Celebrating Community: The Shelter Wins Community Impact Award
The Shelter is proud to share its win in of the ‘Excellence in Community Contribution’ Award at the 2025 Auckland Business Awards – recognition that honors a decade-long commitment to nurturing the next generation of New Zealand designers.
Founded by Vicki Taylor, The Shelter was built on the belief that independent creativity is the backbone of Aotearoa’s fashion identity. This philosophy inspired the creation of the Emerging Designer Program – an incubator to elevate voices in New Zealand fashion - now a cornerstone of The Shelter’s purpose and community impact. Operating on an ethos of international growth, conscious production, and community investment. The Shelter believes fashion can be both commercially successful, yet deeply human, supporting the wider creative ecosystem.
New Zealand’s fashion landscape has long been defined by independent thinkers – designers who challenge form, process, and storytelling. Yet for many emerging designers, access to resources and visibility remains one of the greatest hurdles.
As a designer who built her brand from the ground up, Taylor saw firsthand the challenges emerging designers face: limited resources, minimal access to mentorship, and high barriers to retail and business costs. Rather than watch that talent disappear under the weight of industry pressures, she created a solution grounded in community and opportunity. “Our emerging designer program is a true passion project, born from the belief that New Zealand creates remarkable creatives, and that those of us who are established must share our knowledge so the next generation stands stronger.”
The award is not only a milestone for The Shelter, but a celebration of its entire fashion ecosystem. As The Shelter moves into its next decade, The Shelter reaffirms its mission: to cultivate the next wave of New Zealand designers and to continue building a fashion community defined by innovation, collaboration, and enduring local talent.
“This award belongs to our entire Shelter community – the designers for trusting us on their journey, and our team for sharing my passion. Thank you for championing these young designers and helping strengthen the next generation of New Zealand fashion.” – Vicki Taylor, Creative Director.
