Rebekah Louis is a Wellington-based designer creating environmentally conscious and long-lasting hair accessories. Louis started as an accountant, working for two and half years following her degree in accounting and marketing. However, the yearning to delve into her creative side was always present.
“I had never planned to come out as an accountant, but at the time, it felt like the most sensible and secure thing to do,” Louis stated. Despite her creative inclination, Louis doesn’t regret her time in accountancy, the learning proving useful in creating her own business and gaining life-long friendships.
Louis’ grandparents migrated to New Zealand as market gardeners and moved on to create their fruit shop. A family of entrepreneurs, her parents also owned a variety of businesses throughout Louis’s childhood; Louis has always had the desire to start a business of her own.
While claw clips were returning to fashion in Europe, they still needed to see a resurgence in popularity in New Zealand. Louis noticed the available options were too few and of low quality.
“When I tried to find some [claw clips] for myself that could hold up my thick, long and silky Asian hair, the only options were cheap ones from the chemist that was either black or brown and snapped very quickly.”
Louis decided that she would take charge of solving her problem. The aim was simple: create hair clips that were durable, high-quality, and functional to hold up Louis’s hair while also being pretty.
“When I launched in August 2019, I realised I had tapped into a gap in the NZ market with the reception I got.”
The success of her launch has allowed Louis to expand on the selection of accessories she designs. Her collections now include headbands, scrunchies, hair forks, and combs. The high quality of her hair clips is the centre point of her designs. Each clip is made from cellulose acetate, diverging between Buttermilk clips and cheaper value made from plastic.
“Our material is built to bend. With a bit of force applied, either from being at the bottom of your bag or accidentally stepped on, our claws don’t break as plastic ones do.”
The designer finds joy in seeing her claw clips worn in public. Her clip's success affirmed to Louis to follow her gut when she brainstorms or finds inspiration online for her next idea. Avoiding mainstream trends, Louis chooses to honour her style and the designs she likes, which often include her family's and friends' tastes.
Louis admits her style evolves, and the clips naturally follow suit. However, Louis makes clear the importance of the inclusivity of her product.
“Buttermilk is for every girl, so I’ve got to think: is there enough variety of colourways among the different hair claw styles because some girls have finer, thicker or longer hair? Some may want to wear more neutral pieces and others a statement, or both.”
Inclusivity in her product design has led the designer to name her products after those close to her whom she could see wearing different designs. However, Louis is firm on not getting stuck on what may or may not be liked, which ultimately leads away from authenticity:
“I think you sometimes get stuck thinking, will my customers like this? Will they think this is cool? There is an element of this that is important, but ultimately you should follow your gut.”
Louis likens it to her favourite influencers on social media, and the trespass of coming across as lacking authenticity leads to a loss of followers and those enjoying your products.
“If I love my creations, I know that will show through.”
Louis’s upcoming adventure to the UK inspires Louis’s February collection, with beach neutrals, blues, and yellows to be spotted throughout. The young designer hopes to successfully break into the UK market with Buttermilk and one day works full-time through Buttermilk.
In the meantime, Louis will return to accountancy for a brief stint to fund her exciting European adventure.
