Behind the doors of an unassuming fabric shop, a quiet revolution is taking place.

Heading down Newton Road, it’s easy to miss The Fabric Store, an unobtrusive two-storey building set slightly back from the street that is fronted by a small parking lot. But many would be surprised to learn that what’s inside has an almost cult-like international following, and the store is at the heart of a revolution that has been taking place in spare rooms and on social media for years.

Just type #thefabricstore into Instagram (where they have almost 120,000 followers) and you’ll find tens of thousands of images of happy customers modelling handmade garments made from The Fabric Store’s popular organic linens and ethically produced merinos (and much more besides) in fashion-forward colourways.

As consumers become more interested in the impacts of fashion and fabric production and the industry moves away from cheap
fast fashion towards clothing that is environmentally and socially sustainable, The Fabric Store has been perfectly positioned to tap into this movement. The business is 17 years in the making, but has seen huge growth in the past few years, evolving from a single store in Auckland to nine stores internationally (four in Aotearoa, four in Australia and previously one in LA), and building a fiercely loyal online customer base.

Media manager Anna Rodewijk Sole says it was a perfect storm.

“We went online in 2018 in response to e-commerce becoming more of a thing, and then the pandemic pushed more people to shop online. As well as that, there’s more conversation around the issues of the social and environmental impacts of fashion, and people want to explore how they curate their own wardrobes. Making your own clothes is a natural extension of that, which is so cool.” 

A customised shopping experience

Shopping at The Fabric Store is always a warm, welcoming and informational experience. At the Newton Road shop, you will be greeted by a colourfully dressed team, who are almost always wearing garments they made themselves.

Anna says staff tend to come from a fashion background and can offer customers a unique in-store experience.

“They are really interested in sewing themselves, so they can share inspiration and insight and help each individual customer. People might come in with a particular type of fabric in mind, or they might have an idea for a project that we can offer options for, so it’s a tailored experience. Our staff have a genuine connection to the product, so customers can have a deeper conversation.”

Take Auckland store manager Zoe Mitchell. Zoe came to The Fabric Store just 18 months ago, but her relationship with the store began years before through her love of sewing. She frequented The Fabric Store’s Wellington and Auckland shops while studying fashion at university and says the experience was always so genuine.

“Everyone was so lovely – and that was years before I worked here. The people here are so keen to help and share knowledge about fabrics. They’re as excited as you are about your project.” 

The pace of fashion

The famous linens and merinos, which are milled for the store exclusively, make up about 15% of the stock. The other 85% is designer deadstock that comes in from New York, Italy, Japan and beyond.

“We carry a lot of one-off rolls,” says Anna. “We’ve currently got Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch, and local designers such as Maggie Marilyn and Juliette Hogan. They come through as tiny rolls that are unique to us and our stores, which makes the visit to the store a bit of a treasure hunt.”

Sewing fashions move at a different pace from the fashion industry. Zoe says that sewists are generally more mindful of slowing down and choosing styles and colours that work for them rather than what is fashionable. It’s an ethic that fits with The Fabric Store’s core beliefs.

“Our customers are looking more for their own individual look than following a trend. Of course, there are certain colours and silhouettes people are after, and they’ll be reflected in fashion, but in the sewing world, people look for something that suits their colouring and style.”

She says there is no typical sewist; both newbies and old hands walk through the doors every day.

“There has definitely been a rise of people who want a new hobby, but we’ve also noticed a return of customers who haven’t whipped out their machine for 20 years and are coming back to it after a long time away. It’s such a cool space to be in.” 

Interested in sewing? Here’s where to start.

Choose an easy fabric

Start with a fabric that is easy to work with, such as linen or cotton. They’re not too slippery, easy to cut out, and they won’t slide around or get gobbled up by your sewing machine.

Select a simple pattern

Plenty of patterns are simply rectangles sewn together. Ask in store for advice or take a look at TFS blog (wearethefabricstore.com/nz/blog), where you’ll find free patterns for easy projects such as berets, tote bags and oven mitts. TFS has also developed its own range of patterns under the name Make by TFS, which can be downloaded as PDFs (wearethefabricstore.com/nz/make-by-tfs).

Don’t want to sew your own?

TFS will point you to a local dressmaker who can meet you in store or select fabric swatches for you to bring your vision to life.