Rickie Dee and James Rigden discuss their latest venture, Superette International

Trailblazers in the New Zealand fashion and retail space, Superette is well-known to fashion aficionados for their boutique store offering which brings an array of fresh labels to the mix.

Last year, the ever-evolving and expanding brand brought life to a brand-new concept – Superette International. As the name suggests, it has brought with it a carefully curated selection of established and emerging international brands from across the globe with a distinguished look and feel. Zara Overton caught up with co-founders Rickie Dee and James Rigden to learn more about Kent Street’s new store which opened in April.

N.  Congratulations on your new store – what is Superette International?

After almost 17 amazing years in retail, Superette International presents an opportunity to grow our current brand family and provide our customers with access to even more amazing designers from beyond Australasia. The brand offering at Superette International will comprise of top-tier established designers alongside some amazing emerging brands from every corner of the globe, all of which have a strong focus on premium wardrobe essentials, elevated accessories and highly-considered trend pieces that we think you’ll love and wear for years to come.

N.  What were the reasons behind a whole separate store? Why not just integrate the new ranges into existing Superette stores?

When developing this new concept, we were really interested in how we could inspire our customers even further. We’ve created a unique offering of brands that are designed to complement our existing mix, but like when we first started Superette, we will be bringing many brands to New Zealand for the first time. It just made sense to us to use a new space as a way of showcasing these highly curated collections and show off a different side of Superette that many won’t have seen before.

N. Who is the Superette International customer?

Superette International caters to both men and women and like our Superette customers, the International customer is quite varied as we always aim to have something for everyone. The Superette International customer is a global citizen and is up to play with all things fashion, design and lifestyle around the world. They love to dress up, have a comfortable yet refined style and love to experiment with new brands, styles and trends.

N. What is the interior/fit out / physical retail experience like?

We’ve teamed up with Melbourne’s DesignOffice to create a space that is small, intimate and homey yet quite polished and refined. The space definitely reflects our signature raw architectural aesthetic with luxe accents of velvets, draped curtains, parquet flooring and textural cast concrete. Kent Street is also an area of Newmarket that we’ve really fallen in love with. We love the sense of discovery it gives being slightly off the beaten path.

N. How frequently do new collections drop?

Daily! Like the rest of our Superette stores, there will be daily deliveries of fresh new styles. We’re always trying to get our hands-on amazing bits and pieces that we can introduce to our customers. A lot of the styles arriving at Superette International will also be one-offs which makes it super special for our customers, they’ll have to get in pretty quick to nab them though!

N. Superette have been successful in mastering both the online and bricks and mortar store experience. In an era where omnichannel retail is so important, how have you kept up with the changing nature of retail?

Our omnichannel approach is essential to how we run the business every day. We adapt everything we do to match the pace of the world and how our customers digest and consume fashion today. There is so much happening out there so our main aim is to take advantage of technology and where it is going to enhance our customer’s experience without feeling automated or de-humanised. We have a real drive to understand our customers – who they are and where they are communicating with us, technology helps us to gain insight into this however it’s so important to us to have our Superette team ready and waiting to help whether that’s in store, on the phone, via our online chat or through social media. Superette has always been more than a store, we’ve always aimed to create a lifestyle and that’s something our customers really resonate and connect with. Superette International is an extension of this and is all about connecting with the customers further, creating a lifestyle and designing an amazing experience that flows seamlessly between online and in store.

Superette International has also presented us with an opportunity to offer our customers some unique experiences that we’ve had in mind for a while such as by-appointment stylist sessions. We’re really committed to harnessing innovation to elevate the shopping experience and as a result, we’ve created a totally personalised service to make the lives of our customers easier. Customers are able to book appointments with one of six in-house stylists who best matches their aesthetic and is totally devoted to finding them exactly what they need. As we continue to strive to redefine retail, we’ve also created an online version of this service that delivers a curated range to some of our customers based outside of Auckland.

N. What are your 5 wardrobe must-haves?

1. A well-structured blazer

2. White linen tee

3. A beautiful silk cami

4. Biker style leather jacket

5. An amazing pair of jeans

8 Kent Street |  @superette.international