Wallace Cotton

Moving to a new Blog

2011-06-16T09:50:00.000+12:00

We have moved to a new blog as part of our fabulous new website.
There will be loads more going on over there, so please come and check us out ..

http://www.wallacecotton.com/blog.aspx

WC-Autumn Photoshoot- cover

2011-02-02T13:36:00.000+13:00

Land of the Rising Sun

2010-11-15T13:38:00.001+13:00

Hi there,
Just returned from the land of the rising sun, China of course!
Tess and I spent 2 days finding our way around Hong Kong, which was mindboggling, then 2 days up in Guangzhou at Canton fair, visiting suppliers.

Hong Kong highlights:
On Hong Kong Island, there is a tram that travels from the shops up to Hong Kong Peak, from where you can see just about every part of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Of course, there is an enormous shopping mall at the top of the Peak, in case you need to fit in more shopping, kind of weird really!
There are also ponds up there with black carp that nibble the dead skin off your feet, if you happen to take your shoes off and take the plunge. A DJ from Sydney told me about this on the way down in the tram, we didn’t try it ourselves. Next time!
We also found our way to Stanley Market, on the other side of HK island, which was a treat. The town side of HK is covered in enormous high rise apartment buildings, but as soon as you drive over the hill, the scenery becomes beautiful coastline, with white sandy beaches and cafes. Even though they have sad names like Repulse Bay! And Stanley market, which is great for picking up last season bargains for kids, men, and some women’s fashion. Tess bagged a bargain ski suit, which will be used next winter by the whole family.
We didn’t get to the Ladies Market, as we ran out of time, but it sounds like a visit may be necessary next time.
The stores in HK city are amazing, beautiful retail, and all just releasing their winter seasons, even though it doesn’t get below 15 degrees there. I was excited to see that my forecast for colours and themes was bang on for next winter, with lots of plaids, velvets, and florals in great 70’s colours, kind of Indy mixed with Starsky and Hutch! Tan cord and denim blues will be big next season, as well as hand knits just like we made in the 70’s.
We stayed on the Kowloon side this time, at the Holiday Inn, which was good, but next time would rather stay on the island where all the action is.

Guangzhou was great, every time we go there, the city gets newer and bigger. There is a brand new train station now which wasn’t there a year ago, and the Pearl river has lots of new amazing high rises along it leading to the exhibition centre, where we attended Canton Fair. This is the biggest export fair in China, where everything made in China is bought, sold or traded. As you can imagine, it is huge. Our section, home textiles, took 2 full days just to walk around, with a few stops to practice our pigeon English. There were buyers from every country in the world trying to speak English to the Chinese traders, very amusing to watch as tempers rose!
We had some great massages in the hotel, the Grand Royal, and had dinner at the Banana Leaf in town, which has a cast of camp waiting staff who serenade the diners. There other feature in Guangzhou is the smog, which is sadly getting worse each year. It is always lovely to come home and go running along the beach and through the bush to clear my lungs.

Rotary & Ruby

2010-09-14T09:45:00.002+12:00

Here are some pics of the Newmarket Rotary Club event we had in our Teed Street store last week to help raise awareness for Ruby's teatowels. Both Ruby and her mother Sharon spoke about Ruby's experience in Starship, and Hazel held the audience captive with her tips on caring for cotton. Ruby and her sister Noon had made some beautiful Gingerbread men using her recipe from the teatowel, which were given to the guests along with a Wallace Cotton goodie bag. 115 of Ruby's teatowels were sold, and everyone went home more knowledgeable about their linen!
Special thanks to Kim Crawford Wines, Antipodes Water, The Casual Foodie for catering, plus Sam from Starship, Sarah Paykel and Rosie Wallace for helping out.

Hawkes Bay heaven ...

2010-08-03T15:04:00.000+12:00

We have just returned from a visit to Black Barn in Hawkes Bay, where we shot our new Spring catalogue.
If you haven’t heard of Black Barn, check out their website www.blackbarn.co.nz to see the gorgeous rental properties, vineyard and market that has been developed by a very creative team of locals in Havelock North. It was a pleasure to use such beautiful houses for our photo shoot, big rooms with big beds, lots of interesting spaces, and amazing settings.

We managed to get around to 3 different lodges: the beach house on Waimarama Beach, Black Barn lodge, and one of the Riverside lodges on the edge of the Tukituki river. They have all been designed and built with comfortable luxury in mind.

