Stella Swney has always been inspired by her mother and her clothing brand Briarwood.
"Although our brands are quite different, I've always been motivated by her commitment to following her dreams and building her own community, which has encouraged me to do the same."
Now, the designer and owner of Stella Claire, Swney is proud to have created a brand that creates "thoughtful fashion for the colourful and wonderful," focusing on waste minimisation, using fabric sourced from companies that prioritise the planet's wellbeing and making the clothing locally.
"Sustainability is a huge focus at Stella Claire as it is a pressing conversation within the fashion industry," said Swney.
Although Swney has always been interested in fashion, design and the arts, her label Stella Claire began during the Covid lockdowns with a pair of pants she sold through Instagram to help pass the time.
"I have never worked so hard as I did in those early days. I was inspired to create a brand that was not just about selling clothes, but also an uplifting community that could re-write the narrative of how the fashion industry operates," commented Swney.
Her label quickly took off, which took Swney by surprise as she had minimal knowledge on running a business at the time. Although she was in her second year of tertiary study, Swney felt that opening up a brand was the best business degree one could obtain.
Now, Stella Claire is backed by a team in Auckland's Grey Lynn, who all share Swney's commitment to providing ethical and environmentally-friendly alternatives to fast fashion.
Her production lane is also based in Auckland, an achievement Swney is particularly proud of.
"Local manufacturing is great because we can foresee ever step of the process, while also supporting other local, like-minded businesses in the New Zealand fashion industry."
Her design process usually begins with an idea sparked by conducting trend research, Swney's Pinterest mood boards, or late night brainstorms. The idea then undergoes the pattern making process and trial-and-error process of creating the perfect sample. Once the sample and pattern have been perfected, the garment is pattern graded to build a size range and sent off to Swney's cutters, who are just located up the road, before being shipped out for production to the label's small team of makers.
Although she says that the fashion industry can be difficult to break into, the process for her has been a phenomenal experience.
"Our goal will always to be to create a product that marries the creative with durability and sustainability. I want to continue growing my engagement with our customer base, who also share my vision of creating and wearing products that will last for years to come. Despite the inevitable difficulties ahead, I look forward to facing those challenges because I believe in what I'm doing and why I'm doing it."
Following the success of her pop-up store in Ponsonby Central, Swney hopes to open up a retail space of her own in the future. She also plans to expand her offerings internationally, while still maintaining a focus on local manufacturing.
