Have you heard of this?
This was published by Air New Zealand's Inflight Magazine, Kia Ora, in August 2020. Article transcript below:
When designer Sam Hickey noticed that some men don't have the time or the desire to shop, and the struggle to source appropriate clothing, he knew what to do.
Hickey and his older brother Noah, a former All Whites player, had previously designed linen shirts but realised their customers wanted more.
"Men want to look good and others simply don't like shopping," says Hickey. "Yet they still want a high-quality, reasonably priced capsule wardrobe with interchangeable staples. Preferably without having to trawl through endless shopping malls."
Hickey and his older brother Noah, a former All Whites player, had previously designed linen shirts but realised their customers wanted more.
"Men want to look good and others simply don't like shopping," says Hickey. "Yet they still want a high-quality, reasonably priced capsule wardrobe with interchangeable staples. Preferably without having to trawl through endless shopping malls."
Enter Asuwere (pronounced as-you-were), a clothing subscription service that delivers new items to members each month. Starting with summer essentials such as shorts and t-shirts and winding through the seasons to stylish sweaters, chinos and hoodies. At the end of 12 months subscribers have a mix-and-match wardrobe of casual and more formal pieces. "It's shopping without shopping," says Hickey, 31, who started the service with his brother at the end of 2018.
All pieces are designed by Hickey, who previously worked on menswear for Huffer and sent 2 years in London dressing British blokes at the Perry Ellis Group.
When the brothers' linen shirt company morphed into Asuwere, they researched overseas subscription clothing services, many of which send clothes to customers who don't know what they'll be getting.
"But we didn't want there to be any surprises, so our members are able to view the 3 or so choices each month and pick their preferred item and colour, as well as see what's coming up."
All pieces are designed by Hickey, who previously worked on menswear for Huffer and sent 2 years in London dressing British blokes at the Perry Ellis Group.
When the brothers' linen shirt company morphed into Asuwere, they researched overseas subscription clothing services, many of which send clothes to customers who don't know what they'll be getting.
"But we didn't want there to be any surprises, so our members are able to view the 3 or so choices each month and pick their preferred item and colour, as well as see what's coming up."
There's also a green and philanthropic element - members are encouraged to send in clothes they no longer need, which are distributed to those who do.
The brothers recently opened their bricks-and-mortar store in Auckland's new Commercial Bay Shopping Centre. "Our core offering is still serving thousands of subscribers, but this is an opportunity for guys to come in, have a beer and simplify the shopping experience"
The brothers recently opened their bricks-and-mortar store in Auckland's new Commercial Bay Shopping Centre. "Our core offering is still serving thousands of subscribers, but this is an opportunity for guys to come in, have a beer and simplify the shopping experience"