Getting to know Paula Murphy & Nicola Laird
Paula Murphy & Nicola Laird’s 20 years of friendship has come together in The Luxe Edit
Firstly, congratulations, Nicola, on your recent wedding in Ibiza! We've been following along on social media, and it looked like an incredible time. Now, it seems that this location has inspired your latest collection. Could you share a bit more about the inspiration behind the collection?
Nicola: “Thank you so much! It was amazing to be able to celebrate it with friends and family from both NZ and the UK, and to be able to do it in one of my favourite places in the world. From when we first started The Luxe Edit, I always wanted to share my favourite European spots, and Ibiza was on the list very early on. The timing of my and Jon’s wedding coincided perfectly with our SS23/24 Edit, so it became a great excuse for us to combine the two. It’s not often that Paula and I can both travel to our seasonal destination, so it was pretty special for us to be in Ibiza together, where we could celebrate my wedding, source a selection of beautiful one-off dresses for the store and capture imagery for our in-store mural.
It was also a great time to introduce Boteh to our offering at Luxe, as they have a strong connection to Ibiza. Although it’s an Australian brand, the founder and creative director Amelia Marther spends summers in Ibiza, and this can be seen in their beautiful imagery and bohemian feel of their resort pieces.”
It is clear that travel and discovery are at the heart of The Luxe Edit – what’s your favourite destination?
Paula: “Very hard to pick a favourite here - but I do love Bali - I have manufactured my Hideseekers’ Leather Garments and accessories there for the past 10 years, and every time I go back, I’m reminded of the warmth of both the locals and the weather. Plus, obviously plenty of great fresh food and beaches! My favourite seasonal Edit so far was probably The Malibu Edit – love that little pocket of LA, just off the Pacific Highway… I’m fundamentally solar-powered, so tend to gravitate towards beach towns by the ocean at every opportunity!”
Nicola: “I’m a huge lover of city breaks, so I would have to say that the New York Edit was one of my favourites. I’m fortunate to have spent a lot of time there over the last few years, and I've grown to love it more with each visit. It has an energy that is undeniable, and vintage shopping has always been a huge drawcard for me. Each visit, I always seem to find something amazing to bring back to Luxe — one being a beautiful Coach shearling coat with stunning whip-stitched detailing, which I still regret letting go!”
“We’ve been best friends for over 20 years, and despite living on opposite sides of the world for more than half of that time, we’d always dreamed of being able to work together one day.“
Nicola & Jon’s Wedding in Ibiza
You’ve both had quite different careers that have led you to where you are today, can you tell us a bit about your individual journeys into the fashion world?
Paula: “I studied Fashion Design in Sydney, and have worked in the fashion industry on both sides of the Tasman for over 30 years (eesh) in design, styling, marketing and merchandising roles for a variety of denim labels initially, including Levis, General Pants and Workshop Denim. I went from denim to designing party dresses for Wayne Cooper under his Brave label back in the late 90s, designed a collection of Womens’ shirts and suiting for Working Style, and honed my leathercraft skills in the Film Industry making Leather Vests and Trousers for a young Ryan Gosling when he was Young Hercules. The Luxe Edit is actually my 2nd store – I had a clothing label and boutique in Newmarket’s Nuffield St, called SIM in the early 2000s for about five years – which is around the time when I first met Nic!”
Nicola: “I've always loved fashion and from a very young age I was constantly creating ‘looks’, which I then modelled to my parents — and anyone unfortunate enough to be visiting the house at the time! In 1994 it was suggested to me by my hairdresser that I should try modelling and although it took me five months to pluck up the courage, once I started I never looked back. From walking in the B&H Fashion Awards to catalogue shoots, travelling abroad to Australia and Singapore, I loved every minute of it and made lifelong friends. Over time my career evolved into styling, choreography and teaching modelling courses for Maysie Bestall-Cohen, so my career in fashion has always been incredibly varied. Alongside this I also worked at Zambesi in Vulcan Lane and it was there that I really honed my retail skills. The leap to design came when I moved to London and I worked as an assistant stylist for the Orlebar Brown print campaigns. Before long I was asked to co-design their first womenswear swim collection. At the time it was a huge jump but I loved the challenge and found that the design aspect was something I really enjoyed.”
