This New Zealand brand is making relaxed basics your wardrobe is in desperate need of

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29th Aug 2019

Juliet Souter launched her womenswear label, Marle, in 2014 with a collection of 10 knitwear pieces. Souter had studied fashion design, majoring in knitwear, and had worked in the New Zealand fashion industry for more than a decade – both in PR and as a buyer – when she chose to launch Marle. Five years on, Marle has grown into so much more than a knitwear label; now, it’s a fully-fledged brand producing full collections four times a year and while knitting techniques are still a code of the brand, Marle is now also about comfortable yet considered clothing that ticks all the boxes for the contemporary woman.

“The Marle woman is all ages and in all stages of her life,” Souter explains. “She is a daughter, friend, sister, mother and grandmother. She is quietly self-assured and appreciates the benefits of wearing natural fibres and fabrics, and treasures the pieces she invests in. She shies away from trends, however does like to keep a relevant wardrobe while maintaining her classic, understated style.”

Marle may have piqued your interest if you follow a slew of Australian fashion influencers who have recently turned to the brand for its laid-back offering – for instance, Sara Crampton of Harper and Harley who also stocks the brand on her e-commerce site, The Undone. “The Marle aesthetic suits the relaxed nature of the Australian way of life and also the climate,” Souter explains of why the brand has attracted such a large fan base in Australia. “The luxurious hand feel and practicality of the natural fibres and fabrics we use along with the simple silhouettes are constant points of feedback from our customers in Australia.”

The New Zealand label is based in Mount Maunganui, a beach town on the east coast of the North Island, rather than in a city, which is something Souter credits to the relaxed aesthetic. “We moved here from Auckland about five years ago and haven’t looked back,” she explains. “We’re yet to come across an issue with not working in a major city. The Mount is inherently relaxed, so this has been the framework for each piece in the design process, along with the use of natural fibres and our more tonal colour palette that we work within each season.”

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A look from Marle’s spring 2019 collection. Image credit: courtesy of Marle

Far from being a setback, the fact that Souter lives and works in the suburbs means she is expertly placed to design for the contemporary woman juggling all that comes with modern life – and the clothes this woman wants to wear while doing so. “I feel that fashion and the expectations on our every day wardrobes have relaxed in recent times so I have been able to create relevant pieces that are welcomed additions to our customer’s day to day lives,” she shares. “Also living a life that is so entrenched in nature, given the sheer geography of where we live, has definitely had its effect on design and business decisions I’ve made.”

For Souter, who is also a mother of two (starting a business with a young family isn’t for the faint-hearted!”), wearability is close to her heart but so is sustainability, another of the brand’s codes. “I began using natural fibres out of a love of how they feel when worn next to the skin and also the level of texture that can be created when working with them,” she says. “This has evolved into the affect they have on the planet and my personal standpoint of wanting to leave a lighter footprint. We proudly use a mix of silk, cashmere, flax linen, mohair, merino, cotton, hemp and Perino – each of these fibres also have their own unique properties and benefits for the wearer.”

Up next for Marle, following early success of its recently launched spring collection, is a resort offering that will drop in October. “With this range, I also wanted to bring some warmer tones through and have done this with the base colour of a print which is a brick, chocolate shade and added a muted khaki green which lends itself to a resort feel. I have also reintroduced pieces that have been well received in new fabrics and colours, such as our Hunter shirt in a sheer silk/linen and our Unity tank in an oatmeal and chocolate hue.” For Souter, the fabric and yarn is always the starting point of her design process. Then she turns to the woman. “Within our current spring collection, I have looked to subtle, old world design details and finishing techniques such as deep tucks, silk covered buttons and high necks with gathering. I feel that each of these aspects offer a feminine touch to my more simple silhouettes – they also transcend time.”

For fans of the brand, October also means a shoe offering, including two pairs of leather sandals that Souter had handmade in Greece, plus a lot more to come. We also have a capsule collection launching in October in support of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and for collections to come, you can expect more of our luxurious, wearable and considered garments in natural fibres.”