A New Chapter in New Zealand Design

The Crossing welcomes Drama The Label and Loughlin Clothing Co., two collections that understand something essential: you’re not dressing for a magazine spread. You’re dressing for your life.

Arlene Tipler designs both brands from her Canterbury studio, and her approach feels like a breath of fresh air in an industry often obsessed with the unattainable. These collections celebrate women as they are—different shapes, different ages, different weeks that refuse to fit neatly into boxes marked ‘work’ or ‘weekend’ or ‘special occasion.’

Drama The Label brings that touch of theatre to the moments that matter. Wedding season. A milestone birthday dinner. The work event where you’d rather focus on the conversation than wonder if you’re dressed right. These pieces have presence—beautiful fabrics, exclusive prints, cuts that flatter rather than demand—but they never feel like you’re wearing a costume. You feel like yourself, just elevated. Confident. Just the right amount of dramatic.

Loughlin Clothing Co. takes a different path to the same destination. Drawing from Tipler’s family heritage of tailors, artists, and clothing makers (the name honours her O’Loughlin lineage), these pieces embody quiet sophistication. Runway-inspired silhouettes meet handcrafted details. Signature colour palettes that feel both timeless and distinctly Loughlin. The everyday blazer that makes everything else in your wardrobe work harder. Trousers that actually fit. Tees that feel considered rather than basic.

Both collections share Tipler’s core belief: fashion should make you feel as good as it looks. That means designing for real bodies, real proportions, real lives that span school runs and client presentations and winery lunches and everything in between. The clothes are ageless because good design doesn’t pander to trends. They’re versatile because your week doesn’t stay in its lane. They last because quality and fit aren’t negotiable.

The fabrics tell part of the story—premium materials, predominantly natural or recycled, that feel substantial when you touch them. The construction tells another—small boutique factories where care matters more than speed, where finishing gets the attention it deserves. Sustainability isn’t an add-on here; it’s foundational. These are garments made with intention, designed to integrate into your wardrobe rather than demand you rebuild around them.

What does this look like in practice? Pieces that transition. The dress that works for morning meetings and evening drinks without a complete change. The blazer that elevates denim as easily as it does tailored trousers. Prints that lift your mood when you rediscover them three seasons later. Clothes that feel like an investment because they are—in quality, in longevity, in how you feel wearing them.

At our new Drama store, both collections come together in one thoughtfully curated space. You can see Tipler’s full vision—from elegant event wear to elevated everyday staples—and understand how they’re meant to work as a cohesive wardrobe. The team knows these garments intimately, can talk you through how pieces layer and transition, and understand that good service means listening rather than selling.

What’s life without Drama… the Label? It’s Tipler’s philosophy distilled into a question. Choose where you want the drama. Put it in your wardrobe—in that perfect print, that impeccable cut, that blazer that transforms everything—and let your days unfold a little more smoothly.

Drama The Label – discover what New Zealand design looks like when it’s made for real women, real lives, real style.