Soeur Design Sponsors Southern Steel & Tactix

Soeur Design are very proud to sponsor the two South Island netball teams. The Southern Steel based in Invercargill and the Tactix based in Canterbury. Competition begins March 20th 2010, and is sure to be exciting. Watch out for the management and players wearing Autumn and Winter clothing from our exciting new range.

A Good Story...

Mother of the Bride comes into our Martinborough shop on Saturday at 3.30pm. Her daughter was getting married at 4.30pm and she had discovered in her panic to dress the daughter she had left her wedding outfit at home (in another part of New Zealand). She understandably was in a real panic and was shaking.


Lizzy our lovely assistant in the shop at the time took control – gave her a hug and then dressed her in our voltage trousers, burnout silk dress and a bellisimo. Husband loved it all the jewelry and shoes matched and away she went.very happy. The whole town is talking about it as apparently she looked gorgeous and very relaxed!

www.soeurdesign.com

What They're Wearing: Jodi Oloughlin

The Press, August 7, 2008

How do you wear the new season's styles? Zest goes to those in the know -- fashion-store sales consultants. When it comes to shopping, Jodi O'Loughlin likes to follow one fairly simple rule -- if you love it, buy it. "I think that's really important," she says. "Buy what you truly love, because then it shows a sense of who you are and it will easily fit in with your wardrobe. If you love it, it always works."

It is something O'Loughlin tries to pass on to other women in her role as a stylist at Soeur Design in Merivale. She also encourages them to try new looks and find a way to adapt the current trends, rather than just follow them. "That's what good style is all about," she says. "It's not about having to have all the latest trends. It's about creating a style that suits you and gives you a unique, signature look."

As a tall woman with a bit of a free spirit, O'Loughlin says the "luxe bohemian" look best sums up her style, and she tends to favour long, floaty, feminine pieces that are comfortable and easy to wear. She is also drawn to anything beaded and beautiful and says she is texture- oriented when it comes to clothing and shoes.


"I'm a magpie," she jokes. "I love beautiful fabrics, whether they're printed, screened or beaded." For this outfit, O'Loughlin has gone with a pair of flats from Overland, but says you will usually find her in beaded jandals or beautiful high heels.

Skinny pants also have a place in her wardrobe, and she says she can see why her black Soeur Design Voltage pants have been a top seller among the store's customers. "They're great -- they're comfortable and they're a natural fabric, so you can wash and wear them, and you're ready to go. We sell absolutely heaps of them."

Her silk-knit overdress and cotton shrug are also from Soeur Design, as are many items in O'Loughlin's wardrobe. She says she does not seek out designer labels, but she does like things by Yeojin Bae and Hussy, which she then mixes with pieces from a variety of stores. "I like non-predictable fashion, where you take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and bring it all together into one unique look," says O'Loughlin.

She does not buy into the idea that women can wear only certain styles up to a certain age, and says there is nothing wrong with trying new looks, as long as you adapt them to suit your body and lifestyle.

"Be open to change, but stay true to yourself," says O'Loughlin. "That way, you can't go wrong."

--Christina Kuntz

DRESS SENSE

Favourite colour?
I actually like pink, but I don't wear it. Isn't that funny? It doesn't always work that easily in your wardrobe, so I tend to go for neutrals, blacks and greys.

What do you have most of in your wardrobe?
I have an easy mix-and-match wardrobe -- obviously, a lot of Soeur Design clothes, and my favourite international labels would be Hussy and Yeojin Bae.

What was your most recent purchase?
A Yeojin Bae vintage kimono dress that I'm wearing to a family wedding on Waiheke Island this weekend.

What is the most useful item in your wardrobe?
These -- Soeur Design skinny Voltage pants. They're great under- tunic overdresses -- they give you that lean look. They're comfortable, they're natural fabric, they're trans- seasonal and they go right through from day to night.

How would you describe your style?
I would say it would be luxe bohemian. I like clothes that are flattering, easy to wear, feminine and individual.