When you arrive, you will find the wood is already stacked ready to light the fire, the butler’s pantry is well stocked in case you don’t want to leave, (we didn’t) and each lodge has a very well stocked bar with Black Barn’s signature wines. The lodges all have creative features: flap open shutters and bunks on the verandah at the beach house, corrugated iron ceilings and old recycled beams in Black Barn, and atriums and annexes on the river.

I came home with loads of inspiration for renovating our old house, and have supplied the boss with a wish list, including a large laundry with removable sink cover, very cool! Oo, and an outdoor lounge with fireplace and pool would be nice. Luckily for the boss, we are far too busy to contemplate such delights.

Happy days,

Paula Wallace

sneak peek - more inspiration for Spring/Summer 2010

2010-06-14T11:32:00.001+12:00

Spring Blues: a splash of South Seas and a touch of Ikat in classic colours for Summer

Spring Greys: cool calm shades of grey and white in linen cushions and cotton bedding

sneak peek - spring 2010 inspiration

2010-06-10T11:29:00.004+12:00

these are the things inspiring us for the next Wallace Cotton collection - Spring Summer 2010 - colours to inhale and enjoy, splashes of yellow for optimism, positive reds and fresh greens. Themes of the good life run throughout, homegrown essence, the way lfie should be ... think farmers markets and gardens, trips to the beach house to recharge the batteries ...

Spring Chickens: white, red & natural

Spring Tropical: bright and breezy with hints of yellow, the colour of optimism and creativity: red, greens, yellow, pink and white

ikat is in .. we're doing it too ...

2010-06-03T14:13:00.003+12:00

We are loving the latest trend in fashion and textiles - the ikat print.

Ikat prints are created by dying portions of thread then weaving that thread into cloth, creating an ethnic-inspired print that has been practiced for centuries in countries such as Indonesia and India.

So watch out for Wallace Cotton ikat accessories this spring .. sarongs, cushions ( like these seen at tabletonic) ..

Spring is coming - let's get busy

2010-06-03T13:02:00.004+12:00

On a recent North Island holiday we found a fabulous place for our Spring catalogue photoshoot - a place where the surroundings are as beautiful as our products - they'll be shown off perfectly!
The inspiration for the Spring 2010 range is the good life, keeping it simple and fresh with home gardens, farmers markets, beach house living - those places and things that keep us positive in hard times.

So Black Barn in the gorgeous Hawkes Bay is the perfect fit - vineyards, art gallery, restaurants, accomodation, farmers market, open air cinema - the works!

This is what Kim from Black Barn has to say about the spot we've chosen for our next photoshoot ...
" In the heart of what is now Black Barn vineyard stood a small turn of the century shepherd's cottage. This was restored and extensively renovated and opened its doors as Rush Cottage in 1994 - the same year as the vines were planted around it. It was quickly booked out and was the beginning of a rapidly growing and important part of the Black Barn experience soon to be known as the Black Barn Retreats. These luxurious single party occupancy properties now number 15 with two on the vineyard, one on the ocean, one on Cape Kidnappers golf course and the rest along the spectacular Tuki Tuki river. While diverse in location and layout these properties all strongly reflect the Black Barn style. This style has its roots firmly established in the New Zealand countryside - using elements such as corrugated iron, black stained baton and board and generous use of recycled timber - but in a way that is fresh, modern, clean and contemporary. In other words through both name and look, Black Barn is proudly of New Zealand but interpreted in a way that we would like to think sits comfortably on a world stage. "

So we can't wait to head there this July to create our Spring catalogue.

Grandma Em's Gingerbread Recipe

2010-03-30T10:06:00.008+13:00

this features in our autumn catalogue, so delicious it needs to be shared ...

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaped tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
165g butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup golden syrup
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg

Line 2 loaf tins with baking paper. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Heat butter, sugar and syrup in a deep saucepan until melted. Set aside to cool. Add milk and beaten egg to butter mix and beat. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients and pour in liquid mixture. Stir to make smooth batter. Pour into tins, then let the kids lick beaters, spoon and bowl. Bake for 30 minutes. Test with a metal skewer to see if cooked. Serve in thick slices with butter. Yumm, yumm!

how to tips to come ...

