PROJECT MISE EN PLACE
New Zealand’s South Island. 60 hectares of pristine farmland. A 160 year old estate. A backdrop of snowy mountains, a vineyard and a waterfall.
This is the epic setting for Ayrburn, a hospitality precinct by New Zealand developer, Winton, that opened in December 2023 with five food and drink spaces ready for service. Three more are already in the pipeline with a boutique hotel and events space in tow.
With every detail of this project considered, the conversation about uniforms started a full year prior to opening day.
Worktones were recommended to us during the early operational planning phase for our new hospitality precinct. We chose to work with them due to their extensive experience and ability to customise to our design requirements to create something unique and flexible.
- Lauren Christie, General Manager of Winton (Queenstown)
Ayrburn needed uniforms that tied the precinct together while representing the individuality of each venue. Being in Otago, just outside Queenstown, a key requirement was a uniform that could be worn year-round from freezing temperatures to warm sunny days.
Responding to the prime location and the luxurious design of the precinct, Ayrburn wanted a uniform that portrayed a smart and sophisticated tone. Importantly, it needed to be completely unique and tailor-made to them.
The idea was to have a uniform that would become synonymous with the venue, a symbol of Ayrburn.
- Huw Bennett, Worktones Director
PROCESS NOTES
Worktones were invited to pitch some ideas based on an open brief, knowing minimal details about the project at the time. This led to a deeply collaborative and iterative process. It involved a few trips from Sydney to see the Ayrburn site, workshop ideas and gain an understanding of the environment and varied jobs the uniforms needed to perform in.
This thorough research led to the concepts for the master uniforms, including a collared shirt and a tailored pant in a single navy colour that would serve as the base for all other variations. Each venue in the precinct customised a master apron to identify the name and brand. Some venues had additional pieces to meet their unique needs. For example, the ice cream shop called The Dairy has a t-shirt that matches the apron.
Our design studio worked hard on the fabrication and fit to respond to the concern that cooler temperatures could mean staff adding layers, creating inconsistencies in styling. Uniforms needed to be warm but also functional. Worktones used a thicker fabric than usual to protect against the cold, but in using 100% natural fabrics, not at the expense of breathability and comfort. All garments were designed intentionally with extra width to avoid any skin-hugging.
The process was guided yet flexible. We were involved the whole way through and were able to amend and tweak items as we gained learnings through material selection and sampling. Having not done this before, it was essential to have Worktones to advise on what they have found works well and what doesn’t. They paid special attention to detail - from visiting and understanding the venues and staff to stitching and labelling details.
- Lauren Christie, General Manager of Winton (Queenstown)
ORDER UP
After a year-long process, Worktones delivered several uniforms along with a style guide that recommended accessories and outlined the dos and don’ts.
The guide was highly visual, having photographed all uniforms in venue, making it as useful as possible and to drive consistency and adoption long term.
There’s a big reflection of Worktones in that job, from designing the uniforms to providing a styling guide and finding solutions to all the quirks that come with the location and range of jobs.
- Huw Bennett, Worktones Director
House specials:
THE REVIEW
The uniforms are well worn by all staff and some of the items like the wrap dress, which we thought would be reserved for some, have become the most popular. The flexibility of the suite of clothes means that staff can mix and match but still look cohesive and professional overall. The hats have been a hit with the public with them becoming a hot commodity to have one from when we first opened.
- Lauren Christie, General Manager of Winton (Queenstown)
