Founded in 2015 by surfing buddies Dan Gosling, Luke Harwood and Marc Moore, New Zealand fashion brand Stolen Girlfriends Club spawned from the latter’s eponymous art show ten years before. Mind you, Moore had launched the improv project while recovering from a surfing injury to keep himself busy. So, without any formal training in fashion, the three friends set out to establish a fashion brand with an irreverent rock ‘n roll edge, and it has gone leaps and bounds ever since. Based in Auckland, Stolen Girlfriends Club manages two stores in the city, and now, its retail operations see a major boost with the expansion to the country’s capital Wellington. Situated in the downtown Te Aro neighbourhood, the store occupies a 150 sqm. (1,615 sq.ft.) unit in a low-rise structure on the corner of Victoria and Bond Streets which previously housed a restaurant.
The interior design of Stolen Girlfriends Club‘s newest outpost, a collaborative effort of Moore, brand partner Alt Group and acclaimed New Zealand-based architecture and design practice Jasmax, aims to reflect the brand’s independent spirit and vibe. Interestingly, the brand’s collection release parties, which over time have achieved mythological status among its fanbase, were a key design driver. The building’s original floor-to-ceiling windows are for the most part obscured by large panels, as if an underground club, but slot apertures reveal tightly prescribed interior peeks. Smooth and black on the outside, the panels reveal an undulating surface clad with a textured silver foil on the inside.
Combined with pitch black flooring and an exposed, whitewashed ceiling, the silvery volumes truly stand out, providing a highly dramatic backdrop, but it’s one that still allows the merchandise on display to pop. A refreshing dash of colour is captured by the soft pink interior of the two spacious dressing rooms. Bespoke display objects include shelves of stainless steel that cut through the curving walls like blades, and a sinuous ceiling-mounted garment rail that wraps through the space. Needless to say, the space is totally worthy of a debaucherous, late night shindig, or in true company parlance—collection release party. The new outpost of Stolen Girlfriends Club stocks the brand’s full range of apparel, footwear and jewellery pieces.
Stolen Girlfriends Club
98 Victoria Street (Te Aro)
Wellington 6011
Telephone: +64 4 2101676
Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm
Sun 10am-4pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
