Introducing Vermeer Studio |
December 6th, 2021 |
Vermeer Studio is the creation between two best friends, Gabriel Krestensen and Tané Meiring who sculpt stones, beads and metal into subtle adornments that take in the light as you move, or frame your clavicle or nape just so. The beauty of their pieces is the way they drape or dangle next to your skin, riding the wave between playful, sexy and feminine. We chat to Tané to find out more, and celebrate Poepke’s pop-up with Vermeer Studio.
When did you begin making jewellery and how did you get drawn to the process?
We began creating jewellery a few years ago in 2018. The skills were taught and passed down to us from Gabriel’s mum and we fell in love with the design process right away. There was something so therapeutic about choosing colours and designs that really spoke to us, it was a process we both really enjoyed.
2. What was the impetus of starting Vermeer Studio and tell us the story of how it began.
We had dreamt of creating together since our early teens as we felt our styles really complimented and inspired one another. As we got older these dreams only matured and we would talk endlessly about different ideas whenever we had a chance over a vino or two!
It was when Gab became a mother herself that we really felt ready and motivated to pursue something and it just happened that her mum was willing to teach us about jewellery and we fell in love! The rest is history.
3. You craft all your jewellery from carefully sourced natural materials from all over Australia and the world. Name a material you have sourced that you are especially fond of and tell us why.
Natural materials always have us in awe, the array of colours and textures are endless that it really is impossible to choose a favourite. We are uniquely fond of each piece as all of our materials inspire us in different ways and evoke different feelings in us.
4. How do you name each of your collections and pieces?
After we have designed a piece and know how it makes us feel, we love to choose name’s that we think match the character and personality of each piece. It’s such a fun process!
5. Tell us a book, a movie and a song (or just one) that has moved you, or has inspired your work.
Music is definitely the media that most captivates and moves us. You will always find us listening to Jazz or Classical music in the studio as we find it the most grounding and calming, especially in these uncertain times.
TARTAN MIND MEND LAUNCH |
November 9th, 2021 |
An art therapy project with a sustainable focus aiming to raise money for people suffering with mental health issues associated with lockdowns and Covid 19. 
Tartan Mind Mend asked members of its extended creative community to re-purpose their samples and seconds, with the hope of:
– Raising awareness of sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
– Soothing frazzled nervous systems with creative therapy and community connection.
– Supporting and promoting creative individuals and small businesses during lockdown.
– Raising money for mental health focussed charities. 
Each collaborator was given a Tartan sample which they were invited to mend, patch, dye, re-construct, shred, weave, knit, paint, draw, embellish or alter in any way that moved them. The re-imagined pieces are on display in store at Poepke from today until the 22nd of November and will be auctioned online from the 12th of November.
100% of the proceeds from the items sold will be donated to the following charities:
https://kidshelpline.com.au
https://suicidecallbackservice.org.au
https:headspace.org.au
To help support the project you can follow our progress on Instagram @tartan_official and #tartanmindmend, view the finished pieces in store at Poepke and donate and bid online www.airauctioneer.com/tartan-mind-mend from 10am this coming Friday 12th of November.
Introducing Among Equals |
October 27th, 2021 |
Hello World |
October 19th, 2021 |
We’ve missed you and can’t wait to welcome you back in store.
We are now open 10am – 4pm Monday – Saturday.
The health and safety of our customers and staff is our priority. In line with the current public health orders we will be implementing the following procedures:
QR check in and proof of full vaccination (or medical exemption) must be presented upon entry.
Face masks will be required to be worn inside the store by all staff and customers.
Capacity is limited to 1 person per 4 sqm. Please be mindful of social distancing 1.5m when in store.
Enhanced daily cleaning procedures.
For those unable to visit us in store we continue to offer a click and collect service and free shipping Australia wide with online purchases over $100.
Comments (0)Paddington store update |
June 25th, 2021 |
Due to the current 2 week Sydney lockdown, Poepke Paddington is closed until Saturday the 10th of July.
We remain open for online shopping as usual and have lots of beautiful new arrivals to show you over the coming days.
