WAKEFIELD HOTEL - Clothing & Shoes
KIA ORA
My name is Hemi Pou. I am MÄori, of NgÄpuhi descent on my fathers side, and PÄkehÄ on my mothers, and a proud New Zealander. I have a real passion for amazing ‘old school’ craftsmanship and heritage brands that have rich histories and tell great stories. Authentic, quality men’s clothing, shoes and accessories made with love and care often using traditional skills passed down from generation to generation.
WHY WAKEFIELD HOTEL?
It might seem a strange name for a men’s clothing store, but in a curious way, it fits perfectly with my philosophy and passion for history and heritage.
Wellington’s original Wakefield Hotel was built in the early 1900’s and became a famous watering hole, just two doors up from our current address in Cuba Street.
I knew what I wanted my new store to be all about, but there I was, two days away from opening, and I still didn’t have a name for the business. However, while renovating the old shop premises for our launch, we had discovered the original Wakefield Hotel’s sign hanging on some old rope in the back room. The answer had been there all along, just waiting to be found. The sign was in bad condition and needed restoration but I knew I had stumbled on a real piece of Cuba Street history, and the name for the store.
MY PASSION FOR AUTHENTICITY
Where does my passion come from, and what do I mean by authenticity? Well, it has everything to do with growing up in Aotearoa, New Zealand. As a child I began making my own toys (if you count cross-bows and nunchuks as toys), knitting my own woollen jerseys, helping to build our family house, and working the land.
We didn’t just live in our land, we lived off our land, and my brother and I often gathered and prepared food the way our Mum and Dad were taught… hunting for wild pigs, diving for seafood, eeling with a Hinaki or homemade gaff hooks, growing our own vegetables, stopping on the side of the road to pick Puha, and even the occasional visit to the supermarket. We had a hangi pit in the front yard and an old fridge we converted to smoke eels.
At the time I thought these were just chores but I've come to appreciate the simple honesty of skills born out of necessity, and this now gives me a great respect and sense of satisfaction for what’s real.
This appreciation flowed into all areas of my life so when I decided to open a men’s clothing and shoe store in 2007, it led me on an international quest to work with the best craftsman and brands who share my philosophy… the highest quality selvage denim woven from the best cotton on vintage shuttle looms to produce amazing jeans, heavyweight leather belts hand cut and stitched by masters of the trade, heritage footwear brands who’ve been making classic sports shoes since the 1930’s. This is the sort of authenticity and integrity that I love.
Now, every brand I work with must have the highest ethical manufacturing practices and share my belief that all workers be treated fairly and with dignity.
SO WHAT ABOUT MY STYLE?
Back to my childhood! On the days when my Dad wasn’t making me cut scrub, I loved to watch those Hollywood cowboy films (which I later came to detest) on Sunday afternoon, or The Fonze on Happy Days. Back then, Americana, James Dean and Marlon Brando set the standard for cool as far as I was concerned, so it was only natural that they would influence my style.
I won’t say anything about my 1980’s Prince and Simon Le Bon phase, other than it was just a period of transition, and if anything it demonstrated the difference between ‘fashion’ and what makes a classic. I very quickly went back to what I knew to be my style, the classic Maori cowboy in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, which eventually grew into my obsession with denim and craft goods that continues and develops today."
THE BRANDS WE STOCK AND SELL
Wakefield Hotel will always represent classic heritage and contemporary men’s clothing and footwear brands that celebrate artisan skills, and we’re honored to have built relationships with some of the best, such as 3Sixteen, Ande Whall, Grenson, Iron Heart, PF Flyers and Schott.
WAKEFIELD HOTEL COLLABORATIONS
My obsession with the finest denim and hardwearing jeans led to an exclusive collaboration with master craftsman Ande Whall. In true ‘old school’ spirit, Ande hand makes each pair of jeans using vintage seaming techniques and the best quality Japanese selvage denim. With a second limited edition collaboration under our belts, this is just the start of more to come.
Working with Ande Whall, and searching for the best classic, heritage brands means I’ve come into contact with some amazing, ‘old school’, independent crafts people, all working with the best leathers, materials and fabrics, and this signals the start of another exciting development for us.
FINAL WORDS
I have always looked for creative solutions to problems, and with a lot of hard work and help from some very smart people who were kind enough to share their knowledge we have managed to grow.
Today Wakefield Hotel is a robust family business, firmly rooted in our community, and working with fantastic people towards a better life.
WAKEFIELD HOTEL is about people. It’s about the people behind the brands we stock. It’s about my family. It’s about our community. And it’s about you.
