A Winning Combination
Kate Boyden and Emma Main are sisters and owners of Maman, Remuera’s trailblazing fashion boutique. Crowned Retailer of the Year in the Ōrākei Local Board Business Awards 2018, Kate and Emma sat down to talk shop with the RBA. (Article is also featured in the March 2019 edition of The Hobson)
Kate, what was your inspiration to establish Maman?
“We owe our inspiration to our late mother, Debra Dixon, a woman with an innate sense of style, unwitting determination, admirable business sense and a hard-working mother. Mum’s story started in Remuera with a clothing boutique on Benson Rd. Her strong sense of style and love of fashion filtered down to us. We wanted to build a legacy in memory of her and establish a boutique she’d be proud of, whilst offering an exclusive shopping experience to the Remuera community.
Tell us what inspires you in your business.
We created Maman with a vision in mind. We had a passion to supply high quality international brands and designs,previously not seen in New Zealand, housed in a space that was reminiscent of a French-style boutique. We have built a business where new brands can be discovered, and women can come and be styled from head to toe in a true ‘effortless chic’ style. The name Maman, French for mother, is a salute to our dear Mum, and a word that immediately alludes to Parisian style.
Emma, who are your typical customers?
We love catering to a woman who loves to travel, has an eye for beauty and style and wants to be effortlessly presented, whether it is modern classic chic or casual-cool. It’s really about empowering each woman and making them feel good. We love to create full outfits – either building a new seasonal wardrobe, providing the core basics women can top up with, or selecting a unique statement piece – a special one-of-a-kind garment.
Where do you source your stock?
We consistently buy garments and accessories with our customers in mind, whether it be from Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, LA and New York — we stock over 40 international brands. We often view a range and know straight away who the pieces will suit. Our business is in its fourth year and we have built a fantastic database of customers detailing their styles and sizes, favourite brands and key needs and wants. We innately know their style from spending time with them and building that relationship. Many of these ladies are now our dear friends.
Kate, why Remuera?
Emma and I both grew up in Remuera and have chosen to bring up our families here. We love the strong sense of being here, the vibrant, kind, warm community, and embracing the Remuera philosophy to ‘Live Life Local’. We saw a gap in the market and wanted our customers to know they didn’t need to travel abroad or across town to source exclusive, international fashion - it could be right on their doorstep. Our love for Remuera means we enjoy being involved in community activities and in supporting neighbouring businesses. I’m also an active board member of the Remuera Business Association. We are excited about the future of Remuera, to be moving forward with new developments and notably the arrival of new, young families to the area. Its an exciting time to be living here.”
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Sitting down with Kate and Emma it is clear to see their commitment and dedication to their business, and passion for bringing leading fashion, world-class service and a unique customer experience to Remuera. The Remuera Business Association sees Maman as an inspiration to business owners, and is excited to see an increasing trend of innovative retailers coming to Remuera, broadening our demographic reach.
Maman, 2A Clonbern Rd, Remuera, www.maman.co.nz