Please email us anytime. Stay home and Stay Safe xx
Welcome Back |
May 12th, 2020 |
We are pleased to announce that the store will be reopening on the 14th of May. Our opening hours this week will be 11am – 4pm Thursday 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday the 16th of May.
The health and safety of our customers and staff remains our priority and as such we will be following strict store cleaning protocols, providing and insisting on hand sanitiser upon entry and allowing a maximum of two customers in the store at any one time.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Poepke and thank you for your patience and support.
Take care and see you soon.
The Poepke Team
Poepke Closed | Shop Online |
April 3rd, 2020 |
We hope you and your loved ones are safe and well and we so much look forward to seeing you back in store soon.
Love from all of us at Poepke.
Mahsa at Poepke |
January 10th, 2020 |
Mahsa Willis definitely knows how to dress a woman of many guises. She wants something utilitarian, but still playful. Something she doesn’t have to think too hard about, but at the same time looks like she does. Having come from the film and television industry and nurturing a growing family, for Mahsa this has meant redefining the classic shirt, adding bows and billowing sleeves, or choosing striking colours – think of a jungle green matching the Titirangi bush surrounding her Auckland home.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Mahsa to talk about how her label began, her mood boards and how she is writing her own story through her clothes.
You started Mahsa just four years ago in 2015. Tell us the impetus for beginning your own label, and the point you were at in your life that drew you to make this move?
I started Mahsa when my children were young and I could no longer sustain my career in film and advertising. The demands of the industry did not work around my growing family, and at that time my partner also founded a start-up, working very long and unpredictable hours. Two kids and an advertising start-up was the premise for my career shift.
I have always been inspired by fashion, and for me, it’s the way I make sense of the world and explore my creativity. Film production and advertising have been relevant for me in terms of building a brand, and without this background I would not have been able to intuitively build an authentic brand story. I started designing my label from my Mid-Century home. Here, the lovely interplay between fashion, interiors and architecture were born. I like to see Mahsa as a lifestyle, it’s very autobiographical. I make what I want to wear and if a garment doesn’t work for me and my friends, I won’t make it. Timeless utility is what inspires me. My children continue to be a part of my business and I feel so blessed that they get to see me work at something I love and can celebrate with me.
Each of your collections are based on moods; Mood 1 is Beautiful Imperfection, Mood 2; Yesterday Modern and Mood 3; A single woman. How do you come to articulate these moods? Are they reflective of fragments of your own life? And how do they infiltrate your clothes?
Yes, essentially, I am writing my own story, reflecting on my life and its journey. Specifically, the need to feel romantic, to feel love, to feel freedom, to feel strong, to feel a part of a tribe of likeminded women and people. My aim with Mahsa is to gently encourage those engaged to consume mindfully and collect pieces that are timeless and that you can build on.
It feels like you’ve redefined the shirt for women. What is it that attracts you to this garment?
Jane Birkin defies trend, doesn’t she? A shirt or beautiful blouse simplifies your day. It’s a metaphor for our time: simplicity, utility, femininity. Furthermore, a shirt or a blouse fits any mood, day or night. The fabrication and fit also play a huge part in making the experience, of wearing a simple garment such as the shirt, evocative and special.
Architecture and landscape inspire you also; particularly modernist houses and the Auckland suburb of Titirangi, known for its proximity to wild bush full of kauri and to black sand beaches with savage waves. Tell us how this makes its way into the way you design?
The natural light, crafted modernism, nature and design of my home and its surrounding area provide me with a unique canvas and lens to draw from. Home is the first experience I have every day, it allows me to escape, breathe and dream. I want to share this mood. My aim when designing is that a woman from Brooklyn, wearing my jungle green preacher, on her way to work can sense this feeling when she’s negotiating another reality. My palette, design and fabrication also tell a unique story, both locally and globally. I think now, more than ever, we all yearn for simplicity, authenticity and freedom.
To view our collection of Mahsa in store, visit here.