Visit Jodi at the Soeur Design Concept Store or email her at jodi@soeurdesign.com

Soeur Design News

The Press Archives, April 9, 2000

Australian industrial style contrasts with traditional Chinese furniture and young artists' work at a new Merivale outlet. The metal-worker who once welded together a cabinet for use in a hospital would be surprised to see how it is regarded now: as a trendy cupboard for use in the home. The cabinet is among a range of industrial-style furniture attracting attention at Shop 188, a new retail outlet and gallery in Merivale.

The shop is a new venture for Soeur Design, which runs a women's fashion business, with its main premises just around the corner. It remains very much a family business ("soeur" is French for sister), and is run by Maria and Ann Tyrie. Maria's daughter, Kylie, and Ann's daughter, Jodi, also work in the business. As well as the cabinet, other items include storage shelves that were once a cobbler's rack, baker's trays, and unusual metal chairs from a church.


The furniture comes from old railway stations, schools, and many other industrial-type buildings. It has all been rescued from destruction, and has been turned into arty, alternative-looking furniture in Australia. "We're really excited with some of the products," says Kylie. "In the past, Christchurch people have been relatively conservative, but we think it's the young person's antiques.

"A lot of young people don't relate to Victorian or Georgian antiques. They want something that fits into an apartment." In its minimalist black-and-white setting, the industrial metal pieces contrast with red Chinese furniture, brought back in a container from a place near Shanghai, where Ann Tyree braved minus 20deg temperatures to go on a shopping trip.

All the furniture is from 50 to 100 years old. The pieces include chests, cabinets, a combination seat and basket for use in a rice field, and a dowry box. The timber is mostly Chinese elm, oak, rosewood, other kinds of fruitwood, and bamboo. It has all been fumigated and humidified to prevent it from warping in the New Zealand climate.

Its construction is exquisite, says Maria. No nails are used, just "post- and-pillar construction". Doors on an adapted TV cabinet open and shut effortlessly. A third component at Shop 188 is art work by up and coming artists, including students' work. "We felt that no-one was helping the artists," says Ann. "A lot of them go through, and what happens to them? They don't have a commercial outlet."

Shop 188 displays work that it believes is saleable. If a piece sells, the shop takes a small commission.

Hong Kong Key To China

Sisters Anne and Maria Tyrie have been travelling into Asia for years and through key contacts in the Chinese fashion manufacturing industry have built up their Christchurch business. Yesterday, the owners of fashion label Soeur Design and attached Merivale fashion house spoke to a Christchurch seminar on how to develop key relationships in Hong Kong, the gateway to mainland Asia.

They were keynote speakers at a seminar "Hong Kong - The key to doing business in China", along with Tony Baird, the managing director of Christchurch-based Eaton Corp, and Bonnie Shek, Australia- New Zealand director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Anne Tyrie said getting work done in China could be the right choice for the right type of garment. Asia generally had access to a wider range of fabrics and the manufacturers worked themselves to find a solution to problems.


They use New Zealand and Chinese manufacturers, but about 85 per cent of the work is done overseas. They work hard to keep a good relationship with key business contacts once they find them. "You do have to be careful they don't lose face. It's the same thing if we tell them (to change something), it's never their fault," she said.

They base their business from their Merivale shop, and also have a North Island shop in Martinborough as well as 35 agents who do showings to invited clients in regional New Zealand. Anne Tyrie adds "soeur" is French for sister and the company was established in 1989 in Christchurch.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise North Asia regional director Merv Stark said North Asia was New Zealand's largest trading region. "China has been the strongest of any of our major markets in recent years ... ," he said.

"We believe the North Asia region offers more opportunities for New Zealand's future growth than any other region. The proposed Free Trade Agreement between China and New Zealand will only increase these opportunities."

Making the Most of a Lifestyle Property

If life is for living, then sisters Ann Inglis and Maria Tyrie are masters of the art of living more than one life. Lifestyle one is in the heart of Merivale, running their successful concept store, Soeur Design.

Lifestyle two is lived side by side on a huge and private lifestyle block in North Canterbury. Lifestyle three is looking forward to producing their own private bin from a freshly planted vineyard on their property.


This will be producing one house red (pinot noir) and one house white (riesling) with a bit of help from the third Tyrie sister, Dawn, who together with her husband, Terry Wilson, owns Wanaka's celebrated Mount Maude vineyard. Finally, lifestyle four is often spent travelling the world sourcing the rare and the beautiful for Soeur Design.

Frankly, they should be in a state of collapse at the end of every week, but instead they fill their beautiful homes, just metres from each other, with friends and family most weekends. Busy weeks and busier weekends are part and parcel of a lifestyle for Inglis and Tyrie.

Their respective homes, filled with glorious works of the sisters' own art and photography, have been designed with considerable flair and an eye for minimising upkeep. These sisters see absolutely no point having a lifestyle property if they are unable to enjoy the accompanying lifestyle.

Their success in doing so comes as no surprise when you consider Inglis and Tyrie have been contributing to some seriously stylish lifestyles of others for almost 20 years now through their business. "Five years ago, we decided to contribute a bit more to ours and came out here," says Inglis.



"It's a perfect retreat, a place to spend with family and friends, and provides us all with some much- needed balance in our lives. We all value family enormously," adds Tyrie, "and the fact that we would be giving our grandchildren a taste of countryside was a factor in why we came out here to live." Their choice of location was settled with typical practical consideration.

It was exactly halfway between Christchurch and Soeur Design's shop in Merivale, and a 40ha olive investment block run by Tyrie's partner, Russell Lucas, and Inglis's husband, Ron. Equally fair was the way they decided who was going to live where on the property. After finding the 4ha block, the two families literally tossed for it.

Hence, when the coin fell, Tyrie and Lucas were dispatched to the left, and the Inglises to the right. Robert Weir, of Paul Foley Design, was responsible for the stunning home now occupied by the Inglises, while Rosemary Beckett, of Beckett and Fisher, project managed for Tyrie and Lucas.

In the interim, the two families flatted together at the back of the property. It is typical of this close family that when the Inglises' pavilion-style home was completed at Christmas, 2001, that everyone was still on speaking terms.

It probably helped enormously that as well as the sisters being close, Ron Inglis and Lucas are old friends from Dunedin's King College. The two homes are as different as they are similar. While both differ in layout, each makes superb use of the sun, private courtyard areas and polished concrete floors.

Both homes unfold seamlessly from the indoor to the outdoor living areas. The Inglis home has a long, low profile, allowing the Inglises their own space at one end, while visiting family are accommodated in style at the other end. "The big central living and dining area is where we all congregate," says Inglis.

Tyrie's and Lucas's home is a two- storey affair, with the master bedroom on the first floor with views to the gardens and paddocks. The first floor was also home to Tyrie's studio where she produced wonderful paintings, often working into the small hours.

Today, however, it has been commandeered by visiting family and overnight guests and is guarded, and occasionally patrolled, by Keith, possibly the largest black-and-white cat in North Canterbury, and certainly the fluffiest. Tyrie doesn't look like being able to reclaim her studio any time soon.

This is very much a lifestyle property developed with a family- oriented lifestyle in mind, and that includes Bailey the chocolate labrador and Murdoch the fox terrier. While each has his own home, Bailey to the right, Murdoch to the left, it is obvious that these dogs consider the property a shared concern where each feels equally at home regardless of whose home that happens to be. Very much, in fact, like their owners.

Soeur Design Reach 10 Years

SOEUR DESIGN In 10 years, sisters Maria and Ann Tyrie have seen their fashion company Soeur Design grow from a small two-woman operation to a nationwide business. In 1990, linen shirts were the mainstay. Today, there are four seasonal fashion ranges, a huge stock list, nearly 40 sales agents, and a retail store in Christchurch. Maria Tyrie believes networking has played a large part in the company's success.

"Before each season we travel overseas to check out styles, colours, fabrics," Maria says. "We have an in-house pattern-cutter/ designer, but the ideas are mostly ours. We get feedback from customers in the shop, from our agents via twice-yearly surveys, and we listen to our own younger generation." (Ann's daughter Jodi and Maria's daughter Kylie are both involved in Soeur Design.)


"We have learnt that if 10 people ask for a certain colour, for instance, we had better add it to the range -- and fast. This year has seen an interruption to the work schedule. Daughters Jodi and Kylie have both had babies, and Maria and Ann devote a working day each week to their grandchildren.

"Jodi and Kylie take over at the business and we do the baby Soeur thing," says Maria. Soeur Design has four separate seasons: summer, winter, midwinter and pre- Christmas. Garments are manufactured in China and New Zealand. Knitwear is made in Auckland and the company also uses cut- make-trim factories in Christchurch, Ashburton, and Temuka.

Family with Flair

The Press Archives, April 13, 2002

Art, colour, and exotic pieces enliven three sisters' homes.

Meet Maria, Ann, and Dawn, the three Tyrie sisters. Unlike the three sisters in Chekhov's play, they have no desire to "return to Moscow". All are happy in the South Island.

They all run thriving businesses, and although they have a third generation following in their footsteps, they are not ready to slow down.

Maria, the youngest sister, and Ann, the middle sister, own Soeur Design ("soeur" is French for sister), a Christchurch fashion, art, furniture, and design business.

They frequently visit South-East Asia and China in search for exotic furniture for their Merivale store, which also features New Zealand art.

Maria's daughter, Kylie, and Ann's daughter, Jodi, work for the business.

Art is what makes a home special, says Maria. All three sisters share a passion for art, which is evident in their homes.

Maria likes sketching and painting, especially doing charcoal nudes; Ann is

a photographer; and Dawn, the eldest sister, is a potter.

The three acknowledge the influence of their father, Harold Tyrie, a former Otago rugby representative and Empire Games competitor, who was a dedicated artist and craftsman. The sisters also shared sporting talents, in netball and athletics.

Dawn and her husband, Terry Wilson, a doctor, have established Mount Maude vineyard near Wanaka, and built a mud- brick house combining French provincial and Kiwi elements. Invercargill architect John McCulloch designed a home that "mellows into the hillside," says Dawn.

"We wanted something that would fit into the landscape, and look as if it had been here for a long time."

Ann and Maria and respective partners Ron and Russell variously own a service station and grow olives, and are establishing a boutique winery.

The two couples have built homes next to each other at Clarkville, just north of Christchurch. Each house is similar yet distinctive. "We travel together a lot and have similar tastes," says Maria.

Ann says it is the family that makes her home special. "I really love having one big entertainment area, so that we can all spill out on to the deck. To me, family is the most important thing in life."

Maria and Russell's house was built by David Reid Homes, while Ann and Ron's home was designed by Paul Foley Design and built by John Creighton.

Both houses make extensive use of Zincalume, a material that both sisters

feel is distinctly Kiwi. River boulders and native plants will enhance this feeling.

Inside, the walls are predominantly white, and the floors are polished concrete. Nightstore underfloor heating keeps each home warm.

Ann and Ron's home has a huge open- plan living area, while Maria and Russell's has smaller, more intimate areas separated by a cafe kitchen. Some walls are painted lemon ginger, very much an Asian colour.

Although these elements by themselves sound minimalist and restrained, art and exotic furniture in each home add colour and character.

Independent building project manager Rosemary Forbes, of Forbes- Beckett (page E6), helped Maria to create her home with minimal fuss.

"We really gelled, and she understood where I was coming from," says Maria. "She was a good listener.

"Perhaps the best thing about this house is that when I come back, I think `yay, it's warm, light, and sunny, and a

good family place'.

"We've all got really busy lives, and this is a bit of a haven."

Both houses feature a blend of artwork. Exciting works by up-and- coming and established New Zealand artists bring colour to the walls. One, by Christeena MacDonald, depicts the three sisters.

Turkish rugs and Chinese furniture bring an exotic touch. Furniture includes dowry boxes and carved chests, some centuries old, and a curvy Chinese Buddha chair. Some of the metal furniture was made by a Christchurch craftsman. Some is imported antique furniture.

