Denise L’Estrange-Corbet is a dame in both word and spirit. In New Zealand, she is as celebrated for her contributions to WORLD, the fashion label and concept stores that she and her now-ex husband, Francis Hooper, created to bring their unique vision to a discerning (but colorful) clientele as she is for her considerable efforts for a variety of health-related charities. The title of her autobiography, All That Glitters, should tell you all that you need to know.
Born in New Zealand and raised in London, Dame Denise was inspired by the early days of Sir Terence Conran’s Habitat, where design had the power to brighten every aspect of one’s life. The clothes that she and Hooper design mix the understated, all-black palette favored by a certain corner of the country with the fearless quirkiness of the Kiwi spirit. Lovers of antiques, design and fragrance, they’re not afraid to sell antique crucifixes and vintage Vuitton luggage alongside minimalist Aesop products in their boutiques.
As Dame Denise puts it, it’s all personal: “There is no division between us and our stores and lives. Our house is like one of our shops, filled with an assortment of everything we love to look at and have around us.” It reflects the company’s founding mission: To be amusing. “Francis and I never sat down and decided to create a brand, like all brands do today,” she explained with her perfect British enunciation. “We started a brand as we were bored and wanted to bring more to the people, and everything we make and sell is just an extension of our very large personalities!”
What are some characteristic traits unique to New Zealanders and the way they create, dress and live?
New Zealand has a very defined style, particularly in parts of the lower South Island, which embraces the color black. It is a very Dunedin and Otago way of dressing.
Due to our climate and the amount of open space, everything is geared towards outdoor living, particularly in summer. You can't beat a house with a garden here. I recently built a vegetable garden, which I never thought I would ever embrace.
You and WORLD both embody a very urbane sophistication. What can you tell us about urban culture in Auckland in particular and New Zealand cities in general? And what does a perfect day in Auckland look like?
When Francis [Hooper] and I opened WORLD in 1989, New Zealand was a very different place. Shops closed at 1 p.m.on a Saturday and remained so until Monday morning. So for those who worked, you only had a few hours to shop on the weekend. It was also impossible to find a matching duvet cover and pillowcases, which just blew my mind. I was coming from London in the 1970s, where Sir Terence Conran’s Habitat was the place to go for your homewares. I felt I had landed in a backwater.
