Starting a business from scratch is one thing—doing it post-stroke, with limited vision and zero experience in fashion retail, is something else entirely.
We got to work designing the range. Using yarn, we already had on hand—and some purchased through Caroline’s industry contacts—she began producing the first collection while I set up the studio.
A few weeks later, those initial tasks were complete. We certainly weren’t aiming for an empire—just something sustainable. The goal was simple: cover our setup costs, yarn, packaging, and maybe a few coffees along the way. But even those modest goals came with a steep learning curve.
We quickly learned that selling beautiful knitwear was about far more than just making it. Caroline handled the costing, and I had completed a branding exercise to launch Aoraki Clothing. The website was underway, and I began the endless, endless photography. Every colour needed capturing. Every product needed multiple angles. And every photo needed to tell a story—preferably without glare, wrinkles, or a cat walking through the background.
Then there was inventory. Caroline’s decades of experience once again came to the fore. She quickly had systems in place, inventory sorted, and everything labelled. We tried to keep it tidy and streamlined. Tried being the operative word.
Behind the scenes, I was wrestling with the website backend. The stroke had taken a toll on my vision, but not my stubbornness. I fumbled my way through plugins, settings, and layout builders.
Meanwhile, Caroline was a force of nature. She streamlined production, tested yarn blends, and refined designs. She brought the same attention to detail she’d honed over decades in the knitwear industry—only now, with full creative control.
We’ve now had four photo shoots, and while each one brings a new set of challenges (and the occasional bout of laughter from the models), they’ve become an important part of shaping the brand’s visual identity. What people don’t see behind the polished photos is that Caroline’s workroom and my photo studio are at opposite ends of the house. It’s not unusual for us to go the whole day without seeing each other—until we finally meet somewhere in the middle, usually one of us holding a half-finished Toque or a glass of wine (much better!).
At the time of writing, we’re in the middle of a blistering Northern Hemisphere summer slowdown. But we’ve built that into the plan. These quieter weeks give us time for product development and reflection. We’ve started tracking which colours and styles perform best and letting that data shape our next range update.