Long before Ponsonby Road became Auckland’s luxury strip and Newmarket emerged as the country’s premier shopping precinct, there was High Street.
In the early 2000s, the narrow CBD laneway was the beating heart of New Zealand fashion, home to a remarkable concentration of homegrown talent. Crane Brothers, Workshop, Fabric, Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester and Zambesi all sat within a few hundred metres of one another, spread across High St and nearby Vulcan Lane and O’Connell Street. The tight cluster of cobbled streets buzzed with independent boutiques, cafés, magazine offices and creatives (who remembers the old Pavement magazine offices above Rakino??!) It was on the bottom end of High Street that friends Kate Gosling (younger sister of Dan Gosling of Public Library and Beach Brains fame) and Lizzy Shand (then dating Huffer co-founder Steve Dunstan) opened the very first RUBY store, helping shape a generation of young New Zealand women discovering local fashion.
More than two decades later, RUBY – now owned and operated by several members of the Sharma family – is entering another chapter with the opening of a newly renovated flagship on Teed Street in Newmarket, a move that reflects not only the brand’s evolution, but Auckland’s changing retail landscape.
“High Street will always be a hugely important part of RUBY’s story,” says Head Designer Deanna Didovich. “It’s where the brand began and where so many of our early memories were made. But like many retailers, we had to respond to how the city and the way people shop have changed.”
Rather than one dominant fashion destination, Auckland has evolved into a collection of neighbourhoods, each with its own identity. For RUBY, that has meant growing alongside its customer.
“Our presence in places like Ponsonby, Takapuna and Newmarket has happened quite naturally as we’ve followed where our Rubettes are choosing to spend their time,” says Didovich. “Rather than one destination, we’ve built little pockets of RUBY across Auckland, each feeling connected to the neighbourhood it’s part of.”
Although the brand would have no doubt had the opportunity to relocate into nearby Westfield Newmarket, staying on Teed Street felt like the obvious decision.
“Teed Street has been home to RUBY for many years so there was a real sense that this was where the next chapter should begin too,” she says. “There’s something about the character of Teed Street that feels like a natural fit for us. It’s home to independent businesses, great hospitality and people who genuinely enjoy exploring the neighbourhood.”
The new store embraces that sense of place, with playful design details and RUBY’s unmistakable use of colour creating a space intended to feel as welcoming as it is shoppable.
In an era where fashion increasingly lives on phone screens and AI-generated imagery is becoming commonplace, the role of physical retail has arguably become more important, not less.
“Digital will always be an incredibly important part of our business,” says Didovich. “But over the past few years we’ve noticed something really interesting. More than ever, our community is looking for opportunities to come together IRL.”
She believes shopping has evolved beyond simply making a purchase.
“Whether it’s Rubettes coming along to an in-store event or our team gathering to view our new collection, some of the most meaningful moments happen when people are together in the same space.”
It’s a sentiment echoed across much of the fashion industry in 2026. While e-commerce continues to dominate convenience, bricks-and-mortar stores remain where brands build emotion, loyalty and community. Customers can touch fabrics, experience craftsmanship, receive styling advice and become immersed in a brand’s world in ways that no website can replicate.
For RUBY, the new pink store isn’t simply another retail address. It’s a reminder that while fashion may increasingly be discovered online, its most meaningful connections are still made in person.
RUBY Newmarket
4 Teed Street, Newmarket, Auckland 1023
Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm
