The Instagram account records a special part of NZ fashion history

As a former professional archivist, Cathy Dunn knows the value of documenting and preserving aspects of cultural history that may otherwise be lost to memory. That’s especially true in the fashion sphere.

Dunn spent half a decade working at MTG (Hawkes Bay’s regional museum) and that experience fueled her interest in our country’s fashion history.

Now, through her Instagram account @nzfashionlabelarchive, she’s curating an archive of an often-seen or under-appreciated aspect of Kiwi clothing design: vintage New Zealand fashion labels and tags.

Looking for a way to sell Dunn’s curiosities department, vintage collectibles and pre-loved contemporary pieces at Instagram shop @jubileevintageshop and co-op shop The Curiosities in Napier, Dunn found her medium of choice.

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The site is a fun sequel for both fashionistas and typography nerds alike, filled with rich and original illustrations of retro serif fonts that inform today’s nostalgic designs.

It and other local accounts like @vintage.nz.fashionlabels join other social accounts with an international focus like @labeltime who share the joy of typing vintage clothing labels.

More curious, I asked Dunn to share what she learned from her archival process.

Where did your fascination with vintage labels come from?

I am always drawn to clothes that are out of fashion. Mum used to dress my sisters and I in matching clothes, but soon after I started school a cousin gave me a singlet she had outgrown and I vividly remember the unbridled joy I felt wearing something different.

Growing up in the punk era, my classmates and I would browse op-shops for vintage petticoats and miniskirts in our tailored t-shirts and torn fishnet tights.

I wanted to be able to make my own clothes, so I applied to Wellington Polytechnic and completed a two-year fashion course (with Kate Sylvester and Robin Matheson) as my mum didn’t sew. We studied fashion history and I fell for the shapes and fabrics – and labels – of the 50s and 60s.

I was an early user of TradeMe, buying and selling and collecting small vintage pieces. I always ask for a photo or description of the tag so I can verify authenticity.

What is it about these vintage labels that appeals to you? How do they differ from modern versions?

They come from a time when things were made here in New Zealand and made to last. Also, fonts!

Have you noticed that there are specific design or style patterns for local labels?

Not the way wool blanket tags do. I have a collection of those too, and Tiki and Moko, with place names like Onehunga and Mosgale where the mills are located.

Until the late 1960s, clothing labels referenced elements of French haute couture or British couture design to reflect the aspirations of their wealthy clientele.

Labels have become more modern since Mary Quant inspired the youth movement, but generally follow what’s popular overseas.

Can you tell me about two of your favorite label discoveries?

• A former Peppertree.

• Fidgits Shirt – Relatively uncommon now.

• I love “For the Girl Who Knows Clothes” by R&K Originals.

• A friend of mine has a Colin Cole dress with a hand-stitched label that I love.

• I won a TradeMe auction for a Babs radon coat hanger.

Ever since you woke up, can you tell when clothing labels are falling apart? Why do you think this is?

After the removal of import tariffs on clothing and the reduction of tariffs, New Zealand-based garment factories could not compete with cheaper Chinese imports, so most of them closed in the early 2000s. This is when accounts become more comprehensive to reduce costs.

I have to say that the best thing about modern labeling is that it provides information on fabric content and care instructions.

For your professional perspective, which local designers of the era had consistently good labels?

Thornton Hall, Hullabaloo, Flukies, Arrow and Lady Arrow, Miss Deb.

What modern brands do you think have interesting or cool labels?

No, I love sisters.

Is there a current fashion trend that you think people will be archiving in the coming years?

Te Papa added Nope clothes to their social history collection. I think there is more emphasis on archiving the social aspect of clothing than design.

It’s interesting how different subcultures adopt appropriate fashion elements. Also archived are designers and makers who repurpose fabric (such as Good Daisy and Dreamknit Clothing), as examples of contemporary responses to environmental issues.