Trelise Cooper
Dame Trelise Cooper is my personal favourite New Zealand fashion designer and a woman I strongly admire. Her remarkable career as a designer and businesswoman has spanned over thirty years, despite never studying fashion or arts and leaving school at the age of 15!
In 2014 she was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to fashion and the community.
Trelise Cooper collections are always very unique, often blending bold patterns, luxurious fabrics, and detailed embellishments to create pieces that are both sophisticated and whimsical. Her designs are especially made for people who intentionally choose to wear colour and prints to evoke happiness and positivity in their day.
Today her fans include big stars such as Julia Roberts, Liv Tyler, Lindsay Lohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks.
Each visit to New Zealand I find something totally unique and different to add to my own wardrobe. I love wearing them as they make me feel closer to my roots. You can however also find them online and international shipping is available.
CW-Design
CW-Design is a label created by Zurich based designer Cornelia Weckherlin. Cornelia is largely specialised in creating unique leather pieces in all sorts of colours and beautiful styles. Each piece is designed in Zurich and lovingly made by hand in Italy.
As well as beautiful leather designs you will also find delicate silk and organza pieces, including pretty dresses which replicate Zimmermann in style but with a much different price tag. Her pieces tend to be unique pieces and if you don’t find what you want among her in-store collections, Cornelia will also design pieces according to your specific wishes.
Visiting Cornelia’s shop in Zollikon – Fashion Room – is like visiting a candy store. Full of pretty colours and beautiful fabrics that seem to call out asking to be taken home. If you have a special event coming up or simply are looking for something a little unique I can truly recommend visiting:
Fashion Room, Zollikonerstrasse 107, 8702 Zollikon/Zürich.
Nadia Sinka Schmuck
Nadia Sinka is one of those people who simply knew what her passion was right from the beginning. Starting off with an apprenticeship at the famous Swiss jewellery store, Bucherer. Her love for jewellery only grew stronger over time.
Funnily enough she tells me – it wasn’t a passion about wearing jewellery herself. Much more, she enjoyed seeing others wearing her beautiful bead creations. Her own collection started simply by making pretty beaded necklaces and bracelets for her friends. Out of this grew her own jewellery line as we know it today “Nadia Sinka Jewellery”. She will also make pieces to her clients’ special wishes. A great idea if you have a specific outfit and can’t find the right beads to go with it.
Today you will find her pieces in several boutiques around Zurich as well as on her online shop. Over the years Nadia has become a friend of mine who I enjoy sharing thoughts with. To me her jewellery is truly special because I know just how much love there is behind each piece.
Ayre
The newest of all brands this edition, AYRE was founded in Zurich in 2024 by Sybille Zollikofer (-Steindl). After working in the fashion and interior industry for over 23 years, Sybille has now realised her dream of founding her very own brand AYRE.
Not only clothing, AYRE began with special yet useful cross-seasonal accessories, made from high-quality materials.
All clothing and accessories are created in collaboration with artisans, weavers and manufacturers from all over the world, thus preserving craftsmanship and traditional techniques.
Inspired by nature, art and culture, the collections are characterised above all by elegance, relaxed lightness and, very importantly, incredible comfort. These timeless dresses and blouses really are perfect holiday pieces – simply trying them on put me into vacation mode. I especially enjoyed teaming up her Lynne blouse with shorts and cowboy boots.
In Sybille’s own words “AYRE represents a passion for fully enjoying life – whether with people, on travels, in nature, at beaches and in the mountains, with family and friends. Together, we create unforgettable memories.”
