BESPOKE BY TEGAN

Bespoke by Tegan is contemporary womenswear designed and made in Aotearoa by Tegan Vickery, with a focus on timeless design and refined craftsmanship.

Tell us a little about what you make.

I design womenswear that exists in the space between the everyday and the considered. Each piece is designed and made in Aotearoa, shaped by a focus on refined silhouettes, tactile fabrics, and deliberate construction. The work is guided by a sense of longevity, garments created to be worn, lived in, and returned to, rather than defined by a single moment.

What was your creative journey like, what led you to being a designer/maker?

My design journey has been a gradual unfolding, rooted in an early awareness of clothing as both expression and identity. Studying fashion at Otago Polytechnic and later completing an Honours degree in Design allowed me to deepen both the technical and conceptual aspects of my practice. Alongside this, years spent in retail offered a close understanding of how women move within clothing and what they seek from it. The label grew naturally from this intersection of making, observing, and listening.

How would you describe your design aesthetic/identity and where do you find your inspiration?

The aesthetic is quiet but assured—where structure meets softness, and simplicity is layered with intention. There is a focus on restraint, with detail revealed through form, fabrication, and finish. Inspiration often emerges through contrast: strength and vulnerability, tension and ease, the undone and the refined. I’m drawn to the sensory nature of fabric, and to the subtle shift in presence that clothing can create.

Do you have any advice for other makers and budding creatives?

Protect your point of view. Take the time to understand what feels true to your practice, and allow it to evolve without urgency. There is value in moving with intention, even when it feels slow. Seek out a community where you can, connection with others can offer both support and perspective in ways that are difficult to find alone.

What is the best part about being involved in GUILD?

GUILD offers a sense of collective, an environment where thoughtful, locally made work is not only supported, but celebrated. To be part of it is to sit alongside other makers who value process, craft, and care. It creates a space where independent voices can exist with quiet strength within Ōtepoti’s creative landscape.