Fashion Society’s Abbey Dickson brings her inimitable sense of style to her Christchurch boutiques. She prides herself on helping her clients reignite their passion for fashion.

How did Fashion Society get started? I have always envisioned running and owning my very own boutique. In February last year the opportunity arose to buy Deval in Christchurch. To make it feel more like my own, we decided to rebrand to Fashion Society to give the business a refresh and new light.

What’s the vision for your brand? I want my clients to feel like they can be elegant and edgy with their style. The labels in Fashion Society are all timeless and pieces I love to wear myself.

What do your boutiques specialise in? We have a large range of international labels you can choose from, like Camilla, SAM New York, Anine Bing, Cami NYC, and Zadig et Voltaire to name a few. We’re also lucky enough to have our very own factory attached to the back of our Tannery store where we specialise in producing customised leather and slink jackets for women and men. So if you want a different colour or some style tweaks, no problem, we can customise it just for you.

What are the trends for this season? I love a comfy sneaker that can be worn dressed up or down for any occasion. We’ve just got the Madeworn rock tees in, which I love pairing with my Paige exposed button jeans, which are very on trend this season.

You regularly travel to Australia and the US on buying trips – how do you decide what to bring back? I love to get into the new-season clothes myself and really envision how the pieces in my store work together and tell a story. I have been in the buying industry for five years now so I have a great understanding of which pieces my clientele would love and that would look good on both the ‘mother and daughter’.

How did you get started in fashion? I knew at high school that fashion was the career for me. I started in retail, managing a store in Queenstown before heading to Melbourne and then Sydney, where I spent six years at high-end Bondi boutique Tuchuzy.

Do you have an outfit in mind for the summer season? The new Cecilie Copenhagen range is perfect for this summer and we have a beautiful range of colours and styles to choose from. I love that I can dress it up with a heel for a night out or dress it down with some flat shoes.

What’s your one essential fashion piece? My go-to is the Smythe Duchess blazer – the detail in the back is so feminine and fun.

What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday? I love walking over the Bridle Path and grabbing a coffee in Lyttelton.

What’s special about your stores? We pride ourselves on looking after our customers, offering upcoming trend advice, building your seasonal wardrobe and showing you options that are perfect for your style. Our clients are encouraged to take their time and enjoy a tea or a coffee and indulge in our high-end fashion luxury labels. If you’re from out of town, feel free to call us and we’ll pick you up from the airport.

fashionsociety.co.nz