Austen & Blake

Designing for the Personalised Experience
Austen & Blake’s stores are more than just retail spaces; they’re an extension of the brand’s commitment to crafting meaningful, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces. Our goal was to create an environment that enhances this personalised journey for every customer.

From the outset, cohesion was key; the stores needed to reflect Austen & Blake’s signature aesthetic while incorporating locally sourced products and materials suited to the New Zealand market. With careful consideration of lead times and availability, our team worked to strike the perfect balance between international branding and local adaptation.

Challenges Met with Collaboration
We are delighted to have completed the first stores in Auckland and Christchurch. Despite challenges, such as material substitutions necessitated by the New Zealand market whilst adhering to the Austen & Blake global aesthetic, Catalyst was proactive in pre-empting these obstacles and finding suitable alternatives. The design and project management teams held regular meetings with clients in India and Australia to meet tight deadlines and collaborate on finishes and architectural detailing.

The Auckland store, located in the iconic Commercial Bay precinct, presented its own complexities. Space constraints called for innovative solutions, such as integrating storage for refreshments and charging stations into the compact layout. Additionally, we navigated the stringent requirements of the buildings design guide to deliver a space that seamlessly blended functionality with style to match surroundings. Each unique finish presented its own challenges in terms of supply chains and buildability. However, our teams successfully navigated these complexities, carefully crafting each space in innovative ways and collaborating closely to address the finer details.

Elevating the In-Store Experience
Key design elements included elegantly crafted display cases with integrated lighting and security, showcasing Austen & Blake’s stunning pieces to perfection. Every detail was considered to ensure the customer experience was as extraordinary as the jewellery itself.

The success of the project was driven by strong collaboration across our national offices, early client engagement, and the proactive formation of teams to manage lead-time orders. This ensured the project was completed on schedule and within budget, with clearly defined deliverables. We are incredibly proud of these elegant stores. Keep an eye out as they pop up across the country.

Programme/Budget
By engaging early with our international clients to understand their vision, Catalyst was able to complete the bespoke build process in just under 6 weeks. The close collaboration of our interior designer, project managers, and construction teams provided a strategic advantage, enabling us to streamline timelines, optimise in-house solutions, and mitigate risks. This proactive approach not only kept the project on track but also ensured budget certainty, with no unexpected variations, giving our clients peace of mind throughout the process.

• Project team

• Anya Kouzminova,

• Montana Barker,

• Sarah Wilson,

• Ryan Swart,

• Sarah Courtney,