"It is a meeting of both cultures," says Maria. "I think you can do that quite successfully now.

"It's like life. It's a combination of both things: where the four oceans meet."

Stylish Affordable Concept Shopping

For the Press, April3, 2001

Soeur Design has introduced concept shopping to Christchurch with the opening of its new store at 48 St Albans Street.

The exciting new retail experience is about lifestyle shopping, offering quality but affordable designer fashion for you and your home.

A warm, inviting ambience pervades the spacious new store, a fusion of fashion, furniture, and art. Customers are encouraged to browse at their leisure, taking time to tailor a new seasonal wardrobe and select pieces of furniture and art for their home which make a statement about their personality and lifestyle.

Soeur Design is where owners, sisters Ann and Maria Tyrie, their daughters Jodi O'Loughlin and Kylie Darling, and staff Aimee Stewart, Mary-Anne Adams, and Sue Foley-Flynn share with the discerning buyer a passion for the good things in life.

The boutique Soeur Design label follows fashion but offers its own fresh interpretation, recognising the lifestyle, colouring, figure proportions and style of New Zealand women.

"Fit, comfort, and style are the three key elements to our designs," they say.

Soeur Design's clothing is made in New Zealand and China, the label having gained a nation-wide reputation for quality and style at an affordable price. It is a label that appeals to women aged 18 to 94, a tribute to Ann and Maria's commitment to a high level of design and styling. The clothing is sold throughout New Zealand through a network of 50 agents and three retail outlets.

Fabrics, many of which are sourced from the world's fashion capitals, texture and colour, attention to detail, use of unusual/ interesting design elements, and quality finishing offer a point of difference with the Soeur Design label.

Mid-winter stock arriving includes a black velvet jacket with diamond-studded zip, mud-finish silk pants, soft satin masculine- styled dinner jacket and matching stretch-fabric pants, coat dress and matching angled skirt in a waterproof-type fabric, and twisted cable-knit jersey with high neck and fluted sleeve.

Accessories are big in the new store, from sterling silver jewellery, fashion watches, and handbags to fur-trimmed gloves and wool scarves, adding the finishing touch to that new outfit.

With their frequent trips to China, Ann and Maria unearthed an opportunity to import authentic Chinese furniture.

Each piece is hand-selected by the two women who travel two days inland by bus and train to buy from an original source. They have an eye for pieces that function well within the New Zealand home and will buy to order.

They invite people with any particular requests to call at the store before their next buying trip at the end of this month.

The furniture, which includes large cabinets, sideboards, and occasional pieces, is displayed throughout the store, juxtaposed with metal furniture sourced from New Zealand and Australia and local art, offering plenty of inspiration to create a personalised living space.

They say gone are the days of a home filled with rimu furniture: "People now want to fill their homes and lives with texture and expressions of their personality."

Soeur Design has made a commitment to support young and budding local artists, the store's walls becoming the canvas on which to display original works of art. In doing so, the sisters are remaining faithful to their father's advice of always saving up and buying an original as you'll treasure it for life. The store is also to host art exhibitions.

Soeur Design has plans for future growth that honours the sisters philosophy of celebrating the good things in life. Produce from their olive grove (premium-quality olive oil) and vineyard (pinot noir, riesling, and chardonnay wines) will find its way in store, and they have plans to extend their range of clothing and accessories.

PM Hails Canterbury Attitude

Attitude plays a significant part in pulling Canterbury clear of the recession ahead of other regions, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley says. In Christchurch yesterday to announce the region's top companies after a campaign called Movin' on Up, Mrs Shipley said Canterbury was leading the country out of recession for the second time this decade.

Latest economic data show the South Island is outstripping the North. It was a different story this time last year, however. Many businesses had their worst year in a decade as they struggled through a recession. In August the Christchurch city council and business leaders decided the economic malaise was all in the mind, declaring a "recession-free zone". The brainchild of former mayor Vicki Buck, the slogan Movin' on Up was adopted. The Press published a series of articles focusing on Canterbury businesses doing well despite the recession. Mrs Shipley said the campaign was a brave move, and while she believed the economic signs were already coming right last year, there was no doubt strong business skills, commitment, and flair had helped.

She paid tribute to The Press, saying while politicians often complained about the media for being overly negative, the newspaper had put the region's good news on the front page. The top Qantas Movin' on Up competition award went to exporter T. L. Jones Ltd, a Christchurch company that makes elevator door safety systems. Second prize went to Dolphin Encounter, of Kaikoura, and third prize to Soeur Design, a Christchurch fashion house. Others which made the finals were Aranui High School, Chaucer Press, the Arts Centre of Christchurch, Ceemee Signs, Mike Pero Mortgages, PBS Shuttles, and Safety Step NZ Ltd.

Top 10 Collections for 2009

From Soeur Design Fashion & Style Consultant "Yoda"

What will get women back into the stores? Designers came up with a range of answers for Spring, lower price points being one of the most compelling. But this wasn't a season of "safe clothes." There was less talk of "brand DNA," and the best collections had a tangible sense of adventure. Representing some intriguing opposites (utility chic and 24-hour cocktail dressing, the city and the country, sport and lingerie dressing), here are Style.com's favorites.

1. Balenciaga
Saying au revoir to the eighties, Nicolas Ghesquière went back to the future and the streets, arming his tribe of urban warriors with hooded vests, sporty skirts, and the sexiest leather jeans around—all spliced together in ways that defy both the imagination and the copy artists.


2. Balmain
Christophe Decarnin found a way to put a new gloss on the tight, tattered, T&A formula he's made his own—mixing tailcoats, army surplus shirts, and leather cargo pants with chain-mail minidresses and sequined loincloths. The look is so hot, it's probably illegal in several states.

3. Celine
Good news for women looking for practical yet utterly polished clothes: Phoebe Philo's back. Leather tees, high-waisted trousers, and a sophisticated new take on leotard dressing are the keys to her contemporary—and in a way, daring—brand of minimalism.

4. Chanel
Lily Allen sang with her band, but forget the theatrics. Karl Lagerfeld, at his playful best, took Chanel rustique. In the imaginative mix: nubby tweed suits (this time with thigh-split skirts), frothy chiffon party frocks worthy of Marie Antoinette, and, yes, clogs.


5. Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci nailed it for Spring, marrying the gothic, rocker sensibility that has made fans of Madonna, Rihanna, et al. with real-world chic in the form of graphic black and white suitings, draped toga dresses, and striking tribal prints.

6. Lanvin
Never mind the recession. Alber Elbaz refused to play it safe: He laid on the chunky jewelry, loaded his dresses and jumpsuits with a souk's worth of gold beads, displayed his mastery of color, and even did clever things with polyester. Fashion lovers the world over will find a way to get their hands on these confections.

7. Marc Jacobs
Ruffles by the mile, lamé, sheer leggings, Kabuki makeup, fanny packs—they were all in the zany mix at Marc Jacobs. And the season's unmissable underwear-as-outerwear trend? As usual, you saw it here first.

8. Proenza Schouler
They've oft claimed to design for the bright young things they call their friends, but this time Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough really delivered. Their surf- and skate-influenced abbreviated animal-print dresses are destined for heavy rotation on the party circuit.


9. Rodarte
Kate and Laura Mulleavy spun a tale about a woman-turned-condor into the stuff of fashion fantasy: one-of-a-kind dresses and gowns patchworked together from ravaged bits of leather, cheesecloth, plaid, and cobwebby knits. It made for apocalyptic magic on the runway.

10. Versace
This is the season of the cocktail dress, which means it's Donatella Versace's moment to shine. And shine she did with chain mail, cutouts, eye-popping prints, and even a plastic miniskirt or two. It was vintage Gianni, but with a twenty-first-century woman's eye for cut, proportion, and fit.

To find out what Soeur Design's Fashion & Style consultant is wearing email her at jodi@soeurdesign.com

Souer Design Launches New Website

Soeur Design announced the launch of it's new website www.soeurdesign.com