Essenze Opens its Doors to a New Era in Design

When Clare Mora opened the first Essenze store in Auckland in 2006, it was only a step towards what she hoped would become a conduit for New Zealand design beyond New Zealand – to the world.

Now, many years later as she opens her new Parnell, Auckland superstore, she is much wiser, more globally connected, but also perhaps more realistic about where New Zealand stands in the world of design.

“New Zealand designers have brilliance, show individuality and lend a certain cultural identity to their work that continues to make it unique,” says Mora.

“What has not always been apparent is how to commercialise that brilliance. That’s where we come in. Essenze is very much an exercise in demonstrating that potential,” she said.

As the leading retailer and global distributor of New Zealand designed products, the Essenze catalogue reads like an ‘A to Z’ of New Zealand designers, including works from David Trubridge, Peter Collis and Te Rongo Kirkwood to name a few.

While these works were previously crammed into tiny premises at the top of Parnell Rise, they now have room to breathe inside the much larger and somewhat iconic Metropole building further down Parnell Road. Clare is absolutely delighted with the new space saying “Previously we had 95 sq m in which to display the products and work we represent,” says Mora. We now have around 380 sq m, with two large display areas, and including space for collaboration with our artists and designers – so yes it’s a huge step up!” she said.

The place that once housed the iconic Auckland restaurant is almost unrecognisable, the building itself took under a major reconstruction once it was discovered that the first level could not support the new store design. The existing ceiling was redone and has been raised higher to allow for more height on the retail ground level. A huge atrium at the entry has its own special rig for the hanging and lighting of eye-catching works. Total time taken for the development – 18 months!

A part of the building project that most appealed to Clare was enfolding old warehouse space from out the back of the building. Stuck in the middle of a couple of buildings behind the old Metropole, Clare saw an opportunity to bring this extra space into their new premises, enabling a larger floor display area and a most importantly a connection from the front of the store where the retail area is open and light, through to the back of the store where the space is darker, more intimate and lit by a stunning array of lighting from renowned local designers.

The additional space means that Clare is now on the hunt for new designs, designers and products, or artists that Essenze can potentially collaborate with and represent internationally.

“We have exceptionally close relationships our designers and many great ideas have come from that. We’ve actually designed the mezzanine area of the store specifically to be an interactive design space where designers can interact with clients,” she said.

Stefan Preston, well known investor and creative businessman joined Essenze in Oct 2009 and is excited by the potential for the business, saying “Essenze is about opening up a pathway to market for designers who were, until now, constrained by New Zealand’s small marketplace.”

“Why should an artist have to become a furniture manufacturer just to design a chair? We enable an artist to venture into the field of product design without disrupting the flow of their core practice,” said Preston.

“And hopefully, as a result, we can see more New Zealand designed products that are globally competitive, both in quality and creativity,” he said.

But while the new store is a major step for the company, Essenze still has its sights set on global expansion and taking many new Zealand designers along for the ride.

“This store is essentially a prototype for the Essenze stores we hope to open around the world,” says Mora. “New Zealand design is still trying to find its voice in design, but we believe that Essenze will be an important collaborator in finding that voice and becoming the international spokesperson for it,” she said.

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