I hope that people love their clothes (as much as we do) and have them forever or pass them down through time.
We are so lucky in Aotearoa to have amazing textile wholesalers and importers, who source the most beautiful things from mills around the world for the NZ Apparel, Film and Domestic industry. The relationship is beautifully symbiotic and they are so supportive of the designers and the fashion industry and smaller creative enterprises alike. Vital skills and creative outlets for life and a better future!
Any particular pieces or colours you have an affinity for?
My absolute favourite piece is the red Divine Mini Skirt (named after Divine, artist and Iconic John Waters character). I wore it a lot immediately, almost as soon as I had the first-offs made, which is always a great sign! It’s so cute, and reminds me of the dream outfit I would have worn as a teenager in the ’90s. But also, it’s the first time I’ve EVER had the confidence to wear a miniskirt, and truly to know thyself. Maybe that’s because it’s very Twin Peaks also. Thinking of the festive season, I’m also really excited to wear the Platinum-Grey three-piece suit, it’s perfect for summer and beautiful times beyond.
Gloria ‘Know Thyself’ available Wednesday September 18th, 2024. Visit gloria.nz
