A Few Thank Yous

This was a year you could really count on friendships and make new ones - so many people have willingly jumped on board with this idea...I'm so grateful. Deciding to create a new brand is a challenge any time, but this year it was a bit of an understatement. Without many amazing people saying YES and especially those below, Redwood Clothing would not be.

TRUDI...your beautiful 187cm frame and long limbs were so important in all this. I called you up and told you my plan first, and that I needed you to be my tall test-model. I've loved your little home videos doing the try on's, they're a treasure. Lockdown wasn't going to stop us - even when a courier parcel of samples took three weeks to arrive! Seeing your reaction when you raised your arms and happily pointed out your T-shirt was still tucked in...priceless. And your joy at discovering my all time favourite pants...STORM's Tuxedo Satin Pants...with a longer leg and a longer hip rise...gold. Your reactions to these clothes confirmed that we needed to bring this to life even more. Thank you for your generous positive spirit and your beautiful tall size 12, 187cm self x  

SHARYN...thanks to your friendship with Liz I have met you. You are the beautiful designer behind STAPLE+CLOTH and we are lucky we have made this connection with you. It was definitely a case of 'who you know' that brought us together with you and your clothing range full of classic styles and beautiful fabrics. Thank you for instantly 'getting it' and making things happen quickly. Your friendship with your tall friend Liz was the connection that had you knowing this need was real. We love your designed and made in New Zealand brand and that you are such a down to earth woman. Your clothes are beautiful 'staples' made from beautiful 'cloth'. My personal favourite (so far) is the Amelia Top in Orange with the frill on the sleeve that actually drapes all the way down on my wrist. 

DEBORAH ...you are the clever iconic woman behind STORM and it felt like meeting a celebrity when we had our first chat about this idea. Having your support and such a well known and loved brand is really exciting for Redwood Clothing and for our future customers. Like so many great people, you have mustered a great team...thank you CHRISTINE...at 6ft tall you are 'one of us' and it gives us even more confidence that you will get the fit right. My personal love of STORM all began with The Satin Tuxedo pants ...these are a must have item...I always have 2 pairs in my drawer! Tall women tend to love trousers and suit them really well - this is a style we think every woman needs as an alternative to a little black dress. We began our planning with phones, emails and courier deliveries...we were fully committed long before travel was allowed. When we finally met up in Auckland, your genuine approach came as no surprise and we were excited enough to start talking about styles for next season too! We and can't wait to see what our tall customers think when they try on your clothes.   

TONI...from Style XLab. Every tall woman needs a fun shorter friend...and Toni - you're ours! xx We couldn't be more excited to have your clever and unique brand Style XLab at Redwood Clothing. Your pieces bring a casual unique flare we all love. Your pattern making knowledge and ability to translate your designs into longer fittings is also spot on. We're very excited about you being part of this with us. What we also love is that your clothes have a generous fit and will just go a little further in the sizing for some women. (XLab size XL will often fit a size 18)   We love your first collection and we're already excited about your next one! 

THE WILLOW SHOES WOMEN...we have shared everything together this year...the crappy outlook we faced in April, rebuilding Willow Shoes after Covid and this exciting new plan of adding clothing to our stores. Every single woman at Willow Shoes has been a positive influence in some way and right behind the launch of Redwood Clothing. These women are a real team...they will be helping you in store, sending your Redwood Clothing orders and finding you great fitting clothes and great fitting shoes too. Every single one deserves a real thank you for being supportive and understanding this year. Knowing how much you all care about the struggle a tall woman can have finding shoes and now also clothes to fit is the x-factor you all bring to work each day. Exciting times ahead. Thank you all x

Georgie xx