Your undies. Your sweatshirt. They’re all still made by people. And if they’re really cheap, chances are low the person who made them was being paid a fair wage in a great working environment.

Everything adds up!

The breakdown I’ve made here doesn’t include the cost of fabric!

When using upcycled and second hand fabrics the minimum would be $10-20. Minimum. For custom orders I use dead stock, organic or sustainably produced fabrics that start at $20 per meter. And most of my dresses use at least four (up to nine) meters of fabric.

For construction this is also a minimum. Each piece takes at least four hours from cutting to completion. One-of-a-kind pieces demand a full design process and most of the time a lil trial and error. This time is NOT included in the breakdown .

Minimum hourly wage in Aotearoa is $22.70. I am listing $30 per hour for my labour. This model also doesn’t include other running costs, this is a basic break down for construction.