By LUKA DROPPERS | Photo KARAENA VINCENT
Inspired by the philosophy of designing clothing which is unique and empowers women to feel beautiful, Anita Reiter has gone ‘ROGUE’ and is paving her own path through the world of fashion.
Needing to look after the planet and to dress fashionably are, for many people, two ever-present issues. However, with the fashion industry being one of the larger contributors to the global environmental crisis as well as leading to major social welfare issues, it is easy to assume that you can’t have both. Anita (21) owner of Rogue Linen, believes that the combination of companies like hers and customers who understand and care more and more about what they buy and from where, means no-one has to choose just one.
After completing high school, Anita set her sights on becoming an independent and self-employed young woman. From a young age, she’s been fascinated by the power of visuals and the potential they have to influence people. Turning her passion for photography, graphic/web design and fashion design into a career is how she turned her vision into reality.
Anita grew up on a small farm in rural Motueka, nurturing her love of nature and combining it with her mother’s many years of involvement in the fashion industry. Making the choice to work with linen was easy. Linen, apart from being durable and breathable, is also one of the most sustainable fabrics available commercially, she says.
Now, once she has chosen her fabric, Anita starts work, hand-drawing her designs in her home-based Motueka Valley studio and setting up her own photographic studio in the garage. “There’s never a dull moment,” she laughs, adding that she coordinates regular photo shoots with a handful of local women, keeping things as personal as possible.
Strong ethical values
When Anita founded Rogue Linen she made a conscious decision to incorporate her most important core values: integrity and authentic communication. “Creating a business reflects who you are, and what you stand for,” she explains. Her core values are reflected when photographing ‘real’ looking women and not using Photoshop to alter appearances.
Communication plays a big role in the day-to-day running of Rogue Linen, whether it’s in the factory or with stockists. Anita’s annual road trip means she regularly engages with, develops and maintains a solid relationship with stockists of Rogue Linen nationwide. Maintaining open and honest communication in any situation is one of her goals moving forward.
She also makes treating fairly the people she works with a priority, and has done so since day one. Rogue Linen’s clothing is ethically manufactured at a small family-owned factory in Guangzhou, China, with strong ties to New Zealand.
Anita’s vision for Rogue Linen is to contribute to redesigning the future of the fashion industry. She believes using natural fibres and inspiring others to purchase clothing consciously is the way of a value-driven and honest future fashion industry.
Her new spring collection can now be found on her website, www.roguelinen.co.nz, as well as in-store at Rogue Linen’s New Zealand stockists.
Contact
Ph 021 142 1241
Email roguelinen@gmail.com
www.roguelinen.co.nz