Fire disaster fails to get designer down

It is a case of third time unlucky for Dunedin fashion designer Sara Aspinall, who lost 70% of her summer stock in an Invercargill factory fire this week.

The Company of Strangers designer had her first collection stolen from an Auckland showroom in 2004, and garments destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes.

But the latest setback, involving the loss of fabric from overseas worth more than $20,000, has not deterred the business owner.

She shed a few tears when told of the fire at Land South Apparel, before springing into action to rectify the situation.

"There's nothing you can do about it. It's gone. You can have a big tantrum but that's not going to help," she said.

Mrs Aspinall ordered replacement fabric for the 380 garments destroyed at the Invercargill factory and organised for a Dunedin clothing manufacturer to recreate the bulk of her collection.

She was lucky her fabric agent had extra stock on hand, and the Dunedin firm adjusted its schedule to fit her in at the last minute.

"We are usually scrambling to get enough fabric as it is, and it can take up to two months to arrive. It's amazing." Mrs Aspinall was insured and hoped a payout would at least cover fabric costs.

Her small business needed the collection to survive, she said.

"If we don't remake everything, we wouldn't have any money to keep going. Everyone thinks we must make a lot of money because a jacket retails for hundreds of dollars, but the margins are actually quite small.

"Everything is made in New Zealand because quality is important to us and we want to keep it local, but that's more expensive," she said.

Her summer line, initially due in stores this month, should be available in September.

A box of dresses delivered from the factory before the blaze would be in stores sooner.

Mrs Aspinall said most of her stock in Invercargill was almost complete and due to leave the factory when the fire occurred.

"The majority of our stuff had been cut and was being made or had been finished and was in boxes waiting for the courier to pick up the next day," she said.

Company of Strangers was showing at New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland early next month, for which all garments were intact.

Queenstown designer Claire Brinsley, of label Claire Bloom, lost about 40 dresses, a few patterns and some fabric in the fire. The bulk of her summer collection had already been distributed.

- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz