My first stop in Wellington? Kowtow, of course.
Tucked just above their Wellington store, the Kowtow head office feels exactly how you’d imagine – bright, calm, organised and considered. A perfectly on-brand backdrop for a brand built on intention. I made my way through the store, around the corner and upstairs, where the team was already mid-flow in their day.
What followed was a walk through racks of the new collection, boxes stacked with purpose, and into the creative heart of the space – a room lined with mood boards, fabric clippings and references. It’s here that Head Designer Dayne Johnson and the team shape each season.
One by one, we unzipped the Kowtow team to see what actually makes it into their work bags.
Renee Louie, Head of Sales
We started with Renee, whose black leather bag was perfectly stuffed yet still somehow slouchy.
She began with the essentials – phone, water bottle – before pulling out something that’s become part of her daily routine: Mind Mushroom chocolates. She explains they’re her go-to for focus and energy.
Sunglasses followed, along with her wallet and a Kowtow pencil paired with a pen from a quiz night. A roll of dog poo bags made a surprise appearance – “not for me,” she clarifies.
Then came lip liners, hand cream, sanitiser and a business card from a jeweller in Whanganui, where she recently had old jewellery reworked into the earrings she was wearing that day. A subtle but telling nod to Kowtow’s ethos of reuse and thoughtful design.
Steph Moore, Brand Marketing Specialist
Next up was Steph, carrying a colourful plaid tote – almost too small for a workday, yet somehow filled to the brim.
She kicked things off with her headphones, which she’s recently discovered double as ear warmers during cold Wellington mornings. Sunglasses followed, along with not one, not two, but three lip balms.
Leaning into beauty, she pulled out an Abel fragrance – a local Wellington brand that seems to be quietly dominating everyone’s daily rotation right now. A movie ticket for Ryan Gosling’s latest film surfaced next, followed by an oversized scrunchie from Penny Sage.
Hand cream from Leaf made sense. A blush? Sure. But then – a jar of Marmite.
We didn’t question it.
She wrapped up with a vitamin C packet, rounding out a bag that felt equal parts practical and deeply personal.
Krista Barnaby, Graphic Designer
Krista opted for a black leather slouchy shoulder bag.
Inside: a water bottle and notebook, followed by a film camera and her keys. Lip balm and a half-empty packet of electrolytes came next.
Then, a standout: a jar of Fix & Fogg peanut butter. A true office essential, she explains – perfect with apples or on toast.
From there, hand sanitiser from Of Body in Nelson and Aēsop hand cream appeared, before she pulled out a perfume bottle nearing its end. She admits it’s probably mostly water at this point – topped up to make it last. The dedication to scent is real.
The rest felt familiar: a comb, sunglasses, and snacks – an oaty slice and a plum.
Moya McLennan, E-Commerce Manager
Moya carried the new Kowtow Concert Bag, finished with beautiful smocking detail.
Her laptop and phone came out first, followed by a book she’d picked up that very morning from a local book bin. A KeepCup, keys, wallet and sunglasses spilled out next.
Then came a bright green refillable deodorant and an Abel fragrance in Laundry Day. A few makeup essentials followed, along with a small toy car – left in her bag by her nephew and now, apparently, permanently part of the lineup.
Ruby Chappell, Garment Technician
Last but not least, we unzipped Ruby.
She carried the new Kowtow Bow Bag in Workwear Stripe – deceptively spacious, she notes.
Inside: phone and wallet, Sans [ceuticals] hand cream, AirPods, lip balm and an Abel scent she says comes everywhere with her.
Then came the telltale tools of her trade – a tape measure and a tin sewing kit – followed by fabric swatches. A quiet insight into the hands-on nature of her role.
The Ground Beneath
After unzipping the team, we sat down with Dayne Johnson to talk about Kowtow’s latest collection: The Ground Beneath.
At its core, the collection is an ode to the many hands behind each garment. From the people who pick the cotton to those who construct each piece, the collection is grounded in the human process of making.
“The Ground Beneath… it feels really grounding for us as a design team,” he explains. “We looked at traditional handicraft and artisan techniques when we started researching this collection. It became about the hands that make the clothes – the hands that pick the cotton, the hands that pin the garment on the mannequin. There’s a real connection to people in that.”
Rather than a single reference point, the collection draws from traditional craft techniques – patchwork, painting and textile construction – all explored through a hands-on, material-led approach.
Texture plays a defining role. Light voile florals sit alongside structured tailoring and sculptural poplin, while the signature brown denim takes its cue from potting soil – earthy, rich and utilitarian.
One standout piece for Dayne is the Etched Dress, “We’ve done this beautiful artwork across the torso – it’s a form of smocking using natural rubber encased in Fairtrade organic cotton,” he says. “It creates this accordion-like texture that’s really soft and comfortable against the body. It stretches, it moves… it’s just a beautiful example of that artisanal, handcrafted feeling.”
Kowtow’s commitment to single-fibre, plastic-free design continues to shape the collection. With no zips or synthetic trims, the team works within a deliberately limited palette – using toggle buttons, nickel-free domes and clever construction techniques to achieve structure and form.
“We don’t use zips, we don’t use synthetic trims… so we can’t make things super fitted in the traditional sense,” Dayne notes. “The structure of what we design is determined by those constraints. But that’s also where the creativity comes from.”
The palette is grounded in nature – soils, minerals and foliage – layered with signature pops like Nasturtium Orange and Factory Blue. The result is a collection that feels deeply connected to both land and process.
Explore Kowtow here:
https://nz.kowtowclothing.com
Learn more about their ethos:
https://nz.kowtowclothing.com/pages/reshaping-fashion
Follow Kowtow:
https://www.instagram.com/kowtowclothing/
