OUR STORY
A good idea. A napkin. And a rather long journey.
Our story begins on a train travelling across America, a voyage in search for a new idea.
Our founder met a fellow passenger, who happened to know a thing or two about ties. A sketch on a napkin was tucked into his pocket and travelled with him back home to New Zealand. From this pattern, his eldest daughter Ruby sewed the very first Parisian tie.
It was 1919. And the beginning of something enduring.
From that first tie, a family business grew. We turned to leather, expanding into belts and other accessories. Along the way we honed a deep knowledge of materials, an
appreciation for the finer points of making, and a rather determined belief in working it out.
Four generations on, we’re still an independent family business. Still making ties, belts and accessories in our Auckland workrooms. Still following our curiosity.
And still rather fond of a good idea.
We chose to stay.
A great deal has changed since 1919.
Fashion has come and gone. Ties have grown wider, narrower, louder and quieter. Industries have shifted. And much of New Zealand’s manufacturing has moved elsewhere.
We stayed.
Not because it was the easiest way. But because we believe there’s something worth holding on to in the art of making. The knowledge in a skilled pair of hands. The
pleasure of getting a detail just right. The understanding that comes from doing something, and doing it well, over time.
We’ve kept our skills close, our workroom busy, and our standards where they’ve always been.
Some might call it old-fashioned.
We prefer to think of it as knowing what matters.
From far and wide. Made right here.
Our curiosity has always taken us around and beyond New Zealand. We’ve built longstanding relationships with specialist weavers and tanneries, searching out materials with the right feel, the right character, the right quality.
We bring them home.
On the edge of Myers Park, in the heart of Auckland, our workroom is where it all
comes together. Materials are cut, stitched, shaped and finished by people who know their craft.
It’s where ideas become something you can hold. Where the tiniest details are
considered. And where generations of care continue to find their way into everything we make.
Still making. Still curious.
Today, Parisian continues to make pieces for people who appreciate a little more thought in the things they wear.
From the quiet usefulness of Crafted to the expressive character of 1919. From our own collections to collaborations with designers, brands, schools and organisations, we bring the same care to everything that leaves our workroom.
Independent. Considered. Enduring.
And still very much in the making.