Tags: Mahsa | Comments (0)Poepke Projects – Jasmin Sparrow |
November 29th, 2019 |
For our latest iteration of Poepke Projects, we present Jasmine Sparrow Jewellery. Featuring classically sculptured pieces from both her permanent and Mermaid collections, you can expect clusters of sea pearls and drips of smokey quartz for your ears and single organic pearls and carnelians to adorn your neck and wrists. These are modern jewels, created with devotion, to celebrate and be passed down with love. We spoke to the designer, Jasmin Scott about her practice, and her own precious pieces that have come into her possession.
You began making jewellery as a hobby when your first child was born and you had completed your diploma in jewellery design from Wellington. How has your aesthetic changed from when you began four years ago?
I think the aesthetic has been really consistent; classic but sculptural. We still sell pieces from the very first collection four years ago. We keep best sellers from each collection available permanently and as a result have built a really strong permanent offering.
Your jewels are ethically sourced and you like to make as little impact to the environment as possible. At a time when these words are at risk of being overused, what does this mean for your practice?
Sustainably is a word that has become very overused. I don’t think it’s a word that should be celebrated any longer, it should be a given in everyone’s practice. We are constantly looking for ways to do more within the business to cause as little harm to the environment as possible. We do ongoing research, speak to others we admire who are ahead of the game in sustainable business, and constantly implement changes where we can.
We take a holistic approach to our sustainable practice, from production; looking after our production team, using recycled metals and stones where we can, being mindful of where we source stones and components, and minimising waste. This approach is carried through to the end product; we create timeless pieces that aren’t influenced by trends, will last a lifetime and become family heirlooms. Finally by educating the customer on caring for her piece, shopping mindfully and seeing true value in her belongings.
We love the use of carnelian and freshwater opals in this collection. Tell us what drew you to work with these stones in particular?
They are stones that I love to wear! And really special colours, I use these stones frequently.
We have your full range in store at the moment, both the Mermaid and your permanent collection, tell us your inspiration behind Mermaid?
Mermaid was a response to customer demand for an elevated offering, the sparkle and mermaid earring are really special pieces that can be worn for events. The statement earring has always been a staple in each collection, but with Mermaid we took things to another level, easy elegance.
Your online platform – sentiments – has women sharing their most precious items handed down to them or the ones they plan to hand down themselves. It’s a gentle push to remind us about the longevity of what we buy. What is your most precious item?
My grandmother worked in a jewellery store for 30 years. As children my sisters and I would receive jewellery from her every birthday and Christmas. I have a charm bracelet from her and remember going into her store and being able to pick a which charm I wanted for my birthday every year. These are really special memories and I still have my charm bracelet covered in charms, as well as a beautiful selection of jewels I inherited from her after she passed away, these are pieces I never take off and will wear forever.
To see the Jasmin Sparrow collection at Popeke, visit our us in store or online.
Tags: Interviews, Poepke Projects | Comments (0)Kowtow Swimwear |
November 8th, 2019 |
Kowtow, the Kiwi purveyors of sustainable and ethical fashion are at it again this summer, this time dipping their toes into swimwear. Lucky for us, this means clean lines and geometric shapes inspired by the futurist and modernist Italian artist and designer Bruno Munari. Known for his cut-out collages in graphic colours, Kowtow have translated these silhouettes onto the skin.
Bold colours of primary red and cobalt blue, have been taken from the palate of Yves Klein which are colour blocked against black and chalk à la Piet Mondrian. But what makes this swimwear so special is that it is made from ECONYL’s regenerated nylon, a nylon made from pre and post-consumer waste material. Discarded carpets, plastic components and ghost fishing nets have been given new life in the form of sustainable swimwear, that because it is produced on a closed loop, can be recycled again and again, without losing its tenacity.
And to keep it sun safe, the collection is accompanied with limited edition sarongs, hand loomed by artisans in India and made from fair trade organic cotton.
Tags: Kowtow | Comments (0)
Bettina Bakdal – The Graphic & Organic |
October 25th, 2019 |
“It’s like a painting or putting together collages,” says Copenhagen designer Bettina Bakdal of her hand-crafted dresses and sweatshirts composed of vintage silk scarves and pre-loved fabrics.“The scarves themselves are like small pieces of art and most of the time, they’re just left in our closets.”
