Polka Dots & Cat Cameos

Two tiny doll-like girls, one an elfin blonde, the other with a shiny dark bob nearly covering a pair of very big brown eyes. They giggle a lot, but you should take them seriously, as they're the design duo behind cult fashion label twenty-seven names.

Created in 2006 by Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart and based in Wellington, New Zealand, each twenty-seven names collection is a little like a mixed box of Ladurée macarons - some classic, some fresh, some delightfully different, but all sweet and all addictive.

They mix frills and pretty prints with edgy fabrics and plenty of black. They love a good dose of pastel but they get inspired by contemporary art and they listen to gangsta rap in their studio.

The current range has ditsy florals, bows, ankle socks and a cute cat print that sells out as fast as it's stocked. The upcoming season has polka dots, love hearts, strawberries and peter pan collars. But it's the cool girls that are buying it, and they're wearing it their own way, with biker jackets and Doc boots, or patent brogues and vintage coats.

I caught the girls just after their much-lauded Winter 2013 show for a chat over old-fashioned soda and tiny pots of berry yoghurt…

How, where and when did you meet and how did twenty-seven names come together?

Rachel and I were introduced during a game of tag at primary school. Our mutual friends thought we'd make a good team. Rachel was a fast runner, I was good at hiding. I remember she was wearing bike shorts and a baggy t-shirt, not much has changed I guess. We've stayed best friends ever since, and during our uni degrees we launched a small brand out of our living room, hand printing sweaters and t-shirts. 

You've been mistaken for high schoolers. What's the secret of your eternal youth?

I think being short and smiling helps, also sunscreen.

What are the best things about living in Wellington?

Our family, our friends, the food, the coffee, the craft beers, the size, the waterfront, and the good days.  

What are your plans for world domination?

We just try with every season to get noticed, not unlike Pinky and the Brain...

You have a new print every season, where does inspiration come from for these?

Usually it comes from the inspiration from the collection. The cat print came from the idea that the cat dressed in its Sunday best would be a guest of (author) Katherine Mansfield's - the garden party. Rachel, who's a Fine Art student, went to work and came up with the little cat drawing - and we just kinda went cat crazy with it. The response has been awesome, people do really love cats! 

Do you have a favourite print from all your collections?

I would have to say a tie between the heartbreaker print and the cat cameo print.

Who would you like to see wearing the label, and what would they wear?

Beyonce. I think it would be awesome to see her snapped wearing a twenty-seven names multi-print cat cameo shirt, whilst walking Blue Ivy around Tribeca, she's my hero. 

Your favourite accessories for a twenty-seven names outfit?

I wear a necklace that Rachel gave me maybe ten years ago, it has a Best Friends charm on it and other charms I've collected over that last ten years.

If twenty-seven names had a soundtrack, what would be on it?

Okay... Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Outkast, TLC, Witchdoctor, Eminem, Jimi Hendrix, Fiona Apple, The Carpenters, Pep Love, The Roots, Jay-Z, ASAP Rocky, Pearl Jam, Beyonce, Radiohead, J. Cole, Joni Mitchell, Odd Future Warren G, Goodie Mobb, Tupac, A Tribe Called Quest, Phil Collins, Rory Gallagher, Necro, Mobb Deep... the list is endless...

Also check out their very cute video here.

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