So, how did the idea of starting The Luxe Edit come about?
Nicola & Paula: “We’ve been best friends for over 20 years, and despite living on opposite sides of the world for more than half of that time, we’d always dreamed of being able to work together one day. We both love travelling, and discovering new labels and unique treasures from markets and out of the way destinations, and were constantly being asked by friends and personal styling clients alike, where they too could acquire these unique pieces. So we came up with the concept of The Luxe Edit – A seasonal Edit of Women’s clothing and accessories, inspired by our favourite luxury destinations.”
A seasonal Edit of Women’s clothing and accessories inspired by their favourite luxury destinations.
You both live in different parts of the world - Auckland and London. How does this geographical diversity influence the curation and style of your collections?
Paula: “Not only do we live in different parts of the world, our lifestyle and aesthetic can also be quite diverse at times – I would describe Nic as a city girl, whereas I’m more of a coastal girl – if Nic is New York then I’m L.A! When we’re buying collections for the store, we’ll often both fall in love with the same garment, but the way Nic would style and wear it, will be completely different from how I will put it together. Over the years we’ve had Luxe, we’ve become known for our Personal Styling tips and outfit advice, and often feature “one garment, styled two different ways” via our Instagram which our OBV clients really love. There is nothing more rewarding for either of us, than being able to demonstrate to a customer that not only can they wear that beautiful style or colour, but they can also style it several different ways, and it will be an investment piece they will enjoy wearing for many years to come.”
“When we’re buying collections for the store, we’ll often both fall in love with the same garment, but the way Nic would style and wear it, will be completely different from how I will put it together.”
The Ibiza Edit - Boteh & Ibiza Tanning Club
What I love about The Luxe Edit is all your unique pieces that I don’t see in other places. What is your process like when it comes to discovering those special finds?
Paula: “Being best mates living on opposite sides of the world, there are always multiple messaging streams of imagery and information being fired back and forwards during the week. Anything and everything, ranging from different designers one of us has stumbled across, outfits that have caught our eye, magazine imagery, shoes, jewellery, markets, vintage finds, galleries, concerts… If one of us happens to be overseas travelling, we’ll be sending each other photos of our day, where we’ve shopped, what we’ve eaten! We’re both really visual, and it’s usually just a back and forwards exchange of ideas until together we land on a theme or feeling we want to expand on for the next Edit.”
Nicola: “When Paula and I first started talking about Luxe we wanted it to have an international feel and for it to be a store where styling was at the heart of it. Each Edit I curate a selection of vintage and one-off pieces that I pick up on my travels and it’s these pieces that give our offering a depth that our clients love. Whether it be 90s Gucci or a beautiful dress from Phoebe’s era at Celine, I’m always searching for those special items which our clients now look out for — but they have to be quick as they don’t hang around for long!”
What do you hope customers take away from their experience with The Luxe Edit?
Nicola & Paula: “We want our customers to feel like they are being transported to one of our favourite luxury destinations – from the beautiful imagery on our back wall mural and postcards to the colour palette and garments hanging in-store, through to the scent of the candles we are burning and the accompanying Playlist we have curated – the store takes all your senses on the journey! It is dreamy escapism, and the power of a great outfit, a gorgeous piece of crystal jewellery, or a beautifully wrapped candle for a friend’s birthday, to lift your spirits and make you feel good. And we could all do with a bit more of that!”
Looking ahead, what’s next for The Luxe Edit?
Paula: “Nic is on her way down to NZ at the end of November, so we can work together in-store over the festive season, which is always exciting news! Then with Xmas just around the corner, we’re planning an in-store jewellery workshop event with our friend and fellow creator Vania that will give our customers the opportunity to create their own gemstone beaded bracelet – and a truly unique gift to a friend (or self!).
Make sure you visit our website and scroll down to subscribe to our Luxe List, to keep up to date with all of our latest news and special offers.”
Ibiza