Minnie Cooper: Fashioning Footwear in New Zealand

Stories

New Zealand used to have a flourishing footwear industry, and Minnie Cooper was a part of it. Popular in the 1990s for its well-made product, modern sensibility and fuss-free design that resonated with Kiwi women, it was part of a fashion landscape that saw patriotic support for the local designers and growing awareness of the industry abroad.

A lot changed during that period, and by the time founder Sandy Cooper decided to close the label in 2018, Minnie Cooper was one of only a handful of New Zealand-made footwear brands still manufacturing locally.

Over its 30 years in business it earned a dedicated following, and today its footwear - still in circulation in the resale market - is coveted by eagle-eyed shoppers who know its quality and significance, and new fans who’ve discovered it by word of mouth or on social media.

Minnie Cooper 1990s green painted leather Mary Jane flats, NZFM Collection.

Now as then, its footwear is considered high-quality and built to last. Minnie Cooper made boots, lace-ups, Mary Janes among many other styles - all practically minded with a unique design sensibility. There were bags too. All of it was made in its Avondale workshop, and a commitment to local manufacturing was core to the brand’s point of difference, marketing and values.

Minnie Cooper stores were operating in the country’s biggest cities. At one point there was a boutique on Auckland’s fashionable shopping strip Ponsonby Road, as well as shops in Wellington and Christchurch.

Sandy Cooper outside the Minnie Cooper shop on Ponsonby Road in 1999, photographed for Viva by Mark Smith.

It was easier in the early days. Sandy set up Minnie Cooper in 1989, at the dawn of a period of historic deregulation in New Zealand, as the government removed import restrictions on footwear and reduced tariffs on goods made overseas. New Zealand went from having 95% of its footwear made locally in the late 1980s to 95% of it imported by 2008. (1,2)

This all would present a backdrop for Minnie Cooper’s north star and establish its point of difference. In 2009 Sandy began using “still made here” in the brand’s messaging, and in 2012 an advertisement in the Sunday Star Times encouraged readers to be part of a solution and “do something good”, explaining that buying something made in New Zealand helped create and keep jobs in the country.(3)

Local media coverage also extended to the nation’s style publications; Minnie Cooper was respected by editors - many made an effort to profile local labels - and it graced the pages of Fashion Quarterly, Viva and other titles.

Sandy also made headlines for her advocacy for local manufacturing. Speaking about the benefits of producing locally to the New Zealand Herald in 2013, she said that it gave her oversight over the whole end-to-end process. “The main reason we manufacture in New Zealand is the absolute pleasure of being completely involved in the whole process of designing a product and seeing it develop and evolve in our factory. Producing a great shoe or bag requires knowledge and skill from everyone in the factory and we all get great satisfaction from seeing a job beautifully done.” (4)

Sandy Cooper in 2018 at her Avondale factory, still from RNZ Checkpoint.

Producing on shore was more expensive, so pricing presented a challenge; imports stocked by competitors were priced lower than Minnie Cooper’s locally made wares, and shoppers were increasingly turning to cheaper, fast-fashion options as global retailers entered the New Zealand market.

As well as hurdles, globalisation presented some opportunities for Minnie Cooper. By 2013 about 50% of the brand’s online sales were to Australia, and they also stocked a range of imported knitwear to complement the footwear and accessories they made locally.

The increasing costs of manufacturing continued to put pressure on the business, and Sandy was vocal about the hurdles it presented. “The main challenge to manufacturing here is the ageing workforce. We're all getting on and as the industry has contracted so much over the last twenty years, there haven't been the new entrants coming into the trade,” she told the New Zealand Herald. “I feel very strongly that New Zealanders should support local manufacturers and producers. By doing this consumers create jobs and become part of the economic solution without waiting for unlikely government action. Consumers actually have a massive amount of instant power to influence NZ's economic situation.” (5)

Eventually, even with their quality product and the support of their dedicated customer base, operating Minnie Cooper was increasingly difficult. In the face of “increased competition from cheaper online rivals”, Sandy made the decision to scale back the brick-and-mortar retail operating, closing Minnie Cooper’s Christchurch store in 2014, with Ponsonby and Wellington following suit in 2015. The brand shifted its focus to e-commerce, selling a smaller range online. At the time its prices ranged from $299 to $479, with boots retailing for, on average, $359. (6, 7)

Another Minnie Cooper store eventually opened in Avondale, giving customers the chance to try on the brand’s wares, but by 2018 Sandy announced Minnie Cooper would be closing down. (8)

Sandy Cooper in 2018 at her Avondale factory store, still from RNZ Checkpoint.

Amidst the news, RNZ’s Checkpoint visited the factory in 2018, with Sandy walking them through the workshop, the leather and the “beautiful” machines. “For 20 years this was a really good business,” she told the show, proud of their footwear’s quality and style. She knew how to make a pair of Minie Cooper shoes from start to finish. Some of her workers had been with the business for over two decades. “It’s the people that I’ll miss.” (9)

Sandy Cooper in 2018 at her Avondale factory, stills from RNZ Checkpoint.

The decision to shut up shop wasn’t an easy one. “Times are tough for small business,” Sandy told the brand’s Facebook followers in a post announcing the decision.

Since then, her focus has been on footwear of another kind, slippers, which she sells under the Five Star Slippers brand (launched in 2016) and still manufactures locally. (10)

Many original Minnie Cooper pieces can be found in circulation on the resale market, and vintage purveyors report pairs sell almost instantly. Others remain in the hands of their original owners, worn, repaired and still going strong.

Text by Emma Gleason.

Cover image: Sandy Cooper photographed in 2011 by Paul Estcourt for the NZ Herald.

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