A local business owner will be relaunching her designs at the Wanaka A&P Show this week, having taken the plunge and left her job to instead focus on her business.

Wanaka designer Sue James-Moore has been creating clothes since she was a child, and came up with the concept for Central Oil about five years ago.

The jackets - made with possum-fur trimmed oil skin - are made to order, right here in Wanaka.

The philosophy of Central Oil is “creating a beautiful functional garment that endures through time and trend”, Sue said.

Sue studied clothing design and construction and pattern drafting at Christchurch Polytechnic, but her experience in design started early. 

“I used to bring friends home at lunch time [from school], throw some fabric on the ground and cut a pair of trousers out for them,” she said.

Central Oil’s philosophy is beautiful, functional garments that endure through time and trend.

Sue has made one-off pieces for people over the years, and also worked In interior design, which has a strong cross over with fashion design, she said.

“I knew I wanted to design and make garments, but didn’t want to follow the seasonal turn around and changing trends of the fashion industry,” she said.

“Instead I wanted to focus on creating something that stayed current despite the fluctuations in trend, was useful and lasted a really long time.”

Sue developed the current design over “quite a long period of time”, trialled its wear, tweaked it and trialled it again.

While she launched the business originally in 2016, she has now decided to follow her instinct and focus solely on Central Oil.

“It just felt like the right time,” she said. “I can see there is a lot of support out there in the public for New Zealand made and something that lasts.”

“I feel good about the integrity of my product. I like that I am producing something locally, Wanaka made, that will last, that I think is beautiful and useful and will give people warmth and hopefully a spring in their step when they wear it. I am punting that people will support these aspects if they can.”

Sue said the benefits of exhibiting at the A&P Show include offering the chance for people to look at the detail, feel the fabric, and try on the garments.  

“I would like people to try them on as they have a way of putting curves in the right place,” she said. “They are quite a tailored fit and it would be good for women to see what size works best for them.”

All the jackets at the show will be samples and she will take orders.

You can find Central Oil at the Wanaka A&P Show this weekend (March 11-12) at V17 (the lakefront side on Pembroke Park).

PHOTOS: Supplied