It was destiny. From teenagers hanging out with their shared passion for clothing and design in the 80’s in Auckland, to the obligatory OE to London, fate always seemed to throw Jules and Monique into the same place at the same time over the years. They resolved that when the time was right, they would open a shop together. Monique returned to New Zealand before Jules, sporting her designs and being admired by her peers and friends back in Auckland. An appetite was established for the ranges that Jules sent to Monique to sell, which ended up being all the market research they needed to know the designs had found a following in New Zealand.
When Jules returned to New Zealand some years after Monique, the pair opened their first store in Ponsonby in 2007, naming it DALSTON after their suburb of residence in East London. They soon moved to Grey Lynn, and used the ample space to expand from stocking their own label to adding a curated selection of other coveted labels that shared the same values they did – slow, mindful fashion, quality made to last, from wardrobe staples to special pieces that would make their beloved customer community look and feel special.