Rooted in craft and guided by conscience, fashion designer Biddie Cooksley unashamedly celebrates modern femininity in her designs. From her family’s legacy in garment-making to her thoughtful approach to sustainable production, she’s proving that style and substance can live beautifully side by side.

Words Lucinda Diack Photos Helen Bankers & Jemma Chan

After five minutes with fashion designer Biddie Cooksley, it is easy to understand how her designs so naturally embrace comfort and warmth. Her energy is calm but purposeful, and she speaks about her clothes the way a gardener might talk about their plants – with a kind of quiet pride, shaped by care and patience. Tuesday Label, the brand she built from the ground up, is as much a reflection of her values as it is of her aesthetic: fun, thoughtful and unapologetically feminine.

Fashion runs deep in Biddie’s veins. Growing up in a family steeped in garment manufacturing, she learned early on about the importance of fabric and fit; with her childhood spent around cutting tables and sewing machines. ‘I grew up around local production and manufacturing of apparel,’ she reflects. ‘It’s in my blood.’

She laughs as she recalls following a very different career path – making the decision to forgo her love of fashion to pursue law when she went to university. ‘I went on a bit of a tangent!’ But her natural design flair was never far away, spending hours as a student dreaming up outfits for friends.

Her return to the industry saw Biddie step out of her parent’s business, taking a role as a receptionist at a different production house. ‘It was not only a foot in the door,’ she explains, ‘but allowed me to learn everything from the ground up. I enjoyed, and still enjoy, doing the doing, learning and absorbing it all.’

Biddie credits her experience moving through the ranks of local fashion houses as invaluable. ‘I spent years working in merchandising and trend forecasting and still love this aspect of the industry. Travelling overseas and spotting new trends is hugely inspirational. The real challenge, and what I find fun, is translating this into something that will work here in New Zealand.’

The concept of inspiring women with clothing was one of the driving inspirations behind the launch of her own brand, Tuesday Label, in 2015. ‘Fashion is your armour, there is so much power in it. When you feel good in what you wear, you have confidence. Your whole mood can change with an outfit.
I wanted to help women find that.’

Firmly believing we should ‘just wear the dress’ and stop saving things for special occasions, Biddie has built a brand that celebrates beauty in the everyday. She designs for the woman juggling a school run, a work meeting and a dinner date, all in one day. Each seasonal collection piece moves effortlessly from morning coffee to evening wine, always anchored in comfort and confidence.

What sets it apart is its ability to feel both elevated and accessible. There’s a sense of joy in every collection: soft florals, nostalgic prints and colour palettes that transcend trends. ‘Each piece can be mixed and matched with pieces from previous collections, the intention is to allow you to create a capsule wardrobe that will take you from day to night, and every occasion in between.’

Each new collection begins with touch. A fabric that feels right between her fingers, a print that sparks a story, a colour that conjures a mood. From there, silhouettes emerge – pieces designed to flatter, to move, and to work across occasions. Biddie often describes her process as a dance between intuition and structure. ‘It starts with emotion, but ends with precision.’

Biddie collaborates with a small female-led manufacturer offshore to bring her designs to life. ‘Having grown up in ‘Buy NZ Made’ heyday, local New Zealand production is part of my heritage and very close to my heart,’ she describes. ‘However with more than one generation no longer being encouraged to enter a career trade as a sewing machinist, a fabric cutter, or a pattern maker, the demise of ample skilled craftspeople here is very real; and being able to work alongside such highly-skilled boutique manufactures for over twenty years is the next best thing. It’s more than a business relationship, it’s a friendship.’

Because of this partnership, Biddie only produces what is needed, meaning there is no mass production and no waste. ‘We only make what our stockists have ordered.’ Sustainability isn’t just a checkbox, it is part of the label’s DNA as a member of Mindful Fashion New Zealand, a collective committed to creating a more ethical, circular local industry. ‘Part of this is consciously choosing to work with deadstock fabrics. Which means we are helping use up fabric that has already been made rather than producing more; and increasing the amount of natural and recycled fibres we use.’

Starting a new label in Aotearoa is no small feat and Biddie is quick to credit husband Gene as her ‘biggest cheerleader. I may not have done it without him,’ she says. ‘He is always encouraging me and pushing me to think about something in a different way. I couldn’t do it without him.’

The candid love that exists between the two is palpable and their joyful banter a reflection of the beautiful relaxed family life they have created – one that is built around gatherings, music and a love of a mid-century design. Their home in Castor Bay, Auckland is a tangible realisation of this.

‘I never dreamt we would create such a perfect home for us,’ says Gene. A hairdresser of thirty-five years, he has had an enviable career, building multiple hair and beauty brands and opening multiple different salons, including his latest venture Drake on Drake St, a stunning new modern space in the heart of Auckland central. But it is his love for his children, Mason (29, who is currently in London), Hugh (18) and Penny (16), along with Biddie, that are his greatest achievements. ‘As long as you have friends and family, it’s all you need …’ that and his 1978 Chevrolet Camaro car which takes pride of place in the driveway. ‘It is too loud to drive everyday,’ he laughs.

 

 

Biddie’s Top Capsule Wardrobe Picks

– Suiting – everyone needs a beautiful suit. A blazer and matching skirt or pants looks smart together while also allowing you to mix and match as separate pieces. A blazer will bring a bit of polish to any outfit.

– A dress you feel great in – this is a beautiful everyday dress that you can accessorise with heels to go out in; or pair with sneakers for a school event.

– Jeans that suit your body – who cares what style is in, or out, pick a pair that suits you.

– Vintage look t-shirt – under a blazer, with jeans, shorts, a skirt or even suiting. You can’t go wrong.

-A coat – we live in New Zealand so layers are an essential part of every wardrobe and a long coat will add a level of sophistication at night, while looking equally as fabulous on the soccer side line.