New Zealand label J.Bush embraces technical tailoring and refined simplicity
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“A great idea is irrelevant if it’s badly executed, and a simple idea can be exceptional if it’s beautifully executed.”
It’s no surprise James Bush grew up in a family of architects, his sartorial pieces are reminiscent of buildings: sharp, considered and structured. In fact, James refers to his namesake label, J.Bush, as “tailored engineering”. Hailing from Wellington, with numerous ex-postcodes scattered across Europe, James specialises in contemporary, timeless pieces.
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James holds a master’s in menswear and his womenswear label reflects this. Refined shirting, relaxed fabrics and statement outerwear make up part of his New Zealand-made repertoire. Above all, J.Bush is an exercise in constraint – from idea conception to execution, James’ theory of “maximal minimalism” rings true. Read on to hear more about his label’s journey.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
Born and raised in Wellington, I completed a bachelor’s in fashion at Massey University, Wellington before moving to Europe where I lived and worked between Paris, Brussels, London and Geneva for the following eight years.
In 2017, I graduated with a master’s in menswear from the University of Westminster, London. I have worked as a womenswear, menswear and costume designer and a tailor. I returned to Wellington and launched my namesake womenswear line, J.Bush in late 2021.
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How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
The label has been a gradual process, slowly coming into focus over several years. I wanted to bring my European technical and design experience back to New Zealand and fuse it with something uniquely Kiwi. I began working on a test collection from a spare room in my parent’s house.
I produced a tiny capsule collection that I presented to prospective clients in order to understand customer reaction, gain direct consumer feedback and, essentially, test the water. From there I developed my first full collection which I launched in July 2022, selling both direct to consumers and through a series of stockists, up and down New Zealand.
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At the start of this year, I opened a small shop adjacent to my studio. I’ve found continual customer feedback incredibly beneficial to my design process and the aesthetic and technical development of the label. Perhaps the hardest part has been trying to focus, hone and refine the direction of the brand while producing and selling at the same time.
What are you trying to communicate through the brand now?
The brand is continually evolving and for Collection 3 (which will be shown at New Zealand Fashion Week in late August) I’m moving more towards uber-refined simplicity; I want to explore maximal minimalism. How can I create clothing that is simple, minimal, easy to wear, yet still has a decadence, a richness of cut and detail?
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Where did the name come from?
You’d have to ask my parents that. I went with J.Bush (rather than James Bush) as a homage to the old tailoring houses of Savile Row. There’s something so proper about it.
How would you describe your brand to someone who’s never seen it before?
I’d describe it as tailored engineering. I’m not hugely decorative, I tend to shy away from frills, bows and applied decoration. I prefer structured detail, an approach that allows the technical elements to be the main feature of the garment, or one that allows decorative elements to be incorporated technically.
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What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
The development of a recognisable design language. To me, this is the ultimate form of success in design. I think this is getting stronger with each collection and I’m developing a much more focused understanding of what J.Bush looks like as both a concept and a garment. Having a more clear understanding of my own design language is helping me push the label forward.
What do you wish you had known when you started?
I wish I’d known not to overthink things. Get the samples made, analyse their fit as much as their aesthetic components [and] make a decision. Great ideas are wonderful, but they don’t actually exist until they’re executed. A great idea is irrelevant if it’s badly executed, and a simple idea can be exceptional if it’s beautifully executed.
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What about the Australian and New Zealand fashion scene needs to change?
The Australian and New Zealand fashion scenes are incredibly focused on product design, with a very limited approach to concept or idea generation. In part I think this is because we just don’t have as much stuff, or as many different opinions or cultural perspectives floating around as, say, London or New York.
As a result, we struggle to teach research properly at our universities and technical institutions. We need to teach research properly if we are to elevate our fashion scenes [and] designers to a truly expectational level.
Take a closer look at J.Bush here.
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