Hot on the heels of her sophomore New Zealand Fashion Week show, the day after her catwalk event, New Zealand’s accomplished shoe designer, Kathryn Wilson, will open a shoebox-shaped pop-up retail store in the newly developed Britomart precinct.
   With the store opening to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 3, this store will be Kathryn’s first foray into her own retail business. The store is intended to further engage the public with the Kathryn Wilson brand and to provide customers the full Kathryn Wilson footwear experience.
   Kathryn notes that she is happy her brand has a solid foothold in New Zealand saying: ‘I’ve worked very hard to get to this point and I continue to raise my own personal benchmark every day … Opening a pop up-retail store in Britomart is the perfect way for me to dabble in retail, especially during a time when Auckland will be buzzing with World Cup action and women are eager to look gorgeous in new summer shoes for the party season!’
   The store will appeal to both men and women, stocking footwear for both genders from her spring–summer 2011–12 collection. Two new colour ways in favourite styles for women will also be available exclusively at the store.
   Kathryn, who has already been short-listed as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, recognizes that retail is a necessary move to grow her business locally while ensuring that revenue remains strong. She states, ‘Building my brand has been about establishing good designs, prices that help products sell through, a steady wholesale business and support in the media and from my industry peers. A retail store will not only help drive revenue, but it will also help me to sharpen my business skills and bring me closer to the customers who keep the brand alive.’
   The shoe box idea, developed by local architects Kirsty Mitchell from Veneer design, Tim Dorrington at Dorrington Architects and Jono King from Nova construction, with the help of Britomart’s Cooper & Co. as led by Jeremy Priddy, will provide a unique shopping experience for the customers. Match Realty’s Georgie Clatworthy was also an integral part of the team which ensured that the Kathryn Wilson brand sat alongside a wonderful selection of Auckland’s finest new retailers in the precinct.
   Kathryn, who will be showing her designs at New Zealand Fashion Week, will have local North Shore bred band, the Checks, playing as a the second act of her show. Guests of the show will have a free concert from the band who are set to release their new single ‘Candyman’ during NZFW.—Sabine Ernest