Introducing // Masami

Introducing Julie Puddick, creator and designer of The Shelter’s latest brand, MASAMI. MASAMI embodies all we love here at The Shelter; timeless limited garments crafted from quality fabrics that are designed to be worn and loved forever. We spoke to Julie about her passions, inspirations, and the brand’s ethos. Check out what she had to say below.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career in fashion?

I studied fashion design at Wellington Polytechnic in 1980. At the time it was a 2-year course followed by a 2-year apprenticeship which I spent with A MODA MIA in Wellington. I have worked using the skills I learned during this time ever since, learning about fashion as a complete package and understanding fabric and its quality.

I also worked as front-of-house and consultation for customer design and made to measure tailored garments – a role that required a huge amount of hand-finishing garments. That helped me gain huge knowledge through people I met and understand the use of quality cloth.

I have always had a passion for creation and design through which I utilise things that no longer have a purpose – I’ll always use recycled buttons and trims where I can. I love to reimagine vintage patterns and cloth and reuse them in different ways. I strongly believe that nothing should date and everything has a use. I may sit on a piece of cloth for a while until the time is right for it to be used. It always tells me what it should be created into.

What inspired you to create your brand?

Comfort, quality cloth, enhancing every day with elegance.

Living in Gisborne creates inspiration all the time and being able to walk on the beach every morning gives you the time to gather your inner self and grow that thought. For that, I am very grateful.

Garments should have emotional value, be something you want to have your whole life, or at least wear for quite a few seasons. I enjoy making beautiful garments that’ll be loved forever.

What’s the story behind the MASAMI name?

MASAMI is a Japanese word that translates to gracious and considerate beauty, true self, becoming beautiful.

The word inspired me as MASAMI pieces are timeless, one-of-a-kind garments that bring fabric to life.

MASAMI Clothing is about the simplicity of detail, softness, ease, individuality, and diversity.

What goes into making a MASAMI piece?

Masami is strictly non-seasonal. Garments are limited to 1 or 2, or 4 maximum depending on the cloth and trim availability. That creates a special one-of-a-kind garment that’s unique to the wearer crafted from quality fabric accrued from estates or gifted to me. Although, finding the buttons can be challenging sometimes as there may only be 3 and you want 4! But it works out in the end and things flow as they should. Each piece is hand-cut by myself and sewn by myself, however, I do call on local skills when needed.

How would you describe your personal style?

Timeless elegance, sophisticated, confident.

Left: Gala Shirt in Rust, Arthur Pants in Black. Middle: Julie at her sewing machine. Right: Polly Smock in Ink.

What makes a MASAMI woman?

The MASAMI woman is independent, unrestrained, adventurous, and unapologetic.

She is confident, modern, and sophisticated, putting value into beautiful and timeless artisanal items that are an extension of her global attitude and refined palette.

Who are some of your greatest inspirations? Are there any designers you really look up to?

-Dries Van Noten for his use of colour and texture.

-Issey Miyake for his amazingness and knowledge of cloth and cut.

-Vivienne Westwood for her confidence to be brave and do it - and she’s still doing it!

-Jil Sander for her elegance and simply beautiful style.

-Uma Wang for her cloth, design, quality, and colour palette.

And the country of Japan for its history, art, craftsmanship, pottery, and hand stitching of Kimonos.

What made you gravitate toward The Shelter as a place to stock your pieces?

To me, The Shelter is THE ONLY store in Auckland whose customers fit the MASAMI ethos. The Shelter is a working gallery, showcasing designers whose pieces I personally wear with my Masami garments. Vicki and The Shelter staff are real, down-to-earth people who cater to the customer’s needs and I feel very comfortable knowing that they care. For that, I thank them.

What’s one piece of advice you have for someone wanting to start their own sustainable brand?

I have the Three Baskets of Wisdom as a Māori Bone necklace that I purchased over 30 years ago. The meaning resonates with me not only in the creation of MASAMI but for life:

“To live in the present, first we must draw from the past to progress to the future.” We must be mindful of the “new now” that requires new ideas and a new way of thinking.

We can’t wait for you to fall in love with Julie’s beautiful pieces - MASAMI is available to shop both in-store and online now.