New Zealand fashion brand French Freddie showcased its 2022 collection, that was meant to debut at New Zealand Fashion Week, at an intimate event at Ponsonby Central last month.
With masked models and guests, the show still went on but under tight Covid protocols and in a much more relaxed style.
Still a relatively new label, French Freddie was launched in 2018 by an Auckland mother and daughter trio on a mission to help New Zealand women achieve effortless elegance.
It was a lifelong dream of Susan Herbert to create her own fashion line – she had worked in the fashion industry for years, but was challenged to find tops that suited her lifestyle and were flattering. But it was while her daughters were living in Paris in 2014; fashion designer Ashley Herbert and marketing expert Courtney Schwartz, that the trio gleaned inspiration for the business.
Effortlessly chic Parisian women became their muse, and the sisters returned home to New Zealand to develop French Freddie along with their fashion-savvy mother. It didn’t take much brainstorming for the trio to land on the brand’s name. It pays homage to French women and Freddie Mercury/Queen, Susan’s favourite artist.
Specialising in beautifully designed shirts, tops and jackets, French Freddie solves a problem many women face – the challenge to find versatile and flattering upper garments to pair with jeans, trousers and skirts. At just 28, Ashley designs all the pieces with an innate attention to detail and elevated elegance well beyond her years.
The French Freddie range is refined to 12 limited edition shirts, tops and jackets. These are released annually, ensuring women can carefully curate their closets with coveted pieces that embrace style, comfort and professionalism. The garments are constructed with incredible attention to detail, visible in uniquely designed and delicate textiles and embellishments, including buttons, sleeves, zips, collars and stitching, a French Freddie signature that their loyal fan base loves. (HELENE RAVLICH)
Published 4 March 2022