2010-03-08T15:02:00.000+13:00

we're thinking of adding tips of the trade to our website .. little video clips of "how to fold a fitted sheet", "how to make a bed" etc.
a bit like this
perfect

Inspired by a Northland summer

2010-02-04T12:02:00.004+13:00

Just returned from shooting our Autumn catalogue in an extraordinary home in Kerikeri. Our gracious hosts had moved and manouvered an old rest home from somewhere in Northland NZ to their dream spot at the head of the Kerikeri inlet. The house was trucked up and down their fairly hairy drive in 3 pieces, then this creative couple set to work, with panelling, paint and oodles of passion. The result is a dreamy family villa, with big light-filled rooms, lots of character and room for the family to grow. Luckily for us, the interior colour palette was perfect for our new ranges, I think there must have been a bit of synchronicity in the air while we were selecting our colours for the season.

These people seem to have a wonderful balance of country life by the sea, where they catch and grow enough food for family and friends, and share in a small close community, while town is only a few minutes away.

Our crew was made completely welcome by the owners, while taking photos of their bedrooms, children, parents, friends, friend’s children, friend’s parents ( we can proudly say that we now have a former Miss Scotland as a model!)animals and anything else that inspired a photo.

I fell completely in love with their beach cottages, built using leftover materials and a pre-nailed frame made by a local builder. There is a spot in my eastern garden for at least one of these. I’m ready to take to our little corner of the world with renewed energy and passion after spending a week with these creative souls.

Hopefully the resulting catalogue will be our best ever, inspiring our readers as much as we have been. Look for it in early March.

Paula Wallace

Style tips from Paula in the latest HER magazine ...

2009-12-03T15:07:00.001+13:00

Paula has the last word on ...
choosing the right bed linen... "a bedroom needs to be a place to retreat, relax, unwind and enjoy a little luxury. Pure cotton sheets, fluffy feather duvets and pillows will create the nest which can be dressed according to each season: crisp white for summer, warm nurturing colours for winter."
obsessed with ... " Stripes! Even after designing them for 25 years, a good stripe can still light me up if the colours and pattern are right."
accessorising a bed... " Matching bedskirt and European pillows help to balance the bed then layers of pillows and cushions to nestle into .. ooh and a lovely husband or partner!"
buying sheets... "Cotton, cotton, cotton! Thick cotton flannel for winter and luscious matt sateen for cool summer nights."
making your bedroom look fantastic in 5 minutes..." Fresh cushions, a quilt and a lovely fragrance thanks to favourite scented candles and/or flowers."
stay away from ..." Polyester or any other synthetic fabric blends. Sleep only with nautral fibres, which help wick moisture away from your skin while you slumber."
web shopping ..." A great way to shop for your home, from your home. As long as the on-line store has great images and loads of info, you can shop with confidence and look forward to a parcel arriving on your doorstep (in a lovely laundry bag, if from Wallace Cotton)."
the never fail gift for the home... " Depending on budget and occassion, towels, sheets or teatowels. I like taking an apron along to dinner parties.
every woman should have ... " An enormous linen cupboard, preferably with no back on it so you can keep piling stuff into it without ever having to throw out old favourites. Mind you, the annual clean out and perfect folding can be a beautiful thing too."
how much is too much ..." when you just can't get the linen cupboard doors to shut."

Sizzling Sydney

2009-11-26T11:27:00.000+13:00

Hi there,
Just returned from a short trip to Sydney, for business of course!
Helen and I visited an Indian apparel and home textiles trade fair in Darling Harbour. It was a great opportunity to catch up with some companies we deal with, with out travelling for 2 days to Delhi or South India, (even though I love doing that). Found a great organic t-shirt company from South India, who have really envirnmentally sustainable ethics, as well as supporting their local comunity. They had some beautiful knits, and samples of their recycled cotton tshirt cloth, tres cool! We will begin to use them in Autum hopefully with a new kids Pj range that I have been working on.
Sydney was steaming hot, so a swim was essential every day. We stayed in Manly, in a gorgeous guest house on the harbour edge called Periwinkle. Lovely people, and they let us stay in a different room each night to experience the entire place!
We caught up with my niece Kristy McLaughlin, who is an up and coming interior designer based in Manly, watch out for her website coming soon with gorgeous bedheads and chairs that she has designed.
Sydney is such a cool place, manly beach at 6.30 on a week morning has more people on it than Takapuna beach on Sundays, running, walking, surfing, swimming or just strutting their stuff.
And the food... We were sent on a misson to eat at Fratelli Fresh, an Italian deli/fresh food store/cafe in Potts Point, and yes, it is good! Auckland needs a place like this, preferably in Birkenhead please?

