Very few labels take off in their first year. Even less garner international recognition, A-List placements, and world-class stockists—especially when they’re from the bottom of the world. New Zealand’s Paris Georgia is the exception.
The brainchild of stylist Paris Mitchell and marketer Georgia Cherrie, Paris Georgia was birthed from the pair’s vintage resell site ‘The Mercantile,’ for which they built a dedicated fan base, but still lamented they were unable to find high-quality wardrobe staples. The solution was ‘Paris Georgia Basics,’ a limited trans-seasonal line of slips, camis, and separates to be worn across contexts. Within months, it had taken off.
Four years on, they’ve dropped the ‘Basics,’ and Paris Georgia has become a household name in their home country, simultaneously earning coveted representation in Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Lower East Side showroom as well as celebrity endorsements and praise from Vogues of various continents. For their latest campaign, the brand teamed up with ‘It’-girl designer-cum-photographer Ana Kraš, to whom they designated “full creative control.”
“We pride ourselves in working with intelligent woman that are diversifying the industry,” the pair says of the collaboration. “We want Paris Georgia to empower the female community, this is so important to us and our story as young women. We want to keep offering more. Growth is so important to us as a brand; we never want to be complacent or get too comfortable with our vision.”
Declaring each woman to don their designs to be a Paris Georgia “muse,” Cherrie and Mitchell’s inspirations are as well-known as the pieces themselves. Their work is frequently worn by the likes of Hailey Baldwin, Kourtney Kardashian, Katy Perry, and fellow Kiwi Georgia Fowler, though their proudest accomplishment is New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern (“we’re in complete awe of her,” they claim) selecting the brand for a recent photoshoot.
Nonetheless, the pair assure that making your mark as a rising designer doesn’t happen overnight—even if it appears that way. As the Instagram algorithm introduces us to a different brand catering to our taste daily, quality is often compromised for quantity and the competition has never been more intense. Their advice? Pause, forgo the flash, and consider your consumer’s genuine needs.
“We are so saturated with imagery and there is this intensity of newness that I think brands need to pause for a minute and really think about what’s new, what’s different. People are constantly exposed to shallow shiny content—offer some depth, create a conversation and make a point of difference.”