Preppiness has no overt presence in NZ- no pink and green monograms or polo players but there are definitely stores which reflect this aesthetic style.
Rodd & Gunn menswear is wall to wall fisherman knits, locally-made leathergoods, and boat shoes. Like Ralph Lauren, there is as much attention to the image as the product. Baskets, akin to Nantucket baskets, and fishing rods adorn the cabin-like interior. Also, in the vein of RL, some of the stores are "lifestyle lodges." I visited a RL store in Manhattan Dec '14 and I expect that R&G are going in this direction. A "Lifestyle Lodge" had just opened, in Dunedin, just two stores away from Country Road which is quite fitting!
Country Road (Dunedin) below:
Australian brand Country Road is to Australasia what J Crew is to America. Styles are simple, modern and decidedly classic. Trends are inserted tastefully, such as metallics, but this is not Forever 21. Every Australasian girl knows the value of a CR tote/gym barrel bag. Like Vera Bradley, the bags come out in various patterns and are easily washable and durable. Like LL Bean, the are simple in shape and this doesn't alter much.
Canterbury of New Zealand is noted for it's rugby shirts especially the "ugly" rugby shirts which are a pastiche of stripes and colours, like the madras of American prepdom. The zip ankle trackpants filled high school coridoors in the 90s, with the signature CCC (Canterbury Clothing Company)
down the leg, much like an Antipodean Juicy Couture (unprep). These pants have died in popularity in recent years- perhaps this is due to
the move away from large visable logos (evident in 90s Tommy Hilfiger and RL).
Leading couture designers in NZ are Karen Walker, Trelise Cooper, World, and Nom D. There may be the occasional reference to prep but it would be very farfetched to define these houses as preppy.
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