Bakdal’s interest in using leftover, good quality silk fabrics from luxury brands for her one-off pieces, is an after effect of having been a head designer at a fast fashion label. “We are living in a world where the fashion industry is producing too much – more than anyone can ever wear. We need art and beauty, not more conspicuous consumption.”
For Bakdal, each scarf has its own history. She formulates each garment with the compositions of fabrics in mind, aspiring to evoke a calm feeling in the viewer despite the chaos of mixing varying patterns. “I like to vary colours and expressions so it matches our different personalities,” she says. “Fresh bright, dark graphic, or catchy romantic.”
Currently, Poepke has a small selection of Bettina’s dresses available. To peruse our selection, visit here.
Tags: Bettina Bakdal | Comments (0)William Street Festival 2019 |
October 16th, 2019 |
Come eat, play and shop with us this Saturday at the annual William Street Festival. See you there!
Araks – Sustainable Lingerie |
September 11th, 2019 |
Being the most intimate layer next to our skin, lingerie needs to cover a lot of bases. Delicate, but because we wear it every day, durable. Sexy, but not seriously so. Araks, a lingerie label out of New York fuses all of these desires together with its playful cuts, sensual colours and snug textures.
The woman behind the label is Araks Yeramyan, a Parsons graduate who remembers falling in love with colour from the time her father gifted her coloured pencils as a young girl. But what makes her lingerie so special is not only the care she puts into each ethereal garment, but the care she puts into producing them too; employing sustainability practices wherever possible to ensure the colours of our world stay vibrant too.
Aspiring to be sustainable with every decision they make, Araks has gone through sustainability assessment and receives education and mentorship from the CDFA. Some of their practices include choosing evergreen fabrics, with excess materials being worked into future collections or donated to schools and charitable organisations. Customers are encouraged to mix and match pieces from collections past with those from present collections, so that a focus on buying new is not paramount.
But the most important decision the company makes, starts at the very beginning, with choosing the fabrics they make their garments out of. Their goal is to eventually use only GOTS organic cotton, recycled nylon and to have the highest environmental standards for dyeing and finishing their materials.
Recognising that you have to start somewhere to get anywhere, Araks is a lingerie company showing their true colours when it comes to caring about our planet and the comfort of the people in it.
Tags: Araks | Comments (0)Dries Van Noten AW19 |
September 4th, 2019 |
After viewing Dries (2017), the film depicting the life and work of renowned Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, it was not the man himself that audiences were buzzing most about. Or even his clothes. It was in fact, the screen-time devoted to his garden.
Van Noten’s garden is haphazard in its wildness; daisies creep up a bubbling concrete fountain splotched in moss, roses and hyacinths waver in and out of each others space, competing. But it is also a garden lush in its surroundings; think sprawling lawns with manicured box hedges.
In the film, we see the garden act as a respite for Van Noten. It’s where he heads to on his days or evenings off, bringing back bundles to dutifully arrange in his living room, still designing. And it’s where he headed to for inspiration for his AW19 collection.
Dangling the flowers via their heads with pieces of string, he photographed them floating against coloured pieces of paper, photos which were then cast onto clothing, as prints; roses and leaves complete with their shadows and blemishes.
“For me the flowers couldn’t be romantic,” he said. “I didn’t want to have sweet flowers. At the end of the season you have mildew, black spots. You see all the flowers have imperfections.”
With two out of three deliveries of his collection now here at Poepke, witness or wear the perfect imperfection of his garden yourself.
Tags: Dries Van Noten | Comments (0)Archives June 2019 |
June 12th, 2019 |
Our annual Poepke Archives is here again for 2019 with a curated selection of pre-loved Poepke treasures.
From Saturday the 7th of June we will be accepting submissions. Items can be from any current or previous label stocked by Poepke. Please submit a maximum of 10 pieces and ensure the items are in good condition and freshly dry cleaned. Items are sold on a consignment basis.
For further details, please call us on 9380 711 or visit us in-store.
Archives begins in-store on the 22nd of June.
