Our People

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Our People

Our Kate Sylvester head office is based in Mount Eden, New Zealand. We have 19 staff members at our head office and a further 17 staff who manage our boutiques in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Kate Sylvester pieces are designed in house by Kate and a small design team. Print and colour are cornerstones of a Kate Sylvester collection and we work endlessly to ensure our prints are unique. We have an in-house team and gang of collaborators who work closely with Kate to develop seasonal prints and intricate Kate Sylvester development fabrics that you will never see elsewhere. The design team works closely with our in-house sampling team of pattern makers, sample cutters and two sample seamstresses to bring these designs to life. From the first toile to the final sample, many hands touch the garment to ensure the perfect fit for our customers. In 2015 we invested in Style CAD technology to map how a garment is cut to ensure minimal fabric waste. Once the final fitting is complete, the patterns and details of each garment are passed over to our Production team who work directly with our manufacturing partners in New Zealand and China. **Meet some of the wonderful people who help bring our Kate Sylvester garments to life!**
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Meet Tony who cuts our garments.

Auckland, New Zealand **Hey Tony, how long have you been in the industry?** I started in 1977 after school in a cutting room and started my apprenticeship in Dec '79. **What do you love most about your job?** The challenges, and seeing the finished garments looking fantastic. **What is the most challenging aspect of your job?** Time. Accessing fabric issues to customer standard.
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Introducing Lily, who makes toiles and samples at Kate Sylvester.

Auckland, New Zealand **How long have you been in the fashion industry?** Since I left tech, so about 37 years. **How long have you been working for Kate Sylvester and why do you like working here?** 7 years. I love the clothes and love the challenges of problem solving all the different styles. I also really enjoy working with the sample team. **What are your hobbies?** Playing tennis, cycling, walking, kayaking and fishing! **What is your favourite type of garment to sew?** Jackets and coats are really satisfying. Anything with a challenge. I really like making a garment with new details and a bit of variety. Every season brings new exciting designs to look forward to.
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Meet Miss Jia, she QCs Kate Sylvester garments and manages her garment production team.

Nantong, China **Hey Miss Jia, how long have you been in the fashion industry?** Over 10 years **How long have you been working for this factory?** 5 years **What are your hobbies?** Hairstyling – I change my hairstyles all the time! I also enjoy shopping, playing Badminton and watching sports. **Tell us about your family?** I have two lovely daughters, aged 11 and 14. **What is your favourite type of garment to sew?** Dresses
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​​Meet Kirsty who manages Production at Kate Sylvester.

Auckland, New Zealand **How long have you been in the industry?** I have been in the industry for 14 years, including 5 years in London, and took a brief break to have Luka (2.5 years old now and my little boss-man). **What do you love about garment production?** After experiencing many different roles in the fashion industry, both here and in the UK, I figured out that my strengths lie within Production / behind the scenes. I love the challenges that Production brings – I am obsessed with strategy planning and systems, and love sharing my passion for pivot tables. I love working with such an inspiring gang of people at KS, and feel very fortunate to also work with some incredibly talented and passionate people within the local manufacturing scene. **What are your hobbies?** I love to travel. My favourite city is NYC – such a cool energy that exists there. This is also where I got engaged – in Central Park, a bit of a cliché, but very romantic nonetheless! In my “down-time” I like to be active – a relaxing yoga practice, or an intense game of indoor netball, or just dancing like a crazy loon to loud dance music with Luka. I am passionate about health and wellbeing, and am currently embarking on a journey to lead a more simplistic and minimal lifestyle.
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​​Introducing…. Mr Lv who makes our patterns.

Jiang Shu, China **How long have you been in the industry?** 30 years **How long have you been working for this factory?** I've been here for 6 years. **What are your hobbies?** Watching movies, Singing – old Chinese songs and Karaoke (the singer of the factory on nights out!) **What is your favourite type of garment to sew?** High fashion womenswear

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