A Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer displays a Tamsin Cooper
brooch. Photo by Luke Caldert.
Arrowtown fashion designer Tamsin Cooper has landed a
deal she calls a career "milestone" after being asked by the
Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) to design a range of
accessories.
It is the first time the RNZB has commissioned a fashion
designer to design a product specifically for the company.
Ms Cooper, who is known for her silk embroidered accessories,
said she was "extremely honoured and delighted" to have been
approached by the RNZB.
She was first contacted by the company about the deal at the
end of last year, although she had sold her main line of
products through the company before.
The range of 17 specialty products will go on sale in the
next few days both online and in retail stores.
The range includes brooches, hair-ties, compact mirrors,
necklaces and clutch bags, all of which will be
hand-embroidered with small pink ballet pumps.
The deal is a sponsorship arrangement in that Ms Cooper will
design and manufacture the items and a percentage of the sale
will go to the RNZB.
Ms Cooper said the deal would give her a fantastic audience
with both balletgoers and young ballet dancers and, in turn,
the ballet company would get exposure where it would not
normally, in fashion design stores.
"As many young girls do, I learnt to dance and dreamed
vividly of becoming a ballerina. This exciting design
collaboration has allowed me to realise part of this dream."
RNZB general manager Amanda Skoog said she had been thinking
for some time about how the company could benefit from new
partnerships.
"Tamsin is the perfect fit - elegant but fun - offering New
Zealand-designed product of the highest quality.
"We are very excited with this new collaboration and feel it
is unique."
Ms Cooper said the deal meant a new revenue stream for her
company in what is a difficult time for all businesses.
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