14 Apr 2024

Kate Sylvester talks exclusively about the end of an era

From Sunday Morning, 9:40 am on 14 April 2024

In a shock move after 31 years in the industry, fashion designer Kate Sylvester is walking away from the eponymous brand.  

Kate Sylvester has been a mainstay of the New Zealand fashion industry for more than 30 years.

Kate Sylvester has been a mainstay of the New Zealand fashion industry for more than 30 years. Photo: Supplied: Kate Sylvester

From its origins in the 90s as a subversively feminist streetwear brand, Kate Sylvester is one of a handful of homegrown fashion houses to have stood the test of time.  

Kate reflects on the early days of building the brand with her partner Wayne Conway, with “nothing more than wild faith in each other and a dream”.  

Wayne Conway and Kate Sylvester

Photo: Kate Sylvester