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.

Staying true to the principle that ‘you’ve got to go slow to go fast,’ Winnie celebrates slow craftsmanship, investing resources, fabrics, and time intentionally to empower Winnie Catherine women and leave them feeling quietly confident.

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 predominantly through a made-to-order model, a curated selection is available at Auckland stockist, The Shelter. Carrying one size of each style, this allows customers to experience the quality and fit in person before placing a tailored order.

“I think knowing that it’s coming from a brand that’s had them in mind is really special.”- Winnie Solomon.

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.

The Construction

What a customer never sees is what she refuses to compromise on… Hand stitching, traditional techniques over machine finishing. Each shirt is lined with a French seam instead of an overlocked edge - one of the sturdiest finishes available, chosen despite the extra time, thread, and cost it demands.

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 to be felt, not just seen. Every step is deliberate, and none are skipped; from construction to finishing, you’re investing in craftsmanship you can trust, even in the parts you’ll never see.

The care extends beyond the garment itself. Customers are kept in the loop from order to delivery, whether that be personalised emails from the founder, designer, and maker of Winnie Catherine, production photos to expose clients to that side of the industry they are unaware of, or personalised notes that refer to the client’s personal event/milestone the garment is produced 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

In a world that prizes fast and cheap, Winnie Catherine does intentional. She always returns to the saying, “you’ve got to go slow to go fast” because slowing down makes the level of craftsmanship possible. Small batch production isn’t a limitation; it’s a choice that lets her serve every Winnie Catherine woman properly, to those who want to know where a garment has come from, not just what it looks like.

“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, the people, 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