+ THE DUAL STORY

It has been a creative journey for DUAL designer, Caro Allison, who originally designed and made pants from her home in Lyttelton. Made to measure trousers under the label DEMO were for young, fashionable male urbanites wanting extra-wide trousers.
 
“I first started making men’s pants 10 yrs ago, I had requests from young lads telling me their Mother’s wouldn’t make pants wide enough, and nobody else was doing it”

At this stage Caro was making the trousers entirely herself and was able to get really creative with her designs and establish her own identifiable fit.  The funky, extroverted pants were sought after by ‘skate’ stores impressed with the originality and quality.  Caro’s pants were officially on the market and the new label DUAL was born. 

WORD OF MOUTH

Concentrating on fit and using traditional tailoring methods, DUAL quietly became known among the boys as a reliable and durable pant to own.

However, women now were recognising the flattering fit and wanting this stylish look for themselves.  Caro’s finely honed understanding of the female form was an instant hit with the girls and soon  DUAL filled the void in boutiques needing specialist women’s trousers.

There is no advertising venture that can quite stand up against honest talk amongst girlfriends.

The word was out. 

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Good news travels fast.  To keep up with the expanding orders Caro employed experienced seamstresses and nearly every space in her home was being utilised.  The need for a new workspace was apparent and Caro had concerns how this might affect the team.

“My house had been such a busy, chaotic workplace but always worker-friendly.  I didn’t want to move into a dark factory with no natural light or stimulation, or away from Lyttelton because this is where my heart is”

Set on staying in Lyttelton, good things come to those who wait and an opportunity to move down the road into a waterfront workshop was taken.  Beautiful views and spacious workspace means the staff numbers have grown but the same work ethic that goes into every garment remains the same as when Caro made them herself. 

The entire process is still under one roof with design, pattern making, cutting, construction and dispatch being carefully monitored so quality standards remain the integral focus.

“The trickle down effect of respecting people and their workplace is the personal pride each staff member puts into the clothes and the results are overwhelming – it’s being accountable for your actions”.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

The next tentative step was to open a retail store in Lyttelton, on site of course!  Growing consumer awareness of wanting to know WHERE, WHY, WHO and HOW their purchase will affect themselves and others. 

The enjoyment the customers get from KNOWING what they have bought into and having confidence in that decision.

Accountability is a major theme in the day to day running of DUAL, being product- driven means being responsible for the whole manufacturing procedure.   Recycling fabric scraps, food scraps, recycled packaging and minimal wastage is all part of that process.

THE BIG PICTURE

  DUAL has become a well-established, respected brand and can be found in top boutiques throughout New Zealand. Online availability means access for every woman needing a pair of DUALS in her life.  A full range is  now available, all garments made with the same devotion and specialist workmanship.   

With demand for quality clothing becoming increasingly stronger and the willing desire to keep moving forward, the journey is far from over for Caro and her team.