Amy Parsons-King discovers three Dunedin designers who have found a balance between home and work life.
Imagine getting up to go to work in the morning and finding you didn't even have to leave the comfort of your own home, let alone get out of your pyjamas.
That's the reality for the Dunedin designers behind Clothes I've Made, Aunty and Melanie Child, who have all chosen to work from home rather than a studio.
Despite a report by global workplace provider Regus, which surveyed 22,000 workers across more than 100 countries including New Zealand, and discovered only one-third found working from home productive, these fashion designers have found a harmonious balance between home and work life.
Richie Boyens, of Clothes I've Made, started his label from the bedroom of his family home before moving to his studio ''Above Ground'' in Moray Pl in late 2012.
''I moved my studio out of my parents' house for a few reasons. I saw lots of my friends around me struggling to afford spaces to create and I wanted to be able to provide them with a space where we could create, sell and collaborate,'' Boyens said.
Boyens initially signed a one-year lease at Above Ground but stayed on for three, sharing the premises with a variety of other creatives including Louise Clifton, Scarlett Jewellery, Zac Fay, Henry Devereux and The Vintage Dress Company.
In the summer of 2015 Boyens found the direction of his business had changed and it was time to close Above Ground, so he moved his workroom home. He now works from a converted garage where he does all the designing, sampling and screen-printing of his label.
''I really enjoy not having the pressure of having to open the shop every day. It really took away from what I'm trying to do with the label. I also like the fact there's no outside influences or distractions and I'm in my most comfy environment - my home.
The only bad thing is that I really have to push myself to get out there and socialise and network with other people,'' he said.
Dallas Cunningham runs several fashion-based businesses from the downstairs flat in her St Clair home, including Aunty - a women's-wear label co-run by her niece, Dallas Synnott, Young Pups, a range of childrenswear which she runs with her daughter, Loren, and a ready-to-wear business.
Cunningham has a long history working in various roles and environments in the fashion industry and co-founded her first clothing business, St Clair Design, with business partner, Lana Neumegen, in 1995.
The pair worked from their Bond/Jetty St workroom, before shifting to George St, until they closed the business in 2012.
Cunningham started Aunty soon after from her home studio.
Over the years she has worked for large clothing manufacturers with hundreds of employees, as well as small close-knit workrooms. However, she finds working from her own home the most enjoyable working environment.
''It wasn't financially feasible to rent a workroom when we started Aunty and because I had the unused flat in my house it made sense to set up the workroom there.
''Although it can be quite isolating working from home, on the days I do work I usually meet my machinist [Christine] for a coffee at a local cafe. This is a good way to get out and about and show people the clothing we make,'' Cunningham said.
While she has a lot of freedom, Cunningham said it took discipline and focus to work from home.
''You can get easily distracted being at home, like if it's a sunny day I'll think 'oh, I'll hang the washing out'. That's why it's important to stay on task.
''I'm big on lists and make one each day for Christine and I. We work like anyone else would, having set breaks and start and finish times,'' Cunningham said.
Melanie Child is an ethical Dunedin-based designer whose self-titled clothing label sees her creating garments predominately from quality pre-loved clothing.
She moved from Christchurch to Dunedin to study fashion design at Otago Polytechnic in 2009 and launched her label in 2012.
Over the course of her career, Melanie has worked in rented and home-based studios, depending on what best suited her lifestyle at the time. However, when she became a mother she decided to move home so she could establish her label, while also raising her daughter.
''I've always liked working in a studio, but I've found with having a toddler it's too difficult to get into the workroom and that I'll be more productive working from home. So two weeks ago I moved my studio from None Gallery, where I'd been for the past two years to my house,'' Melanie said.
Her workroom is now located in a large, sun-saturated room in her quirky Northeast Valley villa.
She's set up with everything she needs to design, draught and sample her ranges and is working on a 10-piece collection she's entering in a Canberra-based fashion competition called Fash Fest next month.
''At the moment working from home suits my lifestyle. I love the independence of creating my own hours and that I can not only be with my daughter but also making clothing.
''The only downfall with having my workroom at home is that I feel It can be viewed as a less professional space having clients come in to the home instead of a commercial premise, but the rest of the house can be shut off from the studio and the overheads are lower, which is perfect for a small business. I can get a bit of cabin fever too but other than that I'm most comfortable here and it's where I find I'm most creative,'' she said.
