Meet | Juliette Hogan

Warmer days are here! Tell us about your joys of Spring Juliette - what are you enjoying most about our longer, warmer days?

I love the crisp morning's spring brings around. It is also so nice to head home after work and still have some good hours of light, and time to go for a walk and play with my girls. I really enjoy dressing for spring as well. It is such a good time to play with different fabric combinations and layering pieces.

What's on your mind when designing your spring collections? Who are you designing for and where is she wearing what?

For this spring/summer collection, Alice and I were designing during last year’s winter lockdown. We were dreaming about brighter, longer days, having events to attend and no more lockdown. I think you can see this with all the bright colour and dresses we have in the collection. When designing, a lot of the time I think about if I will wear these pieces. Over the years my designs have evolved as I have. When I was pregnant, I made so many shirt dresses with buttons up the front for breastfeeding, and for this collection, I was ready for easy, relaxed, spring/summer looks.

Prints are always such a key feature of your collections - how have they come together for this collection?

We start with our prints very early on in the design process. Again, with this dream of summer events and holidays, our prints in this collection were inspired by golden sunsets, fields of flowers, and vibrant, joyful colour. We weren’t afraid to have bold, fun prints and I love how we have added monochromatic pieces in tones from the different prints, that can be paired easily with each other. My favourite print in the collection has to be the Songbird print. I just love how this design seems more subdued compared to the others, but when looking at it up close there are so many colours in there that can be tied back with almost everything in the collection.

...our prints in this collection were inspired by golden sunsets, fields of flowers, and vibrant, joyful colour.

Do you have any favourite pieces? How are you styling them?

Currently on high rotation in my wardrobe is the Sara Dress, the Joy Shirt in white, the Forever Tunic in Songbird, the Nomi Skirt in Vision Floral and the upcoming Billie Dress in Crisp Poplin, green. I love these pieces and am currently layering them with JHL, my Marvin Cardi and a trench, while the weather is still on the cooler side.

As your business evolves, what role does sustainability play? What does being environmentally aware mean to you and the Juliette Hogan brand?

At Juliette Hogan, our focus has always been on thoughtful design using quality materials and craftsmanship to create garments that stand the test of time. We recognise that the quality and longevity of our garments is only one facet of the very complex issue which is sustainability.

We created our Sustainability Strategy in the hope of tackling some of the responsibilities that our industry and business face and as a way to ensure economic, environmental and social needs continue to be at the forefront of all our decision-making. There is still so much for us to learn in this space, but I am excited about the steps we are taking and for future plans to come to fruition.

You recently launched JHLounge to widespread acclaim. What was your inspiration behind this direction?

JHL came about from wanting to find the perfect T made from quality and luxurious fabric, as well as a range of basics that could be easily paired with our mainline collections. The idea for this range was conceived during the first lockdown in 2020, when people were slowing down and everyday life seemed everchanging. Now, the range aims to deliver relevance in tune with the life, style, and values of today’s customers through garments that are designed to both enable and enhance our way of living, and to resonate with a new consciousness.

Tell us about your favourite: Restaurant / Weekend Destination / Summer Musician / Cocktail / Book / Recipe

Restaurant - Pici / Ada

Weekend Destination - Woolley's Bay, Northland

Summer Musician - Crowded House

Cocktail - French 75

Book - Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly + Auē by Becky Manawatu

Recipe - Tui’s seed crackers, anything from Ottolenghi,