The two stylish sisters behind Auckland’s newest concept boutique dish their style secrets.

Tell us a bit about your background and experience – have you both always worked in fashion or is this a new direction for you?
Kate: A short stint living in New York City was inspiring and fueled my desire to make a career in the fashion industry – I wanted to be surrounded by amazing designers and beautiful clothes! I then moved to London to experience another big city, working as an event manager for a trade show at London Fashion Week where I organised and managed the exhibitors and approached the right brands to exhibit, including Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Paul Smith and Pedro Garcia. I moved back home to New Zealand to start a family and switched to fashion wholesale sales and distribution, which further fueled my passion for wanting to do my own thing and to find that creative outlet.

Emma: I grew up with a creative flair and confidence instilled by my parents who had such a broad network of artistic and inspiring friends – the likes of WOW creator Dame Suzie Moncrieff and American singer/actor/author/writer Tom Sullivan to name a few. I studied at art school down South and majored in photography, working as an in-house photographer across a range of publications for a media company and then moving into the creative world of advertising in TV production. After moving to Sydney and landing a role as an artist manager and stills producer it was then that I fell in love with the world of fashion and all that surrounded it. Kate and I have always been best friends – I’m the creative and Kate is the business brain.  However we both share a love for style and all things beautiful so we’re a well balanced duo. We’ve never owned a retail store before but our mother used to so perhaps you could say it’s ‘in our blood’.

What inspired you to open your concept boutique Maman?
We had long yearned for our own business and had often talked about setting up a boutique with our mother years ago. We sadly lost our dear mother to a rare illness 18 months ago but through this loss has come new growth and we got on to fulfill our dream, knowing that this is what she would have wanted.  It feels a bit like she is doing it with us – many of her friends pop in daily to say hello and people she’d sold properties to (she was a real estate agent) pop in to introduce themselves. It’s been a very cathartic journey.

Our mother was incredibly stylish – growing up we dressed up in her fantastic heels from America, leather jackets from Italy and accessories and beautiful bags from France. Our mother has always been the driving force behind everything we have done – she was strong, ambitious, entrepreneurial, driven and very independent. Feel the fear and do it anyway was a big mantra of hers. Her lasting gift to us was the advice to follow your dreams and turn them into reality. Through such sadness we looked towards our future and so Maman was born.

Why did you choose Remuera as the location for your boutique?
We grew up in Remuera – once upon a time it was quite the fashion mecca with the likes of Country Road and Esprit.  Things have started to move again in the area and it’s starting to bubble again and we felt we were onto something. People want to feel part of a community and have their little slice of Ponsonby too.

We like Remuera in that it is a place for the local women but also a cute little village that will draw people in as a destination with easy parking and some great local producers to grab their organics from. We are locals and want to be part of the new wave of residents to build a fantastic community for our children to enjoy and be a part of.

The boutique has a very French feel – from the name, to the fit-out, to the brands that are stocked there… what is it about French fashion and retail that you love?
We love the French with their uncomplicated style, it’s just an effortlessly chic way of dressing. Quality fabric and design is evident in the labels we carry (Celine Eyewear, The Fine Collection from Paris, Equipment and Joie) and everything is beautifully made from silk, cotton and cashmere. We’re also all about longevity in an item and investing in quality essentials to use as the building blocks for your wardrobe. In addition to the everyday wearable pieces, we of course have the special pieces that create excitement in your wardrobe. The label Joie is an example of this, their prints are absolutely stunning!

Colette in Paris is the ultimate concept store – what did you love most about it and what elements have you tried to recreate for Maman?
Colette is a complete treasure trove for the fashion obsessed. We loved how new and fresh the store always was with new products and layouts. In this sense we’ve tried to do the same at Maman – all of our furniture is bespoke and moveable and we will regularly change out the layout to make for a new creative and interesting environment. We have a small art gallery section where we’ll exhibit an emerging or established artist every 6-8 weeks.

We have a carefully curated brand mix sourced from some of the world’s most exclusive international designers – no one else does this mix quite like us – and we don’t buy too deeply into one style or look so there will are unique pieces to be found by any customer. We wanted to create a complete lifestyle experience where music, art, fashion and design come together as one thought.

