KILT began in 2000 with a simple idea: to create affordable, stylish clothing designed and made specifically for New Zealand women. Back then, there were few options for locally made fashion that combined quality and accessibility. We set out to change that—and 26 years later, we’re proud to still be doing just that.

At KILT, we believe that New Zealand made stands for quality, integrity, and care. The global fashion industry has sped up, encouraging excessive consumption of cheap, mass-produced clothing. In the process, the true meaning of quality has been lost—and harmful production practices have become the norm. We know this can change—one conscious consumer at a time. When you choose KILT, you’re not just buying clothes. You’re supporting local jobs, keeping money in New Zealand, and helping to grow skill sets that would otherwise be sent offshore. You’re choosing transparency over uncertainty—because overseas production often means unknown working conditions, pay rates, and employee rights.

Unlike many brands, KILT only sells our own garments. That means you’re buying directly from us—at what is essentially wholesale pricing. No unnecessary markups. Just quality, locally made fashion at accessible prices.

Our design room is home to a tight-knit team of seven with four creative minds who design every piece with love, right here in New Zealand. Keeping our production local means we can respond quickly to what our customers want, maintain strict quality control, and deliver fashion-forward designs without delay.

Instead of seasonal releases, we introduce new pieces every week & re-run KILTie favourites in new options to keep your wardrobe fresh and exciting. Our garments are produced in limited quantities, so your style stays unique (just check your tag to see!). We listen to our customers, take feedback seriously, and pride ourselves on providing exceptional service.

We are proud to be New Zealand made and we want everyone to enjoy it. That’s why we keep our prices accessible, without compromising on quality or ethics.

KILT: Fashion made here, for you.

 

The Process:

Design

Our Design Team take inspiration and feedback from our customers and staff to create timeless pieces. They sketch out the design and brainstorm what fabrics would best be suited to get the whole picture of what the design could end up being. Our designers then begin the pattern drafting process!

Create

Once a pattern has been drafted, the designers make their own wearability sample in one of the chosen fabrics. This is then worn and washed over a 2-3 week period to ensure the style and fabric wears well and that everyone in the Design Room is coveting it. A final sample is then made by our sample machinist.

Produce

Once we are happy with the final sample we create a specification sheet. Working out which fabrics and the quantities and ratios. We then tender the style to the Cut Make Trim factories that we use in New Zealand.