Sylvester, the New Zealand fashion label run by designer Kate Sylvester’s sons, has announced it’s closing down amid a challenging economic climate.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday morning, the label said new arrivals of its final summer collection will continue to drop until Christmas, before it closes permanently next
February.
“We are sad to announce that after giving it our all, we have decided to wind up the Sylvester brand,” the brand said.
“We are so proud of all that we have created, but the hard reality is that the economic climate is so much tougher than we anticipated. We knew trying to build a business would be tough, but just trying to keep afloat in this current climate has been too intensely stressful for our entire team.”
Ike Conway, the label’s head of brand and son of Sylvester, told the Herald the business feels “sad, but the kind messages have been really heartwarming.”
He said trading conditions have been “so tough” since Sylvester started. “It hasn’t got any easier and we don’t see an uplift coming. Our priority is looking after our team and our suppliers.”
Sylvester first launched in 2004 as a casual sister label to Kate Sylvester. It was relaunched by the family’s sons Ike, Tom, and Cosmo Conway last April.
The brand said Sylvester, one of New Zealand’s most prominent fashion designers, and partner Wayne Conway, who is also the brand’s creative director, had made it clear the business had to pay for itself.
New Zealand designers continue to struggle in the fashion industry amid difficult economic conditions.
Sylvester closed her self-named label, which ran for 31 years, in March 2025.
In April, prominent fashion designer Wynn Crawshaw announced he was closing his label Wynn Hamlyn after 11 years in business.
Last May, fashion designer Tanya Carlson announced the closure of her label after operating for more than two decades.