Fashion designer, Kristine Crabb Photo: Nicole Brannen
After closing her beloved clothing label Miss Crabb, Auckland fashion designer Kristine Crabb now has a new label called Gloria.
She shares with Charlotte Ryan a mixtape of songs that have been “iconic” at different times of her life and chats about creativity, fashion and music.
Growing up on a sheep farm in Matamata, Crabb’s parents were a “pretty stylish couple” and dressing up was her mum's creative outlet.
“She'd wear fur coats and back in the day, like in the 70s, she'd have a beehive. She'd always have her hair in rollers and a big back-comb, massive blonde hair, very fabulous.”
From a young age, Crabb liked dressing up and putting on fashion shows and also enjoyed making clothes for her Barbie dolls.
“Then I started working on a sewing machine, making clothes for my friends in my early teens. That was kind of my creative outlet and a bit of a saviour for the 14-year-old energies.”
Around this time, Crabb also began raiding her mum’s vintage patterns to make herself clothes out of whatever was at hand - sometimes curtains or sheets.
“I think my parents were quite embarrassed by me turning up to family parties, dressed in sheets and things. But I thought it was fabulous because it was the 90s… It was a bit subversive but they let me do it anyway.”
On Rip Shit and Bust:
“In 2001, I started up a label with my fashion school friend Jonelle Hanrahan. We just sold the work of our friends who were artists and clothes designers and just makers... Because we were so young, it was a bit of a statement, you know, like, we're doing something different.
“Once a famous 90s supermodel who I was obsessed with came in and bought this dog bag… basically, they were stuffed dogs that were handbags. She came and bought one and was just like ‘Keep in touch with me. I love everything here.”
On Miss Crabb
Working hard and raising three little kids, Crabb says she was quite unaware of the success of Miss Crabb until the label was no more.
“It wasn't until it closed down that I realised the really beautiful impact that it had. That was just like such a career high because all these ideas that I had about body positivity and longevity and quality in the clothes had actually come true.
“When you're new in business you have this idea, but you just don't know if it's crazy or if it makes sense. It was really nice to have all these ideas that I'd started out with confirmed.”
“I want [Miss Crabb pieces] to last a really long time and be more sort of one-off… I want them to get more valuable in terms of how much you love them.
“I always feel like my pieces get better with age, also the more rustic they become. I just think it's so beautiful.”
On Gloria
After stepping away from the Miss Crabb brand, Crabb launched Gloria a couple of years later.
“A lot of things in my life changed around that time. Like it was really intense, the changes. So I just thought that I'd slowly make some new pieces and slowly release under a new name with new energy and kind of a new intention as well. I wanted it to be highly creative and just really satisfying on all fronts.
The label takes its name from Crabb’s grandmother and “guardian angel” who lived next door when she was growing up.
‘She was just really singular, she just did what she wanted… flying planes and motorbikes and voting Labour. She didn't have children until her mid-30s, which back in the ‘40s was really old. I guess she was too busy just living her life.
“She was a singer and a performer as well, around Matamata at people's weddings and parties and things.
“[With the label Gloria] I wanted that sort of singular creative power and also to honour her life and everything that I've inherited from her as well.”
On her style evolution
Crabb says her clothing preferences have changed a lot over the years as her life has changed.
“I used to do a lot of very fluid, one-size pieces, which fit my life as my body was changing, having kids and then having such a busy life, running a business. I needed clothes that were quite versatile and just like glamorous but earthy.
“Now my life's a bit easier because the kids are older and I'm more established. So I just need more sort of easy-care, easy-wear, closer fitting [garments].
“I just want this refinement now... I just want everything to be just very tight. I'm at that stage where everything's a bit more controlled, which is nice, yeah. I’m finding I like things more controlled as I get older.”
Kristine Crabb played:
‘I Love Rock ’n’ Roll’ by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
“This was sort of my first rock and roll song that I ever heard when I was about four. I just had that amazing sense of abandonment or, like, nihilism, when I heard it. I was just like, What is this? What is going on? I had just all these sort of ideas and feelings I didn't understand yet.
“It's quite a sexy song, but I just love the minimalism of it and Joan Jett is just stunning.
‘Freedom! '90’ by George Michael
“George Michael was my first love. The first ‘45 that I bought was actually ‘Faith’ but ‘Freedom’ is just like the best happy song.”
‘Good Fortune’ by PJ Harvey
For Crabb, this is a beautiful song about love, beauty, positivity and new beginnings.
“PJ Harvey came to play when I had Rip Shit and Bust. It was at The Dogs Bollix. She walked right past me and I had made a dress for her, and then I was so starstruck. I gave it to my friend to leave it on stage for her but whether or not she got it, we don't know.”
‘Aneurysm’ by Nirvana
“My teenagers are into Nirvana or have had Nirvana phases so I'm really happy. My boy is learning guitar and trying to play ‘Come as you are’. I'm just like ‘Oh my God, my dream.’
“I just love the lyrics, I love the energy of this song. I love how it changes between loud and quiet”
‘Stairway to Heaven’ covered by Dolly Parton
“My mum was big into Dolly, stylistically but also musically. It was one of two records country records my mum had so I used to play them all the time because that's all there was.
“I started getting back into Dolly when I first started Miss Crabb. She brought out this really amazing live album, and she plays‘Stairway to Heaven’ on that. I was just so taken by it, it’s the most perfect song.
“I took my daughter to see her when she came probably about 10 years ago or something and it was just so incredible. Frances was like ‘Mum, why are you crying?’ I just cried the whole way through.”
‘Watching You’ by Ardijah
"It's just the most beautiful love song… watching my children.”
