Brighten up your summer wardrobe with hej hej 

Words: Maggie Wicks

Could the long season of the tracksuit be over? As we emerge from both winter and two-and-a-half long years of staying (for the most part) inside, could Kiwis finally be ready to shed their grey and black layers and embrace a bit of colour?


It’s known as dopamine dressing – donning bright colours to give yourself a natural mood boost (and it cheers up the people around you, too). If you’re curious to experiment, hej hej could be the place to start.


This local fashion brand has never been afraid of a little colour. Over five years, hej hej has released consistently cheery clothing ranges in high-quality fabrics that will fit right into your wardrobe.


hej hej was started by friends Alice Isles and Kiki Judd. The pair met at university in Dunedin, living – and crafting – together. “We were both really interested in fashion,” says Kiki, “and we used to knit together in our flat. I had a sewing machine and we used to whip up a few questionable garments, so we’ve been friends for a really long time.”


hej hej launched in 2018, when Kiki was living in Shanghai and Alice had been working in fashion back home. Alice designed, Kiki sourced fabrics and oversaw production. The brand has always been bold, from the palette and patterns, to the garments (big sleeve energy!), right down to the name.


“Hej” is Swedish for “hello”, and “hej hej!” is what you’re likely to hear if you push open the door of a store in Stockholm. It’s an upbeat greeting, which is exactly the energy Alice and Kiki wanted to bring to their label. “We wanted it to feel fun,” says Alice. “A name

that suited our style and felt friendly and approachable as well.”


Sink or Swim, their new summer collection, brings together cobalt blues and oranges, pinks and patterns, textures created by local textile artist Amber Rixon, and even a standout lobster print. Says Kiki: “We felt after the couple of years we’ve all been through, we really wanted to celebrate summer now more than ever and all the events and festivities that come with it. So we threw everything at this collection, all the colours, fun and bright embroideries, big puffy sleeves, the lobster print – we’ve thrown everything at this.” 

All hej hej’s pieces are made from high-quality linen, a beautiful (and occasionally crumpled-looking) natural fibre. Linen is breathable, long-lasting and perfect for summer, but it can also appear rather crushed.

 

“Crumpled is fine!” says Alice. Her tip is to hang your linen while it’s damp straight out of the wash, so it dries with a nice, flat finish. Then give it a gentle press with a steamy iron, which makes pressing easier.

“I’ve given up on too much ironing. Yes, it’s crinkly, it’s linen! The best

thing is to enjoy its natural texture.”


The clothes are bold, but they’re versatile. hej hej’s pieces are

designed to work for home, at the office, and out and about for the weekends. “We’re both mums and a lot of working mums are

feeling the same way. People want versatile clothes, and we want people to get a lot out of their clothes.”


So if you feel like brightening up your wardrobe this summer, but you’re not sure where to start, the hej hej team suggests heading along to a store. “The people in our stores are really good with colour and they understand that how people wear colour is always really different,” says Kiki. “They’re good at providing advice on how to fit it in with your current wardrobe and making sure you get lots of wear out of everything. A lot of people come in saying, ’I’m not sure

I can pull this off’, but then you’ll try it once and find that actually it’s easy, and you’ll be more confident with dressing in colour.”



Alice agrees completely. “When people are trying something on in the store, they can be like, ’but when would I wear this?’. Layer it, or tone it down with sneakers. The most important thing is don’t just let it hang in your wardrobe, get out and wear it.” 

Share by: