Based in Pōneke (Wellington), Winnie Catherine is a namesake label founded by designer Winnie Solomon, honouring the legacy of her great-grandmothers, Winifred and Catherine. The label's sophisticated pieces are carefully designed for the modern working woman, those who value both heritage and forward-thinking design.
Winnie Catherine celebrates slow craftsmanship and invests in quality fabric, resources, and time to empower Winnie Catherine women, leaving them quietly confident.
Behind the Seam of Winnie Catherine
Behind the Seam of Winnie Catherine
The Model
Winnie Catherine operates predominantly through a made-to-order model which avoids creating excess stock and unnecessary waste. Each garment begins with a name, not a size. With a specific customer in mind, the garments are built around fittings and consultations where fit problems are worked through together; thus, resources, fabrics, and time are invested intentionally.
While Winnie Catherine operates made-to-order through their e-commerce platform, a curated selection of ready-made pieces are available at Auckland stockist, The Shelter. Consumers are invited to experience the quality and fit in person, and have the opportunity to purchase immediately.
The Materials
Fabric, trims and notions are primarily sourced through Auckland suppliers, built on relationships that started in Wellington.
Wool, a prominent fabric of Winnie Catherine, is chosen for its versatility – adaptive, heavy or light, warm or cool, a natural fibre that’s built to last.
Construction
What a customer never sees is what she refuses to compromise on… Hand stitching, traditional techniques over machine finishing. Each shirt is constructed using French seams instead of an overlocked edge - one of the sturdiest finishes available, chosen despite the extra time, thread, and costs it involves.
Even the smallest details reflect this same care. With no automated buttonhole machine in the studio, small details take time and precision. Careful, repeated work is achieved, such as a hidden placket perfectly over top a buttonhole. Winnie naturally takes her time sewing, making sure everything is 99 % perfect.
“I’m not willing to compromise the quality of a garment just because doing it properly takes more time or costs more. That’s a cost I’m willing to take on, and it’s something I’ve accounted for in the price of the garment. For me, the quality and construction have to come first.”- Winnie Solomon
The Process
Winnie Catherine’s designs draw on the 19th-century garments – a period she returns to for its volume, detail and craftsmanship. Historical research shapes her collections like a leg-of-mutton sleeve, alongside a simple question: what does the customer actually need, whether that’s a milestone, an event or an ordinary Monday at the office?
Every pattern begins on paper, drafted entirely by hand before it’s sent to a grader in Hamilton and returned to the studio to be cut and sewn. Block fusing for jackets and covered buttons are completed in Auckland. Beyond this, the whole process stays in the house – now spanning sizes from XXS to XXL.
“These garments have my name on them, and I want them to last in my customers’ wardrobe for a really long time”- Winnie Solomon
What you’re investing in
Each garment is constructed with purpose. Every step is deliberate, from construction to the finishings, you’re investing in a premium experience of craftsmanship, and timeless design that will accompany you for the years to come.
The care extends beyond the garment itself too. Customers are kept in the loop from order to delivery, whether that be personalised emails from the designer of Winnie Catherine, with production photos to showcase to clients the making of their garments, or personalised notes that refer to the client’s personal event/ or milestone the garment has been made for.
“It’s made with intention, and it’s made with purpose, as they are when they are going to work.”- Winnie Solomon
Slow, by choice
Winnie Catherine is rooted in a more considered approach to making. She often returns to the saying “You’ve got to go slow to go fast,” because taking the time to get things right is what allows for a higher level of craftsmanship. Drawing from traditional tailoring and bespoke garment construction, she chooses small-batch and made-to-order production, not as a limitation, but as a way to remain closely connected to the process. For Winnie, it’s about creating garments with intention, where the quality, story and care behind a piece are just as important as how it looks.
“I like that people who really appreciate what I’m doing are investing in it; it’s not just sitting on a rack somewhere waiting to be sold to someone who might not understand the story, or who the garments are named after.”- Winnie Solomon
For the women who wear it
To feel looked after and confident in what they are wearing, naturally speaking in the quality and craftsmanship of the garments. She believes it’s really special for her clients to know its come from a brand that’s had them in mind every step of the way.
“I want Winnie Catherine women to feel quietly confident with the clothes she is wearing; her wardrobe is a manifestation of who she is and who she wants to be.”- Winnie Solomon
Shop The Label
Support local production by visiting the online store or booking a personal consultation at Winnie Catherine’s studio in Pōneke.
Visit the Auckland stockist to view Winnie Catherine pieces
78 Mackelvie Street, Ponsonby, Auckland 1021
The Shelter
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