In Conversation with Karangahape's Favourite Crush

NEWS | STYLE

Written by Elle Daji (she/her) | @ellemnopow | Contributing Writer

I can’t name one person who hasn’t been mesmerised by the colourful and plentiful delights on offer at the ethical concept store Crushes. Even my dad thinks it’s cool. Home to over sixty local artists, artisans and lovingly selected second-hand apparel, Crushes has become a second home for vintage lovers. A unique community has formed around the store with the introduction of the ‘Crushes Social Club’ events. They have created a space where rangatahi can make meaningful connections and grow their community.

I was lucky enough to speak to co-owner Rose about the inspiration for her store, sustainability and all things stylish.

Do you mind telling me a little bit about the Crushes origin story?

In 2011, it was cool to go to craft markets on the weekend. Handmade goods and vintage clothing were paired up in markets all the time. So, when I met my business partner Sarah, who lived above a shop space, we wondered, ‘if we started a business, what would it be?’ And then we thought, ‘what if there was a craft market open all the time?’ Then, the makers wouldn’t have to manage their stalls all day. And it’s more common now to see people combine the two. The people who buy locally made also want to buy vintage. They care about what they buy and where it’s made.

What advice would you have for anyone still finding their footing with personal style?

What I think is special about vintage clothing is that you have everything available to you from every era or every style. It’s not about micro trends. Style can be whatever you wish, just due to the existing scale or library of clothes. By simply introducing one preloved piece into your wardrobe that is unique in itself, just by how second-hand clothes collaborate with the rest of your wardrobe. You are creating your own personal style through that simple act. When you grab something that piques your interest, you might have no idea how you could style it. That starts so many fun new moments as you explore different possibilities. I’m not super interested or motivated by brands. Getting something niche that gets you excited or scared is a good base place.

When selecting vintage, how do you know something will fit within the Crushes brand?

We have never been about fitting into any specific era. We are solely motivated by what would fit into a modern wardrobe. As lovers of fashion, when we see a piece, we often already know the reference and can say, ‘this is so Prada 2004.’ We see the customers who come to the store, who are our crushes, who are our muses, and we think, ‘this person is so going to love that.’ It’s this relationship that becomes an intimate knowledge of your own community.

Crushes has its own brand; what is the creative process for making a new offering?

Often, I or someone else will come up with an idea, and then Sarah will find all the parts that are ethical and suitable and bring all the tiny parts together. And then our team makes it. For a product like that [referring to the Barby Word x Crushes tees], we think about how we can work with local artists to create something new out of existing materials.

Due to our values and sustainability, we are often motivated by what we can find. For example, for the glass heart charm necklaces in the vending machine, we knew of a local glass maker and asked, ‘what could they make, and how could we take it to the next level?’ So, we added these vintage trims to the charms and included an in-store activation. And it’s a real collaboration with the team. There's a lot of communication, a lot of back-and-forths, and not a lot of planning; it's really off the cuff. We aren’t really like other brands because we are not trend forecasting; we are simply thinking, ‘Would I buy that? Would my friends buy that?’

You’ve done some styling for some iconic Tāmaki Makaurau locals; how do you go about creating a look?

We are lucky enough to know heaps of creatives. When they need something special, they send us some references, and we start sourcing fabric. We create an upcycled piece and/or a couture moment because, at the end of the day, it is a piece of art for one person for one purpose. It’s informed by what we can find. It’s mainly Mima (@Mimamadeit). In terms of our recent work, we styled Atarangi for Nympho!

At the core of crushes identity, there is this idea of sustainability. How do you balance this with being a store?

There’s huge tension with being a store owner. It made me question a lot as you learn about manufacturing, emissions and freight. But where I resolved it was that the world isn’t going to change. What the world needs is the people who are going to make the best possible choices. For all of our apparel, we never use anything new; we thrift vintage blanks, fabric or deadstock. There’s never a time where we have not done that. It is the worst business model because you have to wait before you can source anything second-hand. So if you ask me, two thumbs up for that.

In terms of NZ-made and giftware, we have no industry; everything we had from the 80s, after opening up for globalisation, was underpriced and killed. So what I love is stocking NZ-made people. Yeah, they might need to source things from overseas, like glass sand for a tumbler and the gas for the kiln, but they are making it here, and if you want to support the manufacturing, you have to help the people making it. Even though we sell New Zealand made, there is no such thing as 100% NZ made, due to the lack of industry.

What would you say to people who say shopping sustainably is not for those suffering economic hardship?

It's not consumers’ fault if you ask me. It should be the businesses putting in the mahi and making positive decisions. If you are struggling financially, have a bigger body, or have a huge family, you go and make whatever decision you need. But I bet you catch the bus, I bet you compost. Consumers should not deal with the guilt; businesses should simply do better. The only problem I would have is needless overconsumption. Our whole thing is changing hearts and minds about consumerism and providing an alternative.

A real community around crushes has flourished; how has this become such a hub of community, and how does it feel to have cultivated this environment?

Oh, I have no idea. I think every subculture has its spaces, right? So Karangahape is a place for students and people that like alternative living, similar to a third space. I do think there’s a little bit to be said about the brand that you put out there, and then people are willing to get involved, whether that’s a double tap engagement or turning up to an event. Ever since the beginning, we have just wanted to be unpretentious. In high school, I could never walk into a store without feeling cool enough. And it's that anxious feeling when you're walking home, and you want to pop in and see what's cool but feeling unworthy. In our first space, we had a couch, cookies, and board games; our business model has always been that we want this to be somewhere people can stay and be.

Though we don’t have the couch, we do have the events. And the person we put online is the same person you’ll see with me and my friends on a Friday night. It's always been about authenticity and community, and I want to say welcoming. Someone used to say we’re ‘irreverent, silly and clearly not in it for the money.’ We just want to have a good time and not take life too seriously.