ROOKIE COLLECTION

WINTER 2010

By channeling her knowledge of fashion and motherhood into making boys clothes with soul, Katrina Hodge, the costume designer from Outrageous Fortune, has created a range of clothes that parents and kids alike will be itching to get their hands on.

Katrina Hodge, the brains behind our beloved West family’s distinctive look, is exciting mothers nationwide with the news she is launching her debut boys clothing range.

Katrina is the head costume designer for Outrageous Fortune, the home-grown smash hit that has become as well known for its bold fashion as it has for its audacious storylines. 16 years working in costume on film and TV sets has instilled in Katrina both the ability to know what looks good, and a unique insight into how clothes can create and shape personality. Katrina’s work on Outrageous Fortune has allowed her to create bogan-chic identities for each of the characters in the West family and their entourage, and has led to multiple nominations in design for her at industry awards. Constantly sifting through clothes, both new and vintage, to find outfits for different characters has given Katrina an enviable understanding of fashion, and with a pattern-making background, a career as a designer was an obvious next step.

Katrina started Rookie out of a desire to dress her own son in clothes that were different to what was available in children’s chain stores; to help him create an identity for himself beyond the cliché of boys clothes emblazoned with trucks and teddy bears. “I wanted to provide my son with clothing that gives him a sense of identity, that he enjoys wearing and that makes him feels like he stands out in a crowd.” While adults have a multitude of cool/casual labels to choose from, Rookie fills a gap in the market for boys aged 2-12 and their parents who have a sense of style and a need for individuality. Rookie isn’t about making men’s clothes in children’s sizes - the colours and prints mean the clothes from Rookie can walk the fine line between being cool enough to be street clothes and being whimsical enough to still be obviously made for kids. Rather than being about snips and snails and puppy dog tails, Rookie is about what little boys are really made of!

Favourite Things, the first seasonal range from Rookie is about less is more, with a focus on quality without the distraction of bells, whistles, zips and pockets, as Rookie is about getting the cut, fabric and colour right, rather than the diversion of unnecessary features on clothing.

The range consists of short sleeve tees, hoodies, crew neck sweats, a cardigan, casual fleece pants and organic base layers – because isn’t it best to have organic next to your skin? Rookie denim launches with two basic cuts – skate and straight (offered in a jean and a short with custom rivet and stud detail and adjustable elastic at the waist). The nostalgia t-shirts in the range remind you where these kids have come from – cher bro!

Rookie doesn’t identify with just one sport or skill by announcing to the world you skate or play soccer, cricket or rugby because it’s on your shirt, instead it aims to be cool clothes boys will want to choose because they are simple, edgy and they make the wearer feel cool. Favourite Things lets boys be boys and is simple and fun.

Rookie fans include the children of Shane Cortese (Shortland Street and Dancing with the Stars), Robyn Malcom (Outrageous Fortune), Kirk Torrance (Outrageous Fortune) and Kiel McNaughton (Shortland Street).

Mothers of Rookie boys are always being stopped to ask where they got their kids clothes from, this says a lot about the unique quality of the brand. Rookie can be purchased at stores throughout New Zealand, including Smith & Caughey, Cheapskates and Sugar Free in Auckland.