Meet the Duo Behind Apron.co.nz

June 15, 2022

Collaborating with Sharespace in April 2022.

First things first - could you give us a brief overview of Apron.co.nz?

Kia Ora Sharedspace! Thank you so much for having us, it’s an honour to chat with you. We are the dynamic female duo Grace and Constance behind Jack Dusty – Apron.co.nz. An interesting and little known fact about our brand name Jack Dusty, is its meaning and origin which comes from the naval, nautical slang - a name for an assistant to a ship's steward, who works in the ship's stores, or ‘Jack of the Dust.’

We are New Zealand’s premium workwear and uniform supplier. With carefully selected collections and a focus on high-quality goods and custom branding. Our hero products are our aprons; especially our Organic, Fairtrade range and our ever popular Cross Back Canvas range.

What inspired you to get involved with Apron.co.nz?

We both love e-commerce, fashion and have a passion for running our own business. Like most good things, Jack Dusty was a great fit for both of us with our backgrounds and expertise. Grace’s background in fine arts, marketing and retail and Constance’s background in yachting, administration and management makes Jack Dusty just the right fit!

Tell us about your target market.

Our largest market is hospitality right now; cafe’s, restaurants, bars, vineyards that kind of thing. We also supply workwear to a range of other industries; health and beauty, yachting, business, corporate and also trades, home cooks, outdoorsy types.

Pictured: Organic Fairtrade Canvas Aprons in Grey and Natural, and The Loyal Apron in black.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone considering pursuing an e-commerce business?

Having strong, core brand strategy and values is a must. A passion for your product and client base in a necessity. Also a friendly disposition, especially when it comes to communicating with customers and suppliers. Time management and most importantly of all, a drive for running your own show! A business does not run itself unfortunately. We have learnt a lot, quickly and it is very cliché, but if you don’t put in the work, then you aren’t going to get the results. However we are relatively new to the business, so check back in with us in five years and ask us again then.

Choosing a business for which you have a strong skillset and a willingness to learn. We both come from a retail, front of house and strong marketing backgrounds, which has certainly made for smoother sailing.

Do you have any exciting developments happening in the near future?

We have a few things in the works, (hush hush*) one of which is a collaboration with a large café, food chain based in Auckland to create a range of custom branded aprons for their team! Also we have noticed a gap in the market for yachting workwear and also heavy duty, leather aprons. So we will be moving towards launching a wider range of yacht attire and also focusing on high-end linen and a wider organic and high quality leather aprons.

If you could pick, what three people/brands in the world would you choose to work with?

Well, we have two of them right here already 😊 ! Celebrity wise, we would love to work with a celebrity chef – someone like Annabel Langbein or Gordon Ramsay to generate exposure and brand awareness. A company we love, with great brand values and ethos which we aspire to is Stanley/Stella, who create ethically sourced, high-quality clothing.

Pictured: Organic Fairtrade Canvas Apron in Grey.

Can you describe your life outside of work?

Work/life balance is important to us, we spend our spare time at the beach or creating. We are lucky enough to live beach-side, so emptying the mind after a long day with a surf, skate or swim is the best form of medicine. We are also both creative types, so finding that time to fuel our creative minds and souls is also a priority. Be it painting or simply taking some photographs for inspiration.

What are your must-have snacks in your office?

Chocolate is a must have, paired with a great coffee! We also both have soft spots for salt and vinegar chips (who doesn’t)!

Where is your favourite event or meeting space in NZ?

We love spaces with character, with warmth and a sense of permeance. Woody, earthy tones with a musky, masculine edge such as Symonds Court and the moody, sultry location Thursday Bar fit our brand.

We recently had the pleasure of using Daily Bread in Ponsonby, Auckland as a photoshoot location. It is a wonderful, open space with exposed brick walls, natural timber, raw materials and natural light together. Elements that compliment our qualities and brand, plus the staff are very friendly and obliging.
Webb’s Gallery space, is also a great hire location and we are currently working on some custom, branded aprons for them. Also with our creative minds and fine arts background it’s a suitable fit!