To celebrate art, fashion, culture and community, we invited the creative Fabric of Auckland and beyond to collaborate on a mural for our Britomart store. Each artwork is now on display at FABRIC and shares the tapestry of our last 20 years.
A story of the people and ideas that have come to define FABRIC. Read on to discover more from our artists, covering everything from inspiration and their most iconic fashion moments.
Photography: Karen Inderbitzen-Waller.
Left: Delphine Avril Planqueel wears Gentleman Classic Shirt / Palmoa Camel by Mahsa and Signature Monogram Silk Scarf / Forest / Cream by Totéme.
Right: Delphine wears Otis Sunglasses / Bone by Anine Bing and Swim Crop top / Lapis by Matteau.
Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio.
Karen and Delphine: Karen Inderbitzen-Waller and Delphine Avril Planqueel are Fashion, Art and Advertising Photographers born in New Zealand and France respectively and are currently based in Auckland with their fox terrier Serge.
With a strong background in Fashion, Karen who’s a noted fashion stylist and Delphine a former Paris model, have dominated the industry with a polished international level of work.
Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?
Karen and Delphine: Firstly It would have to be the moment we placed as one of top ten International photography portfolios for Italian Vogue, flying to Milan to meet the team and getting praise for our work from our favourite fashion magazine. Secondly, finding a vintage Birkin bag in the perfect shade of blue.
Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?
Karen: Hereu sandals.
Delphine: Mahsa printed gentleman shirt worn with Totême scarf.
Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine - do you think they are important to one another?
Karen and Delphine: Absolutely, these two have been doing a long slow dance since humans started creating things. Perhaps art influenced fashion more than fashion has influenced art in the past but now in modern art and collections they are equally influenced by each other.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
Karen and Delphine: Film, travel (pre covid) and lots of long walks thinking while walking Serge, our dog.
Q: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Karen and Delphine: Be true to yourself and your own vision, keep things close to you and they will always be your own
Q: Where are you travelling to first when our boarders open?
Karen and Delphine: Straight to Paris and then the South of France, we miss our family so much and have been separated from our yearly two month visits there during the NZ winters.
Photography: Karen Inderbitzen-Waller.
Delphine wears Business Blazer / Grey Melange by Totême, Raiguer Slingback / Black by Hereu and MHL Shopper / Dark Indigo by Margaret Howell.
Statement of Artwork: Our tile is of a young Serge Gainsbourg painted by Delphine, Serge is a massive inspiration to us and our dog is also named after him.
The Comme Des Garçons Play heart is a birthday kiss to FABRIC from us.
Photography: Artist supplied.
Ch'lita wears N023 Black Heart Cardigan / Beige by Comme des Garcoons PLAY, Kit Trouser / Khaki by MHL by Margaret Howell and Sabot Shearling Sneaker / White Silver Beige by Golden Goose Deluxe Brand.
Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio.
Ch’lita: My name is Ch’lita and I am an artist and designer
Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?
The first designer items I bought were a Comme des Garçons skirt and blazer, I felt on top of the world.
Q: Your must have Fabric item in your Wishlist?
Ch’lita: All the golden goose sneakers, I want to collect them like Fabergé eggs.
Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine - do you think they are important to one another?
Ch’lita: Everyone in fashion wants to make art, everyone in art wants to be in fashion.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
Ch’lita: Reading widely and long conversation with friends.
Q: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Ch’lita: Cat Marnell once told me; Never Complain and Never Explain.
Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?
Ch’lita: Wellington, and then Los Angeles.
Photography: Logan Buchanan.
Lily wears Rory Jacket / Black by Anine Bing, Joelle Trouser / Black by Anine Bing and Lizzie Slides / Green Khaki by Anine Bing.
Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio.
Lily: I do find these questions incredibly hard to answer. It’s an ongoing joke that I’ve already lived my nine lives - I am always wanting to grow and learn and tick things off my list which is probably why I’ve succeeded in training myself to run a marathon, can butcher a whole pig and lamb and for a brief moment had a little side-hustle doing commissioned artworks that one time I tried my hand at graffiti… There’s a lot more but I’ll save it for my novel haha.
