Harris Tapper and the rise of New Zealand luxury
Harris Tapper’s Moda Operandi Debut Signals a New Era for the Brand
If you live in Tāmaki Makaurau, chances are you’ve come across Harris Tapper and if you know the brand, you probably know someone completely devoted to it. Over the years, the Auckland label has built a strong following through its thoughtful approach to dressing: refined but never overly polished, directional without feeling inaccessible. The pieces slip easily into real life. Founded by Sarah Harris Gould and Lauren Tapper, Harris Tapper has become known for its sharp tailoring, considered fabrication and understated sense of confidence — a design language that feels distinctly New Zealand in its ease, while still sitting comfortably within the global luxury conversation.
The brand is now taking a huge next step with its official US launch through Moda Operandi, which honestly feels like a massive moment for New Zealand fashion. Moda has helped launch brands like Khaite and The Row into that global luxury space, so Harris Tapper landing there feels very significant. To celebrate, they hosted this intimate dinner at Bridges in New York with guests including Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark, Charlotte Groeneveld, Sarah Hoover and Gabriella Khalil. Chic but still relaxed — oysters with kumquat and chilli, white negronis and Vesper martinis flowing around the room, all photographed beautifully by Aotearoa-based photographer, Holly Sarah Burgess.
The team added, the response to the launch has already been incredibly strong both here and in New York, with the Graff Jacket emerging as an early favourite and selling out almost immediately before moving to preorder.
Below Lauren Tapper shares the thinking behind Harris Tapper’s highly anticipated US launch and what it means for the future of the brand.
Founders of Harris Tapper, Lauren Tapper and Sarah Harris Gould
What does this US launch represent for Harris Tapper at this stage of the brand's evolution?
Lauren : It represents us strategically meeting a market that has discovered Harris Tapper organically. Over the past two years, a New York customer has sought us out entirely on their own terms: no marketing, no distribution, no local presence beyond our website. To now enter formally with a partner like Moda Operandi signifies the importance of entering a market with an existing customer, an aligned partner and the ability to distribute in a way that meets the demand.
Why did Moda Operandi feel like the right retail partner for your first major step into the American market?
Lauren : Moda Operandi thinks beyond a traditional model. The trunk show model allows customers to pre-order entire collections directly from the runway, including pieces that might otherwise never reach production. Often the most creative brand expressions aren’t commercially viable and end up being cancelled. Moda finds a customer for those pieces. Commercially, it's equally compelling. The trunk show model means they’re able to gather sales data before any wholesale commitment is placed. It’s smart business but also a less wasteful model. True data drives the demand.
Was there a particular moment when you realised the brand was starting to truly resonate internationally, beyond New Zealand and Australia?
Lauren : Watching orders come in with a concentration in New York, consistently, without any catalyst. We hadn't spoken to that customer. They found us.
Will entering the US market influence how you approach future collections, terms of sizing, styling, fabrication or seasonal dressing or do you see Harris Tapper maintaining the same design language globally?
Lauren : There are seasonal nuances to be considered but the intention of our work is the same regardless of location. We want to question femininity and power, explore the public and the private in our wearer’s approach to dressing. How these things meet to offer a single, modern wardrobe.
Scaling a fashion brand internationally can often pressure labels to change their identity. How have you protected Harris Tapper's integrity while growing?
Lauren : We've actually become more defined, not less. Early on we were less confident, say, and we were open to outside opinions in ways that weren't always useful. Now our point of view is clear and we protect it.
Martin Margiela once said: “It's important to do what you want, and there will always be some people who agree.”
We always come back to that. Work that is genuine will find its person.
Photography : Holly Sarah Burgess
