For the past 17 years, fashion designer Andrea Moore hasn’t stopped working. She might be one of New Zealand’s top designers, but behind the label is just another Auckland mother juggling a busy lifestyle.
“I was working the day I gave birth to both kids, then I was back at work two weeks after the births with a baby under the table,” she recalls. As the Dunedin-born designer puts it, she doesn’t just have two children, but nine. “Each store is like a baby,” she explains as she counts up the seven shops she’s opened across the country.
It all started in 1999 with her first boutique in Wellington. Every year, there have been ups and downs in the business, and she’s managed it all while being a mother to Archie, 12, and Annie, seven.
So what’s her secret to keeping it all under control? “The key to being a successful businesswoman is having a partner who’s involved in the household,” tells Andrea.
Her man Brian is not just her life partner but also her business partner and has had a hand in the company since they moved to Auckland six years ago. They’ve got their daily routine down to a tee, with Brian on breakfast duty and Andrea in charge of dinner.
Visiting Andrea and Brian’s Herne Bay home, the Woman’s Day team is greeted by an immaculate, freshly mown lawn. While their villa is pristine on the outside, behind the front door lies a trail of toys, soccer balls and sports gear.
There’s hardly a quiet moment in Andrea’s life, but her busy schedule is what allows her to connect with the women buying her clothes. “I’m an extension of my customer,” she explains.
Yet while other Kiwi clothing brands have fallen, Andrea Moore continues to grow. Last year, the pair celebrated their more affordable spin-off brand I Am launching into Farmers stores across the country.
Brian adds, “That’s a dream run there for a business.” When asked about her career highlight, Andrea laughs, “It’s kind of blurred, really.
There’s been quite a few!” But seeing her clothes stocked at a nationwide department store is definitely high on the list. Her next project involves something with a little more sparkle. Debuting at NZ Fashion Week last year were the first pieces of Andrea’s joint venture with iconic crystal company Swarovski.
She’s the first Kiwi designer to ever partner with the jewellery giants, whose past international fashion collaborations include Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. “The Swarovski partnership has been a huge highlight,” explains Andrea, revealing more is still to come.
Brian proudly boasts that their children have inherited their parents’ business sense. A recent trip to an outlet mall saw Annie and Archie critiquing rather than shopping as they spent the day discussing why some stores were empty and what they were doing wrong.
Glancing at the sports gear littering her home, Andrea jokes that her children could have a future making soccer boots. But for now, she remains the resident designer.