If there’s a will, there's a way. When George Street doesn't provide it, this pack of student fashionistas certainly will. Critic Te Ārohi has reached out to three local entrepreneurs to see what they get up to in between lectures. From beauticians to lending out curated collections and even tailoring bespoke garments, on display today is the heart of Ōtepoti’s local produce.
OH Rents
Keen to help a girl out, Omea Hall has been running a dress rental side hustle out of her Dunedin flat for the past five years. We get it, 21st szn is rough. Especially for those forced to doom scroll through Pretty Little Thing, only to find your favourite dress isn’t stocked in your size. Saving you from having to step foot into Mirrou, this fifth-year Architecture student runs an affordable alternative to buying a new outfit for each event.
Like all chronic shoppers, Omea started an Instagram account in 2021 selling clothes she wasn't wearing anymore. Just like thrifting your first leather jacket is a gateway drug to op-shopping, Omea’s influence entered a whole new level when she began renting her closet out.
In building her 80-piece collection of available dresses, Omea's shop offers a full range of sizes. Supplying dresses from size 4 to size 24, Omea admits that she stocks more dresses in her own size, “wanting to wear them all myself." Each new dress purchased is "a mini investment," according to Omea. Charging between ten and fifteen per cent of the original price for most garments, it takes around six or seven weekends of use to pay off each dress.
If you want to try on her collection, you and your supportive friends can throw down a fiver to book 30 minutes of free rein over her collection. If you end up renting a dress, then the five dollars is taken off the rental price.
As her time in Ōtepoti is ticking down, Critic asks Omea the same question her mother has been begging of Omea: "What's next?" It seems Omea isn’t ready to give up her baby just yet: "It's going so well, so why stop now?”
You can book a dress and browse Omea’s catalogue from her website ohrents.co.nz or flick Omea a message on Instagram @oh_rents to organise a fitting appointment.
Isabella Styant: Bespoke Baddie
Giving Donatella Versace a run for her money is third-year Psychology and Statistics student Isabella Styant. Instead of picking up a summer job, Isabella threw herself into fashion, selling clothes she either customised or stitched together from scratch. This bespoke baddie transformed her childhood bedroom into a sweat shop, kitted it out with her grandma's old sewing machine and fabric she found thrifting. If it’s not on the shelves, Isabella can make it for herself.
Starting her foray into fashion while in high school, Isabella says she developed her sewing skills with the help of YouTube. "There's a YouTube video out there for everything,” she says.
Like a fairy godmother, the owner of a chic little boutique in Christchurch pushed Isabella in the right direction. After yarning with the woman about her love for fashion, Isabella was offered a cup of tea and a set of textile lessons. "She was so sweet," Isabella gushes to Critic. With the owner walking Isabella through the process of making a camisole, she soon picked up the skills she needed to make and design her own clothes.
Isabella has made everything from hoodies to berets, all from fabric she picked up at local op shops. When thrifting for material she tends to look out for "big oversized skirts and dresses," because you need a lot of fabric to get crafty.
One of Isabella’s biggest accomplishments so far was making jeans from scratch, a feat she has only done twice. She mentioned a pair that was commissioned by a Jafa who scrolled along her TikTok page. Involving a lot of trial and error, Isabella said that she "broke so many needles 'cause I didn't know you needed an industrial needle to make jeans." Reflecting on the experience, Isabella says that she prefers modifying jeans, saying that once "the hard work's done, you just make them funky."
Bella has put aside the solo projects this semester, taking up the role of merchandise officer for OUSSC (Otago University Snow Sports Club).
Peruse through Isabella’s creations on Instagram @ishbell_boutique.
Polish by Poppy: Nail Tech
In between placements with Otago Polytechnic’s nursing school, Poppy found the time to run a nail salon out of her parents' home in the metropolis of Mosgiel.
Predominantly painting gels, the second-year student began her beautician adventures in 2024. Poppy began practising her skills on friends and willing participants. It was midway through last year when Poppy began taking clients after being told that her work was good enough to be compensated with moolah.
Critic met up with Polly in her home turf (the Polytech Hub) to yap it out. She arrived repping a set of mismatching pastel cat eye nails. Like an eager guinea pig, Poppy tells us that she tests all of her products “on myself first so that I'm not putting something bad on my clients.” Someone’s gotta do it for the sake of fashion.
Poppy makes time during study season to see between six and eight clients a week, but during break time, she fills her roster upwards of 15 a week. To Poppy's dismay, she can’t keep her nails funky during placement due to hygiene reasons. “I hate that time period when they look naked.” But when on holidays, she said that she “goes crazy.” No nail left unbrushed.
Adding extension tips is Poppy’s most popular service. “Everyone wants extensions these days,” she says. No one has left her house looking like Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo just yet, as Poppy says with a chuckle, “I dunno how you could function with those on.”
Poppy has become accustomed to designing 3D flowers on top of nails, a technique where she moulds a putty-like gel with silicone tools to create unique shapes. “I think they look so cool,” she gleefully admits.
Poppy has built up a cult following of returning customers. Though mainly students, she mentions that a few clients’ mums have popped in for an appointment. With intermittent appointments, Poppy loves to get updates on her clients' lives. She confesses that her appointments can become huge “gossip sessions”.
Dreaming of expanding her nail tech empire, Poppy hopes to eventually move her studio closer into town to reach more students. She crosses her fingers and manifests setting up a “wee shed somewhere.” Big dreams indeed.
Flick Poppy a message on Instagram @polish.by.poppy to book an appointment.