WW2 bunker venue for fashion launch

UNDONE designers Rachel Webb (left) and Elise Barnes will hold their debut collection launch in a...
UNDONE designers Rachel Webb (left) and Elise Barnes will hold their debut collection launch in a World War 2 bunker, in Dunedin, this month. Photo by Craig Baxter.
The raw, edgy, feel of a World War 2 bunker makes it the perfect place for Dunedin fashion label UNDONE to launch.

The high-end women's street-wear label, which channels the attraction of opposites, was established by Otago Polytechnic graduates Rachel Webb and Elise Barnes earlier this year.

"We describe it as a collaboration based on the opposites of design ... we bring a feminine and androgynous design to the table," Miss Webb said.

The label consists of two parts, one side is a bespoke range which features "handworked pieces" such as knitted leather and re-worked vintage biker jackets, while the other is more commercial and changes with each season.

Its debut collection will be launched on September 23 in a bunker underneath their Bond St studio, and will also feature work by photographer James Stringer, and sculptor Renee Hope.

Building owner Dr Hayden Cawte believed the bunker was installed in the 1901 structure in 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, as a refuge centre for the building's office workers.

A full water reticulation system to allow water to be pumped in and out of the space, along with shelving for rations, still remained.

"I don't know of any other purpose-built bunkers [in Dunedin]," he said.

The designers were looking forward to launching the label, the creation of which had involved much hard work and a "big learning curve".

Despite the challenges, they were determined to keep all production local, and had been sewing everything themselves between working part-time to fund the label.

"We like the idea of being loyal and we are quite loyal to New Zealand," Miss Barnes said.

By keeping production onshore, it was also easier to monitor the quality of the garments and keep the standard high.

Their next step was to gain stockists in Dunedin and throughout the country and "have a following".

- ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz

 

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