Tell us a bit about Juliette Hogan… I started my label 13 years ago and I now have three boutiques in Auckland and an online platform as well as a bridal service. We’ve extended our offering beyond our mainline with luxury luggage, my own scent, an edit of homeware items and JH Little One – a small but perfectly formed edit of baby pieces launching in August 2016.
How would you describe your brand’s aesthetic? Minimal, luxe, contemporary with a hint of masculinity.
Tell us more about the bridal service… JH Bridesmaid came about from an overwhelming demand from friends and clients to create pieces for their weddings. I think my label’s so wedding appropriate whether you’re a guest, a bride or for bridesmaids, so I made the decision to extend my offering to cater for this. We offer an edit of our previous and current season designs in a palette of neutrals, chalks, ivories and dusks. We’ve recently made available an edit in our Newmarket store of four of our most popular styles, which you can order in store provided no alterations are required. Or you can book a consultation to view the full gallery of designs we have available. During the consultation, Olivia will discuss your wedding, what shapes work well for you and suggest designs. Our pieces take a minimum of eight weeks to make and the dresses are all cut and sewn by hand in the Juliette Hogan workroom.
What are your customers looking for? Many of our clients are loving a more contemporary aesthetic for their special day – they’re often not having a traditional wedding and they’re open to wearing something a little more sleek than that traditional take on a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress.
Where do you get inspiration for the Bridesmaid designs? My designs are an extension of my mainline, so the palette is always a spectrum of neutral colours in luxe fabrications. Every season I create beautiful red carpet pieces in my mainline that I then have made up in paler colours, as they transcend so well into bridalwear.
What are some of the most popular pieces? For wedding dresses, our Simmons dress in sequins and the Corvette dress in ivory lace. For bridesmaids, our pleats are always perfect, especially if you have a number of maids with differing body shapes, as we have a range of pleated designs to work back for every shape.
What are some things for clients to think about before they begin the process? The biggest thing to think about is the venue – how will your dress sit back into its surroundings. It also pays to try on a number of different shapes to see what really works on your body – often our clients are surprised with the design they end up going with.
What’s something about the service that might surprise people? Each special order piece is hand made in our workroom, every dress is cut in house, sewn and pressed by our design and production team. Our team are also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to space dressing, accessories, mother of the bride outfits and wedding gift ideas.
You’ve held some amazing shows and events in spaces that could also work well as wedding venues… The most special that comes to mind was our AW16 press showing at Parihoa Farm. The whole evening encapsulated everything I’m feeling about the brand right now. It’s a beautiful, architecturally designed home overlooking Muriwai beach. We hosted media over a four-course meal to present the winter collection, Perspective. Our table seated 25 guests and we dressed it in a black linen tablecloth adorned with a three-metre floral piece designed by MARKANTONIA, with black plates by Father Rabbit and the most incredible black Simon James candelabra. At the time I thought, what a beautiful wedding setting this would make!
juliettehogan.com | Photography, Delena Nathuran | Interview by Josie Steenhart
