Christine Leung

Senior Designer – Sylvester
Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, New Zealand
Christine wears pieces from Coco, and our upcoming Sunny Boy collection
Interview & photography by Ike Conway

Christine is a senior Designer at Sylvester and long-time friend and collaborator. We chat about our vision for the new Sylvester brand and all the exciting things coming.

Hey Christine, before we start, tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi Ike, yes sure. I’m a senior designer at Sylvester and I help to lead the amazingly talented design team at Sylvester through designing, developing, and producing the collections. I’m born and bred in Tāmaki Makaurau, and I’ve worked in the fashion industry for most of my life. I’m always thinking about clothes and how they can make people feel.

How did you feel when we called you about making Sylvester into its own brand?

I was absolutely rapt with the idea of bringing Sylvester into its own. I’ve worked with Kate and Wayne since 2007, so I was excited to be working with them again, and they are great mentors to guide the new team through this evolution. Sylvester has always been close to my heart, having worked on the brand for so long, so it was a no-brainer, really, how could I say no?! I’ve always loved the relaxed, effortless nature of Sylvester. Initially, Sylvester was an off-shoot diffusion line of Kate Sylvester, and often referred to as Kate’s naughty little sister, which is a funny and cute way to think of Sylvester. Over the years, Sylvester has gradually developed into its own thing with its own identity. So whilst keeping true to Sylvester’s roots, it’s also cool to be working with the next generation of Sylvester, the new team, and I’m super excited about Sylvester’s potential to grow and evolve.

Do you have a past Sylvester piece you can’t live without?

I have one of the first Sylvester denim jackets we ever made from Summer 2020. I wear this on a weekly basis, and I try not to wash it too much to preserve it as much as possible. I have a couple of denim skirts from previous seasons, too. These denim pieces are my wardrobe staples.

We are well underway with the evolution of Sylvester. What has your favourite collection / campaign been so far?

I really enjoyed working on the Neo Noir collection. The film themes (Twin Peaks and The Shining) were definitely a couple of my faves to reference in the design process, and it was a fun campaign to shoot with our twinning shots and David Lynch-esque back drop.

You are wearing a bunch of un-released product for this photoshoot. Tell us a bit about it!

Yes, some of these pieces are from our latest Sunny Boy collection, which will be going into stores in a few weeks. It’s a mix of pieces you can wear at the beach, on holiday, or through party season. The Marianne Smock Dress is a perfect throw over your togs number at the beach or pair with some loafers or sandals and wear as a slouchy shirtdress off the beach as well. The mini check sun dress is a new shape we’ve designed, it’s cut on the bias and has a cute ruched shoulder detail, we love a bit of gingham at Sylvester. Shell knitwear is also going to be great, it’s going to be hard to decide which styles/colours to get as they’re all really good everyday pieces. And then there are some lovely cotton pieces in both the Diamond and Florentine broderie stories. I’m going to live in these pieces as the weather warms up.

We are constantly creating and innovating. What do you do to stay inspired creatively?

I’m always thinking about clothes, so inspiration comes from everything and anything around me, whether it’s in film, art, music, real life etc. I’ll often design what I’d like to wear myself, or what people around me would like to wear or need in their lives. As a regular thing, our team will sit down together and discuss things that we’re loving and inspired by. It’s a good opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and talk about things we wish we had to wear or garments we need in our lives. It’s so nice to work with clothes and products you love to wear yourself; it makes it all a more natural process.

What are you currently watching / reading / listening to?

I’m in the middle of watching the Marlon Williams doco: Nga Ao E Rua – Two Worlds, it’s on Māori TV at the moment, and it’s a really entertaining watch, he is an amazing musician and a real character.

I’m trying to read a Marianne Faithfull biography when I can find the time to stay awake, it’s been by the bed for a while now hahaha.

The last record I bought was Chrissy Zebby Tembo & The Ngozi Family : I’m Not Made Of Iron, which is an interesting piece of vinyl from the 70’s Zamrock genre, which blends traditional African music with psychedelic rock, blues, and funk. It has a really cool sound.

Summer is coming. What are you looking forward to most?

I’ve just moved house so I am in full nesting mode. I’m looking forward to putting down some plants in the garden and painting my bedroom over the summer break. Catching up with family and friends will be lovely. I can’t wait to relax, eat some nice food and go to the beach with my dog Lucky and my partner Jake. It’s been a big year; it will be great to have some downtime.