What are your three favourite things in the store right now?
Kate: Lonely Swimwear – the Ditta one-piece is so elegant and the lace up back adds playfulness. Spring Court Tennis shoes for summer. And fragrances by Van Cleef & Arpels – it’s hard to choose just one scent from this range!
Emma: Anything from Anine Bing – she is the epitome of effortless chic! Cheek Frills underwear as it’s just a cheeky and fun range. And photographic prints by artist Nikki Willis – her exhibition is on in store until the end of this month. I’m so in love with her first series, her botanical studies are both serene and bold. This girl will be big, just you wait!

How do you stay on the pulse with all the latest and greatest designers and brands?
Instagram is a huge help and research tool for us. The relationships we have with our distributors has really helped to create leads on up-and-coming designers and brands. Plus we are fortunate to have a large circle of entrepreneurial friends – advertisers, architects, creatives and designers – all of whom inspire us. It’s all about open communication getting the dialogue going and talking about what people are liking, wanting and needing.

How do your buying trips work? Are you buying the same season/products as other global stores or are we a season behind?
Most of the brands we buy into are in line with European/American seasons so we are seeing the same season collections in store as the rest of the world. In fact, you might say our customers are actually ahead of the rest of the world as we get to wear current season even before those internationally!

What is the one thing currently in store that you think everyone should own?
A fabulous pair of jeans – we have over 20 different styles in our denim bar to choose from! A killer pair of jeans can really make an outfit.

Which brands or designers would you love to stock in Maman?
We have some incredible new designers coming through for 2016 – they are truly beautiful and not currently represented anywhere else. We are due to visit Paris and New York next year, where we hope to discover some untapped and up-and-coming talents.

Who is your style hero or icon?
Kate: My style icon would be the effortlessly cool Emmanuelle Alt – she always looks so chic.
Emma: I love the chameleon way Alexa Chung dresses: feminine, rock and grunge cool. Anything she wears looks amazing, this is a woman confident in her own style.

What would we find inside your handbag?
Kate: In my practical and fashion-forward State of Escape tote, you will find my Bobbi Brown bronzer for quick touch ups on the go. A clear gloss to keep lips looking luscious. MAC Fix + Refresher for the face – this is a life saver for freshening up ones makeup. A light scarf for when the temperature drops – spring can be so temperamental. And my iPhone is never far away to capture inspirational moments, take notes and to correspond with our fabulous suppliers.
Emma: Ingrid Starnes hand cream. We’ve just picked up this stunning brand and now I can’t go anywhere without it – it’s super hydrating and intoxicatingly scented with Vetiver and Bergamot oil. To die for! A Moleskine notebook to jot down ideas, thoughts and orders. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in ‘Pink Dust’ for an instant glow (Bobbi definitely knows how to keep you looking fresh but not overdone).

Where are your favourite places to shop?
Kate: I love to go to Collette when in France – the holy grail for fashion ideas and inspiration. I also love Barneys in New York and Incu in Sydney – fabulous labels, style and quality in an effortlessly cool environment.
Emma: Apart from Maman, I love shopping in Sydney. We lived there for eight years, married and had our first child there so I feel it’s my second home. I love wandering the streets of Surry Hills, Double Bay, Woolahara and the central city.

Are you inspired by any blogs or Instagram accounts when it comes to style, lifestyle, interiors? Who are your Instagram crushes?
We definitely are crushing on Anine Bing’s Instagram and blog right now. We love her effortlessly chic style. Her brand is perfect for the woman who needs a wardrobe with pieces that are on point but easy to mix and match. Anine launches new pieces every week which keeps her line fresh and updated for the customer to covet and invest in.

We also follow Jessica Stein’s TUULAVINTAGE blog and Instagram as it is a visual delight – utterly breathtaking destinations with equally beautiful clothing. We love Indie Home also, their lifestyle aesthetic is very much one we covet.

What was your last purchase?
Kate:  A beautiful pair of Meandher loafers. There’s no need to wear these beautiful shoes in – they’re handmade in Italy and are in a class of their own.
Emma: A pair of Jasmin Sparrow earrings. They are super fine and utterly stunning.

What is the one item you are currently coveting?
Kate: Jimmy Jimmy Dolly Embellished  Paige Jeans in a charred grey. These arrive next month at Maman – they’re boyfriend jeans with hand-sewn pearly beads on the thigh and they are quite amazing!
Emma: We recently went to view the range from IRO in Sydney. It would be hard to say I’m coveting just one item after viewing this range – I want it all!