Sarah Street
Sarah is a New Zealand-based Footwear Designer and Founder of Bronwyn
Sarah Street is a loving daughter, mother and the founder of a minimalist and conscious curated footwear brand Bronwyn. Named after Sarah’s late Mother, the business is a daily ode to her and a celebration of multifaceted women everywhere. After being a footwear designer for 11 years Sarah launched her business in the middle of the pandemic.
Sarah shares her brave journey below.
On home and family
I have whakapapa Māori and Paheka heritage. I think when you have Māori blood flowing through your veins, no matter the percentages, there's an innate connection to your soul and to nature that's just ingrained in indigenous cultures, and I'm forever grateful to have that as a part of who I am. I have two beautiful sons, Vinnie and Cas, and an incredible husband, who is equally the most calm and hilarious person in my life. He truly grounds me and has supported me through every step of growing Bronwyn. I have 3 beautiful sisters, including my twin sister Gemma - my other half, my amazing nieces and nephews and my lovely Dad and mother-in-law. My Mother, my brand's namesake, passed away in 2016. I have the most supportive family and friends, and I’m so lucky to have such a beautiful community surrounding me on this journey.
On creating your brand
Bronwyn is named after my late Mother, who we lost to MSA in 2016. It's a daily ode to her that I feel immensely grateful for - it’s so special to be able to celebrate her through my passion. Bronwyn is about creating a foundation wardrobe of footwear for Women who lead multifaceted lives. The women I design for inspire me every day. There’s a focus on ethical manufacturing, attention to elevated details, and comfort is key.
I've been a footwear designer for about 14 years now, and it really felt like a natural progression for me. When I was on maternity leave with my second son is when I really felt like it was time to start thinking about the process and how I could make it happen while juggling a young family. It’s a bit of a blind leap of faith jumping into your own business with very sharp, often painful (and expensive) learning curves. We launched in the middle of the pandemic in August 2021, and so it’s been an incredibly rough journey as a small business trying to navigate a global pandemic and now a recession. Despite our beginnings, I’m cautiously optimistic for the future of Bronwyn.
“ When I was on maternity leave with my second son is when I really felt like it was time to start thinking about the process and how I could make it happen while juggling a young family. It’s a bit of a blind leap of faith jumping into your own business with very sharp, often painful (and expensive) learning curves. We launched in the middle of the pandemic in August 2021, and so it’s been an incredibly rough journey as a small business trying to navigate a global pandemic and now a recession.
Despite our beginnings, I’m cautiously optimistic for the future of Bronwyn.”
On design process
When you design for your own brand it’s very different to designing for someone else. In a sense, it’s more freeing, but equally, it’s challenging as you sort of have to redefine who you are as a designer, which is still evolving each day, but I think that is necessary as a designer, to evolve, to embrace change. I think about the women I am designing for and their needs, what they would appreciate in a pair of shoes. Trends are definitely an influential factor in design, but more and more, I’m leaning into elevated, timeless pieces that have a focus on detail, pieces that I know serve a purpose, and pieces I know that I would wear often, and those are often the pieces that do well. Creatively I start with moodboarding and researching, while I’m doing that I work through designs as thumbnail sketches, and then move into CAD drawings. From there, I create specifications outlining all the measurements and details of the design to ensure the first prototype is true to how I’ve imagined it. Some are perfect for the first prototype, and some require a few tweaks to ensure a good fit and balanced design.
On maintaining a sustainable production and ethical manufacturing
Ethical manufacturing is incredibly challenging and expensive, particularly for a small brand, but I think it is an absolute non-negotiable when it comes to starting a business of any kind. We’ve signed an ethical code of conduct with all our suppliers that aligns with the global ethical trading initiative (ETI); we use leather working group accredited tanneries and sea freight production. We manufacture in smaller batches, which means we’re paying a higher premium, but it also means we’re managing inventory more effectively. Of course, we’re learning, we absolutely make mistakes, and we certainly have a long way to go in terms of being as ethical as possible, but it’s a focus every day for the business.
On audience and building a community
When I started the business, I did some foundation work on branding, and the 4 core brand pillars (what we stand for) are curated, elevated, conscious and heart. I think what’s been really interesting is that as our brand has slowly grown, and more people have become aware of Bronwyn and what we do, there’s a natural alignment with our customers that share the same values as we do, so in turn, a community that we naturally align with. One that values sustainability supports women and local businesses and is considered in purchases. One that wears its heart on its sleeve, something I’ve always done and something my Mother did too. I think because of the story behind Bronwyn, the connection to my Mum, and also being a Mother and a businesswoman, I’ve connected with like-minded women. I find I’m connecting to a lot of women of different ages, in different stages of life and it’s been really beautiful to see that.
On experiencing Bronwyn
I hope people see the values that we hold true with Bronwyn and see we’re more than just a retail business that sells beautiful footwear. I hope that people see us as a part of their community, just as we see them as a part of ours.
On inspiration
My children, of course, I’m the happiest when I’m with them. They truly light up my world. I’m inspired by other women in business and in my life. I’m lucky to have an inspirational collective of women around me.
On hopes, visions, dreams and the future of Bronwyn
I hope Bronwyn becomes a brand many women trust, I hope it becomes an integral part of their wardrobes, and their lives. I hope we continue a slow and steady trajectory towards growth and that we’re able to grow the business and our market in a considered way.
On personal beauty
I'm a passionate believer that water and sunscreen truly are the best beauty products you can use and the best foundation for healthy skin. Following that, Vitamin A/ Retinol has been a part of my routine for years now. I love starting my morning routine with Vitamin C serum and Niacinamide sunscreen by Mecca for my base, followed by makeup. Medik8 and Environ are my go-to skincare products, and I’ve recently introduced the Cosrx Mucin Power Essence which I’m loving.
On wellness and unwinding
I have a lot to think about juggling two kids, a part-time job and a business, so I find unwinding difficult at times. When I’m at my best, I’m going to the gym every weekday morning before the kids wake up. I always start the day with a glass of water, and my evening skincare routine and peppermint tea are part of my winddown ritual. I have learnt, but am terrible at, practising meditation but I really want to focus on reintroducing that for 2024.
Books, tv, shows, podcasts
I love reading, but being time-poor, it has become something that I haven’t been able to enjoy much lately. I have on my “to read” list Honeybee by Craig Silvey and After the Tampa by Abbas Nazari. I’m halfway through Boy Swallows Universe, and I love Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I often spend time lazing my way through The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. I love the podcasts “How I built this with Guy Raz”, “How to Fail with Elizabeth Day”, and “The Shitshow”. I’ve also recently started listening to “Everyday Māori”.
Interview : Zeenat Wilkinson
Images : Ruby Hamilton
Profile write-up : Yana Kulishenko
