Mandatory Menswear Blog

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We were so humbled to be awarded Capital Mag’s ‘Best Men’s Fashion’ Wellington 2018, as voted by the people of Wellington and further. 

We certainly work hard but; we love what we do and what an epic year with our move to 21 Ghuznee Street. 

A mini shout out to all the other well loved businesses that were also named in the Capital Awards. 

Thanks friends of Mandatory for your votes!

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We sat down with the designers of Mandatory Menswear to ask them 20 Questions about their 20 Years in Business. Part 1: The Beginning

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Spring 2017 Collection

Shoes from Ultra Shoes

Model: Alex Carr

Photographed in Mojo Spark Central Willis Street

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Designer and Co-Founder of Mandatory Clare Bowden gave at talk at Creative Mornings Wellington on their June 2017 theme ‘Survival’ 

(via Clare Bowden | Surviving in the New Zealand menswear industry for 20 years | CreativeMornings/WLG)

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Conscious Consumer Profile: Mandatory, a global leader in local fashion

We sat down with Tracey from Conscious Consumers to chat about being creative with resources, why we've steered away from wholesale, prefer to custom make and the obstacles we face in working towards a more sustainable fashion future.

When we think about conscious consumerism, ethical consumption or whatever you want to call it, the fashion industry seems to be the last industry to address the issues we face – globally. Tell us a bit about Mandatory’s beginnings and how you got into ethical fashion.

Mandatory was founded in 1997 by designers Clare Bowden and Fiona Edwards who switched from their respective established women’s wholesale labels in response to noticeable demand for choice (and fit) in good menswear in Wellington.

Mandatory operates as an independent men’s outfitter on Cuba Street with a manufacturing studio space a block away. Garments are produced in small runs, in season, in Wellington, and customers are offered custom made garments for the same price as off the rack using end customisation and in-time production methods.

Mandatory has steered away from wholesale, preferring to keep the physical and financial costs of production to a level that delivers directly to the market. This approach allows for meaningful, highly appreciated work for employees (all creative) and a quality product that customers continually return for.

The ability to supply actual demand is the way waste is reduced and costs are managed - this has seen us last the distance. Garments designed, fitted, made well and sold for purpose are worn often and last longer while looking better than their mass-produced, cheap counterparts.

 Read the full interview over on their blog: https://consciousconsumers.nz/blog/2017/5/3/profile-mandatory-a-global-leader-in-local-fashion

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We loved being a part of this gorgeous shoot for Old Saint Paul’s in Wellington alongside other talented local wedding vendors. We kitted out the boys in classic formal suits: Contemporary fit Classic Tuxedo with Silk Trim for the groom, and dark and dapper charcoal navy windowpane suit for the groomsman. 

Venue: Old Saint Paul’s 

Flowers by Yvette Edwards

Cufflinks and Jewellery by Lazulé

Hair and Makeup by Penny Rose

Wedding dress by Paperswan Bride

Bridesmaid dress by Coco Wellington

Full shoot and vendors list 

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We are so proud that the Mandatory label is 100% designed and manufactured in Wellington by our small hard-working crew. Here's to greater transparency, sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry.

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Last but certainly not least for our Who Made My Clothes series: Jane Jane has been with Mandatory since the brands inception twenty years ago. She’s one of two of our amazing machinists and puts together stock garments and custom made orders from her home studio in Berhampore. Jane also spends time cutting in the workroom on a Monday to mix with the crew. As our principal sample sewer Jane is integral in development of every design produced by Mandatory. Jane appreciates the high quality thread and materials we use.

This week we have been welcoming transparency and profiled the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question:#whomademyclothes

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Who Made My Clothes?  Clare is co-founder and designer of Mandatory and the Director of the whole operation. She started out managing the manufacturing workroom and moved to shop floor during the GFC, often coordinating manufacturing at night. These days she buys cloth and co-designs the range, coordinates the manufacturing schedule and works alongside the managers of both sites. She is responsible for some of the longest selling designs in the store. She handles the trickiest of suiting, casual fittings, and draft patterns. Clare also consults on wardrobes for busy men. She keeps regular weekly shifts on the shop floor and works hard to be the great boss she is constantly praised as being.

This week is Fashion Revolution week and we are welcoming transparency by profiling the small team of makers behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes

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Who Made My Clothes? Fiona is the co-founder of Mandatory and the brain behind some of Mandatory’s most loved pieces. She works in the studio once a week to design knit pieces, consult on the range direction and keeps the company true to its original vision in an ever-changing industry.

Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for greater transparency, sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry. All this week we'll be profiling the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes

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Who Made My Clothes? Leah worked as a manager of the Mandatory store years ago and returned to work part time in the shop as an inventory and accounts wizz. Leah coordinates buying meetings, manages stock levels and is responsible for merchandising as well as assisting with shoots. She also manages our corporate accounts and keeps the back end of the business running smoothly.

Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for greater transparency, sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry. All this week we're profiling the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes

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Who Made My Clothes? Jamie is our finisher, finalising garments back from the machinists. Every button hole, button, dome and belt loop on every garment is the work and patience of Jamie. She is stepping up to manage the workroom, coordinating the many special orders and stock production. Jamie draws up patterns, cuts custom orders, stock and new designs.

This week is Fashion Revolution week and we are welcoming transparency and are profiling the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes

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Who Made My Clothes? Hannah is our store and digital content manager. She runs the day to day operations of the shop and co-ordinates fittings and suit consultations with clients. Hannah is also responsible for the website and social media channels. She regularly shoots new products in store to make sure guys (and their potential present buyers) are kept up to date with the latest arrivals. This is a huge role and she sets the pace for others to work to. This week is Fashion Revolution week and we are welcoming transparency and profiling the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes 

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Who Made My Clothes? Manisha is our multi talented graduate who splits her time between the workroom and the store. Some days she’s retailing in the store and other days she can be found cutting orders and stock in the workroom (or running in between the two with garments!) Manisha is also in charge of quality control and makes sure that all garments are pressed and tagged and have their finishing touches before they hit the shop floor. This week we are welcoming transparency and have been profiling the small team behind Mandatory with the aim to answer the campaign question: #whomademyclothes 

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Clare was in Auckland today checking out the Intellectual Fashion Show 2016 at Gus Fisher Gallery - Such beautiful and creative responses to the Metaphorical costumes of June Black. Thank you New Zealand Fashion Museum for putting together such a unique exhibition and for including us.

About the Intellectual Fashion Show

Open 8 October - 5 November 2016, Saturdays 12-4pm, Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm

At the Gus Fisher Gallery in Auckland, Free entry

In March 1959, artist June Black explored ideas of 'the self' in an exhibition titled, Intellectual Fashion Show. Bringing together her paintings, ceramic wall sculptures and a provocative commentary she presented the concept of an 'intellectual fashion house'. The aim of its imagined director, M. Henri Folli, was "to dress the mind away from commonplace associations…".

June framed fashion as an armour to protect the self from the rigours of daily life, social hypocrisy and cultural expectations. And over the course of her life and writing she devised a whole wardrobe of metaphorical costumes.

More than 60 years later, the New Zealand Fashion Museum and Blikfang Gallery are revisiting June’s original ideas with an exhibition at the Gus Fisher Gallery in Auckland. The aim of the Intellectual Fashion Show 2016 is to further advance M. Henri Folli's most worthy cause, offering participants a platform to experiment with the expressive potential of what we wear to fashion the body and the mind and to explore the rich complexity of the real-self.

The exhibition curators have invited more than 50 fashion designers, milliners, jewellers, visual artists, poets, ceramic artists and other creatives - including established names Liz Findlay, WORLD, Margo Barton, Fran Allison, Peter Madden, Louise Rive, Karen Inderbitzen Waller - to select one of June’s metaphorical costumes and explore the idea of the transformative power of dress.

To imagine what a 'costume to be worn over a heavy heart' might look like? Or a 'hat for elevated thoughts'? And what makes for a 'costume in which to invite undiluted pleasure'? Or consider these:

- Costume to get onto one’s high horse - Costume to face the world of the commonplace - Costume to be worn over a heavy heart - Costume to flaunt tedious advice and swing off into bright danger - Costume to joyfully accept the success of others without a sigh - Costume to extend exalted moments - Costume to face the ultimate discomfit of the guillotine, the gallows or the dentist

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“The humble shed has been the birthplace of many men’s projects - doing up bikes, restoring furniture and potting vegetables. But for Clare Bowden and Fiona Edwards, a garden shed was the beginning of a different kind of project - the menswear label, Mandatory.”

Pleased to be profiled for by the New Zealand Fashion Museum  - many thanks to Kelly Dix and Doris de Pont - you can read the full article on their site here

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