I grew up in Auckland with two fantastically mad parents… as I grow older and now have my own child, I am very grateful that I was raised in a house where passion and ideas were as important as food and water. My Father Reston Griffiths was continuously working on some sort of creative project, and he always had time to listen and encourage the same from others. He founded Max TV and was a successful art director, so music and film has always been ingrained in my DNA. Dad also had two advertising agencies and was known for his work on the Bendon account. In the late 1980’s he was casting for models in Sydney and that’s how he met my mother Brigitte Berger, who became the face of the brand alongside Rachel Hunter.
Because of my Mother’s successful modelling career I was also able to stand in front of a camera which gave me the opportunity to live and work in cities like Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. Modelling was never something I was interested in but I did love the creativity and collaboration of the industry. I studied commerce and marketing with the view to carve a path similar to that of my father but ended up in Public Relations. It drives me nuts when people ask me what does someone in PR do?!! Short answer: if you’re good at it, then YOU DO IT ALL.
So when I told my fabulous client Jacki Bresic (co-owner of FABRIC) of my fond memories, shopping at the Newmarket store as a 14 year old she insisted I participate in this artist series that commemorates the store’s 20 years of success.
I guess my upbringing and all of these things are referenced in my work… It’s in my genes and in the fabric of who I am… made in NZ from fashion/art/ideas.
Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?
Lily: The jeans I am wearing in my artwork are the first pair of jeans I purchased from Fabric. They were the original Tsubi graffiti jeans and I believe they were around $500 at the time. It was the most expensive item I’d ever bought so didn’t tell my mum that I spent an entire pay check (probably from my Farmer’s catalogue money) to call them mine. I’ve been addicted to retail ever since.
Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?
Lily: A full suit from Totême and a handful of the Public Possession P.IU P.ASTA T-shirts (I’m going to pair these with my homemade pasta and sauces for my nearest and dearest this Christmas).
Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine - do you think they are important to one another?
Lily: They are symbiotic. No art form is more important than another whether thats food/fashion/music/art... all can be intertwined. Life is all about collaboration.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
Lily: My friends, new hobbies, a constant to do list
Q: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Lily: Lean into the discomfort - Joshua Mckenzie
Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?
Lily: Sydney to see my wonderful friends and family
Photography: Lily Montana
Logan wears Forever Shirt B017 / Stripe Mix by Comme des Garcons SHIRT, St Clair Bath Towel / Ivory by BAINA and ERL Socks / Orange by ERL.
Logan's wishlist at Fabric is 7 pairs of Eli Russel Linnets Socks in orange, one for each day of the gregorian calendar week, supported with a Baina Roman Pool Towel - Cedar Sand and accompanied by the; Assouline - The Impossible Collection of Cigars. Which will be read and enjoyed with a cuban at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato..
Photography: Artist supplied.
Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio.
Petra: Petra Leary is an Auckland based Aerial photographer. She has an innate design sensibility, reflected in her unique process all the way from conception to post-production. Her work focuses on geometry, line work and colour found both in manmade and natural landscapes, often mixing mediums and techniques to create surreal and bold artworks.
Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?
Petra: I love the streetwear / fashion culture of Japan so traveling to Tokyo and being in the midst of it all was a big highlight for me. My most iconic piece of clothing was copping a Japan only Limited Edition TNF jacket from Harujuku Store.
Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?
Petra: The Comme des Garçons shirt multi print kaws edition is my number one on the wishlist!
Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine - do you think they are important to one another?
Petra: I feel like both art and fashion will always be hugely important, both standalone and intertwined. The expressive nature of both mediums, and the combination of the two are so ingrained in the roots of the cultures.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
Petra: Being outside and away from the computer, and being surrounded by such driven, creative and talented friends is what gets me most inspired.
Q: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Petra: Know your worth.
Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?
Petra: Hong Kong is at the top for me, I've been traveling internationally ( Pre Covid ) photographing and documenting the Basketball cultures and courts in different cities and Hong Kong's ones are so vibrant and colourful, combined with the crazy cool architecture of the towering buildings. I can't wait!
