Designer Highlight - Jeanine Clarkin

This year in March, The Syndicate attended the Global Indigenous Runway which was held at the Goldfields Theatre of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The runway celebrated Indigenous culture through fashion with a selection of both Emerging and Established Designers.
​
There were the couture evening gowns from Murrii Quu, native florals of Lavashe Couture and a particular favourite for our team was the use of vintage blankets cleverly crafted into one-off pieces that transcended the runway.  We learnt that Jeanine was inspired to create her designs as blankets were a symbol of colonisation and currency which appealed to her environmental and sustainable conscience.   A woollen blanket was an item traded for land. It is one of the first gifts of colonisation for Maori people. 
 
The combining of blankets, luxury, slow and sustainable fashion, unique design and ultimate craftsmanship first came to our attention with Danish Designer Marit Ilison who used woven jacquard pieces and raw cut edges within her conceptual ‘Longing for Sleep’ collection.
 
NZ Designer Jeanine Clarkin has had a life-long love of fashion and founded her eponymous label in 1994 she works from her studio on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of Auckland. Her unique design style draws from her Maori culture and enjoyment of travel and art. During her career she’s also been a costume designer for dance and theatre, a fashion show producer and creative director as well as a curator for art exhibitions. Jeanine showed at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019 together with designer Shona Tawhaio in a group show called AHO supported by Auckland Council. Jeanine’s beautiful designs are a clever blend of the past and present in a delightful rainbow of hues that brought a lot of joy and vibrancy to the runway.  As New Zealand went into a Level 4 lockdown we have been following Jeanine’s creative journey during isolation.