Overview
Light floods through a stained glass window and lands on a dusky silk dress, making for a dreamy scene on Ghuznee Street. The vast white brick and soft lighting emphasises the angelic experience of clothing store Caughley. Its owner, Rachael is described best as contagiously positive. Her personality resonates throughout each of the 40 brands in store. Rachael's story is the kind best told at a dinner party—an art history and politics degree gone slightly astray. Starting in Dunedin at Slick Willy's, Rachael "fell in love with being on the floor and making people feel awesome." From there, her spark for retail lit a blazing trail.
It was a long way from Dunedin to Rachael's next hot spot, Shanghai. A fast paced life for an ambitious kiwi gave her all the more inspiration to create her own store floor to work on. On the 30th September, Caughley will be celebrating its 1st birthday (with champagne and cake, of course). The store provides a place for skater boy t-shirts and studded heels to meet in a harmonious heaven. What resonates the most through the bouquets of roses and delicate gold pieces is the reason Rachael does it all—"I get such a buzz when someone puts something on and feels amazing in it."
The Caughley experience is projected into every corner of the store. Rachael's relationship with clothes is insightful—her priority lies in changing someone's day with a dash of tangerine silk. Everything stems from a simple ethos, "if you're having a bad day, put a really cool outfit on and you'll feel like a new person."
So while Rachael claims with a guilty laugh that she'd "wear jeans and a jersey everyday if she could," the store stocks a tasteful collection of brands NZ hasn't typically seen before. Each piece is top quality, materials so soft you want to nestle into them and accessories that practically jump onto your outfit. Rachael has truly created a delightfully decadent experience. With mens' and womenswear, an expansive take on a little something for everyone caters to each customer differently. Each brand adheres to a criteria—flattering, different, the kind of piece to quash any insecurity.
In all of its dreamy glory, with its warm light and high ceilings, you'll feel at home in Caughley. It could be your very own wardrobe, a place to change it up. Ultimately, there's the very real possibility you will walk out, in Rachael's words, "absolutely rocking it."
With exciting projects and collabs always on the horizon, keep up with Caughley on Instagram.
Photography by Madeline Chatterley.
Information
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