Augustine International was born because I couldn’t find it anywhere!!!
“It” being the clothes that I wanted to wear personally, different pieces that stood out and spoke for themselves. Pieces that made you have to buy them, made you feel sexy, confident, funky, unique and feminine without the guilt of an outlandish price tag.
Through pure frustration and an undying obsessive love of fashion, I set out to create my own label that catered for all these needs.
From a very young age I knew I had the fashion ‘gene’. When I was 5 I put on the best dress and cardigan I owned and went outside to play in the mud with the belief that we shouldn’t wait for a special occasion just to dress up, and I was 7 when I pulled down my Nana’s net curtains and made my own full length wedding dress. This passion grew into an obsession and through the years I have taken to collecting clothes as some kind of an art form.
I have found inspiration in second hand shops, market stalls, international catwalks, magazines, travelling through foreign countries and cultures and just sitting and watching women walk down the street.
By the time I was 25 I was the Brand Manager of one of New Zealand’s biggest clothing manufacturers, which I truly loved, but I wanted more. I wanted my own label, to create clothing that allowed me to dress exactly the way I wanted to. To find a way to create the millions of images that race around in my head and turn them into reality. So combined with my husbands brilliant business mind we began Augustine International.
For those that have felt this same frustration of not being able to buy something different and special within a reasonable price bracket, I hope I have created something that fills this void for you.
I shall continue to bring you 3 collections a year that through their own unique handwriting scream at you to buy them and make you feel a million dollars.
You will only find Augustine in the finest boutiques in New Zealand and Australia and each piece will be from a small production run so you will never feel you are wearing a piece from a chain store that everyone else has.
I can also promise you now that I will never show a collection full of black and muted tones. Augustine will always be a rainbow of colour, fresh and vibrant. Why blend in when you can stand out???
So happy shopping, I look forward to smiling to myself when I see a complete stranger wearing my label and looking fabulous, that’s what makes it worth it.
Love yourself,
Love Augustine.
xx Kelly Coe
Augustine Director and Designer.