Say hello to tween brand Blaire.
Tell us about Blaire?
Our brand is just for the tweens. All the styles that girls this age like, but with a fresh take. We’re bringing a non-fast fashion option (there ain’t many in this market!) because tweens deserve better than that. We also want to promote a more circular way of consuming fashion: second-hand shopping, wearing more and buying less.
How did it start/what was your inspiration?
Cause we are Mum’s of tweens who were sick of what we could buy our own kids at this age! It’s largely fast fashion: crap quality, doesn’t fit properly (your mama needs to get her sew on to fix it) and with the prevalence of polyester - where does it go once your kid has finished with it?! The landfill!
Why clothes for tweens/young teens? Why do you think this age group is important in the fashion industry?
Tweens are currently ignored in the fashion space. They don't want unicorns and rainbows nor do they fit a lot of what exists at women’s stores.
They have strong views about what they like, and they are at an age where they are developing a strong sense of individual personality (although very highly influenced by friends and social media). They deserve to be seen!
Where did the name come from?
We wanted an androgynous name and had a list. We liked this the best. And very importantly for any business we could trademark it.
Tell us about the inspo for your designs?
My daughter to start with! After years of trying to find clothes for her I became very aware of what tweens want, and what was missing in the market. We also design with longevity in mind. Classic styles that will last for many seasons to come so they can be worn by multiple tweens.
Sustainability and ethical production are becoming increasingly important in the fashion industry. How does your brand address these issues in its clothing production and sourcing?
For Gen Z (and Gen Alpha behind them) sustainability is a non-negotiable. Does the world need another fashion brand? Probably not. But here we are starting one and putting more clothes into the world. So how do we do that with intentional focus on circularity?
We know that these kids are gonna grow - so we launched with Aotearoa New Zealand’s first clothing buyback. Our customers love and thrash their clothes, then they can re-sell it back to us and use their credit for more Blaire threads! No landfill on us.
We only use natural fibres in our garments so that at their eventual end of life they will be able to be recycled at our local textile recycler.
Why should tweens buy from Blaire?
Cause we are just for you! No cutesy frills here or silly messages on the front of your tees. It lasts - they’re made to be thrashed not pilling on the first wear.
It fits - this is for tween bodies only. You won't have to tie up your jeans with a shoelace! We’re also intended to be inclusive so a lot of our styles run oversized.
And you can explore the second-hand shopping too
Why is social media an important part of Blaire?
Our tribe lives on it. As parents of teens you realise that TikTok particularly fills many places in their lives - how they learn to do ANYTHING, where they get news, where they get entertained. Also for our customers, the parents (mainly Mum’s) are still involved, as they bring the wallet! We talk to them mainly through instagram.
What is your long-term vision for the brand? How do you see it evolving and growing in the future?
To show fast fashion there is another way. Challenge these brands to take responsibility for the end of life of the items they are selling. Either by trade-in programmes or using fabrics that can be recycled.
Boys: we are girls only at the moment. But boys have the same problem
Global! This age group is ignored pretty much everywhere else also.
Blaire would love to hear from tweens! What do you think about Blaire? What do you want to see more of? DM us on Instagram.
