New Zealand made brand Staple + Cloth was originally Kingan Jones, which was taken over and rebranded by Sharyn Condon in 2013. Working with Fiona Fong on designs, Condon is the brand’s owner and managing director, and her wealth of industry experience and business knowledge is helping fuel the brand’s rapid growth.
Condon’s childhood was filled with travels, from Auckland to Borneo to the States, which incited her love of fabrics, and inspired her endlessly. Subsequent inspiration came from teenage years spent in a small designer boutique owned by her aunt in Auckland, and hours spent at her sewing machine creating her own outfits. After high school, Condon left New Zealand to study fashion design in London which exposed her to a cross-section of fashion industry roles working at a fabric store in SoHo. Back on home shores, Condon worked with Claire Kingan-Jones for seven years, before taking over the iconic Kiwi brand. Rebranding Kingan Jones with a name describing two of her loves - staple clothing items, and beautiful cloth - was a natural step.
Staple + Cloth has definitely benefitted from Condon’s business savvy skills. Adamant that a fashion label needs to exist holistically across multiple channels - physical stores, social media and online - Condon sees the immeasurable value in blending these channels to reach as many customers as possible, as well as creating the best value for consumers. Bricks and mortar stores offer consumers a tactile experience of the garments, which Condon knows her customers enjoy, as well as the convenience of being able to purchase online. This approach has worked well for the brand, with their flagship Ponsonby store, and a bevvy of retail stockists up and down the country. Additionally, Condon is passionate about the customer’s experience of the brand - from the store environment, to how they feel wearing their Staple + Cloth garments. Condon’s next goal is a second Auckland store and alignments with brand ambassadors. After that, she is eager to be stocked in Europe and Asia.