Trip to Canton

2009-11-12T15:04:00.000+13:00

Bill and I have just returned from a trip to Guangzhou, China. This is the home of the famous Canton fair, which showcases everything China exports, from bulldozers to bedlinen, pineapple lumps, surgical products, and everything between! The fair is located in an amazing new exhibition complex, which is absolutely enormous. The Home Textile hall takes around 2 days to walk around and this is where we spent our time of course, taking the opportunity to catch up with existing suppliers, find some new ones and see what the rest of the world are sourcing.
This time there was a large proportion of stands selling frilly 3-D nylon bedspreads and polyester floral tablecloths, so somewhere in the world, these items must be in demand! We did found some new potentials, which you may see over the coming year. I love chatting to other suppliers on each stand, to see where in the world they come from, and the type of product they are sourcing. Met a lovely Indian couple from Britain on one stand, who have a wholesale business selling to 80 stores including Harrods. There were lots of Europeans there this time, less Americans than ever, which was interesting, as China has built its export industry around the enormous buying power of the USA. Overall there were less buyers than ever, which is the hangover from the recent stormy recession which seemed to grip the entire world. We did notice the odd salesman dozing, which obviously was a sign of the lack of customers.

On the last afternoon we found the Bags hall, which was at least as big as Home textiles, I had no idea the quantity of bags that are sold each year! Bill also found the Outdoor Adventure hall, which was full of fishing and hunting knives, mai-mai outfits, and action man stuff. I dragged him away before he tried to include a few bits into our next season.
The local Cantonese food is special, although not to our taste. It seems that every part of each animal is a delicacy there, as seen in the photo menus, and sometimes the English translations make the food even less attractive. We laughed a lot at mealtimes, lost our appetites and defaulted to chocolate for dinner a couple of times. Quite a good weight loss programme actually.
Huge thanks to Nana and Christine for handling the kids while we were away, and to our wonderful team at Wallace Cotton for keeping the business on course in our absence.

Well done Ruby!

2009-10-05T13:40:00.000+13:00

Ruby’s Teatowels
Wow, what an amazing response!
We have been overwhelmed at the generosity of our customers, some of whom have ordered as many as 200! We initially made 2400 and expected this amount to last through to Christmas, but had to quickly make another 3000 after only 2 weeks of sales. We have now run out of cloth, so can’t make any more before Xmas, so if you are thinking of getting some, better get in quick!

It has been a great fundraiser, and such an important cause. Well done Ruby!

The year so far ...

2009-10-05T13:17:00.000+13:00

Wow, what a year! We began by opening a store in Newmarket in what has since been pronounced as the worst retail climate in 50 years. Thanks to our amazing staff, and loyal and supportive customers, the Teed St store is now flourishing and meeting the vision we had for it. There are still features to add to it, but like most things we create, it will always be work in progress.

I spent the winter working on our Spring/summer range, which involves dreaming up designs for cool, summer items for body and home. This became easier once Bill had installed a heat pump in our offices, so we no longer had to wear gloves and scarves to work.

After a crazy winter, weather-wise and economically, it is so lovely to see and feel the weather warming up. Here in NZ, we tend to hibernate over winter, and re-energise when the sun comes out. Meg came running into the kitchen last night saying ”Mum, the recession is over, they said so on the telly!” So of course it must be true!

Colour is so important to create moods, so the lovely lagoon blues we selected for our summer range are working really well.

I have been madly digging in the dirt, preparing our rather unruly garden for it’s spring release.

Everything has been mulched, fed and talked to, and the we can see the new growth daily. We have planted 40 Puka, with chlorophyll green leaves, which instantly make the garden feel new and fresh. Green is such a restorative colour, and gardening is the best tonic for calming your mind. Whenever I get stuck for ideas, the garden gets a workout!

We have got a few new summer essentials arriving in November;

I have fallen in love with this Garden stripe, and so we have made it as a hammock, box cushion, beach bag and gardener’s apron, which will get a lot of use at home!

This Pomegranate print is beautiful and breezy, and will be made into nighties and beach dresses for summer. We have used the Pintuck nighty pattern again for this print, looks gorgeous on!

Boys, boys, boys... Always trying to think up ideas for their rooms. I am sure boys don’t spend much time thinking of their decor, so obviously someone has to!

We are bringing in a new duvet set called Wayfarer which boys may like, (as well as most beach house owners). It has old chart prints from all seven seas, and will be quite at home with our current quilts and sheets.

There will be some cute Xmas decorations to bring in some Xmas cheer as well.