In a world of faster-than-fast-fashion the ever long dream of buying beautiful forever clothes all too often comes undone at the sight of an affordable, lightning-quick, as-seen-on-celebs garment. The waters are muddied and resolves go weak when dropping hard-earned cash on what we actually want vs the quick fix of spending just a little bit of money on something on-trend and charmingly limited in wearability and durability. When looking to balance expert craftsmanship and enduring design with a reasonable price point and striking silhouettes, it seems as though never the twain shall meet.

Enter Layplan.

In a delightful meet-cute, long time friends Lavinia Ilolahia and Talia Soloa formed their friendship as strangers on a bus on the way to the same museum while both studying fashion design at Massey University in Wellington. They instantly bonded over a love of the creative.

This two woman, North Island-based brand is doing things differently and we spoke with them to find out how they’re returning to simplicity and why, even as they grow, that will stay at the core of the brand’s philosophy.

As hinted at by the name, the duo are making all their garments from scratch, in one colour and one fabric once each order is placed, turning their backs on the relentless churn-out of product we’ve come to expect - even demand - when shopping contemporary fashion.

When making clothes for themselves turned into countless requests from friends asking for dresses for birthdays and 21sts, they found themselves running a small business from home which, in the last two years, has bloomed. And, as its profile rises, it has triggered a change of perception when it comes to the fashion mindset of millennials and Generation Z - a shopper more used to next day delivery, affordable dupes and uber-trendy fashion than any other.

Given the demographic, it’s unsurprising that social media has played a significant role in connecting designer and customer; facilitating a conversation between the two to ensure the latter gets exactly what they want - a service usually reserved for a more elite clientele, associated with a world of haute couture.

But, as Talia points out that while it feels new to this generation, this is a way of working and shopping that is a throwback to traditionalism. “We’re not trailblazers in this way, it’s definitely in our backyard. You may have your aunty doing custom work or smaller businesses doing Islandwear.” Lavinia agrees, “What we do have is social media. It’s allowed us to share our story and push it out in a way that’s personal to us - it helps Layplan stand out and show the customer how we work”.

And how they work, is slow. Or, rather not slow at all but what we’ve come to call slow because it doesn’t arrive on our doorstep the very next morning after buying it at 6pm the previous day.

“We make it clear to the customer that their piece will take two weeks to make” says Lavinia, “At least! We’re two people, we make it all ourselves and as we grow the team, we hope to keep it this way” Talia chimes in. And this is because that’s how long it takes to make a beautifully constructed, handsewn dress that is both current and classic, striking and versatile. Something most of us are guilty of forgetting or wilfully ignoring.

In addition, they work with deadstock fabric - fabric destined for waste due to oversupply or change of heart - meaning the pieces you buy aren’t available in different colours and prints, a deliberate choice and one that results from a close-knit supply chain. “We have a great relationship with our supplier and we work with him to select the best fabrics” says Lavinia, “and it’s much more fun this way” adds Talia, “this way we have to mix it up with every drop”.

I ask if they think that, while they might not consider themselves trailblazers, the New Zealand fashion landscape is following in their footsteps, they hint at a ‘maybe’. Lavinia notes “I know a few designers have quietly moved to made-to-order in some parts of their business, COVID may have had something to do with this as it affects global supply”.

In the not-too-distant future, the garments will be able to be made to order once the website allows for extra detail but customers are invited to reach out over Instagram or email if they’re looking for something bespoke right now.

When asked if they think it’s fair to say that the time it takes to make the piece is directly proportional to how long it will be worn and loved, they agree but also place emphasis on wearability. Lavinia explains, “it’s not necessarily about keeping it forever but about finding ways to style it, to get a lot of use out of it and then when it comes to the end of its life in your wardrobe, hopefully it will be lovingly passed on.”