Kate Sylvester is a famous New Zealand designer. Her conceptual collections embody intelligence, witty irreverence, sophistication and modern femininity.

Ever the subtle subversive, Kate Sylvester plays off disparate references, seamlessly stitching sportswear with couture, menswear with womenswear, pop culture with history, high art with punk rock. Her resulting collections are at once eccentric, beautiful and intelligent. Each collection challenges nostalgic sensibilities with modern use of colour, cut and exclusive in-house prints.Throughout the years that Kate Sylvester has been designing clothes, she has woven themes inspired by her passions for art, literature and film into her collections.

At iD Dunedin Fashion Week, the cool blonde with a bone structure and clear skin that remind one instantly of actress Cate Blanchett told an audience that her art obsession has inspired many of her collections.
In 2003, she pored over the artworks of Vanessa Beecroft and created a sheer, minimalist collection, Nouveau Match, with a nude colour palette. She said that you've got to keep a very strong voice. You can't go out on crazy, artistic tangents.

since then the designer has built up a solid reputation in the cut-throat fashion industry for creating intelligent, considered collections. Backed by her graphic designer husband, Wayne Conway, who still pens Sylvester illustrations, she is considered to be a true designer, one with an ability to sprinkle an idea right through, from the garments and accessories to the store design.

Then she has opened her first store in Merivale's Christchurch, and will open two outlets in Australia for the first time. Until now, some of her garments have been stocked in Myers department store and she wholesales in Australia and the United States. This year, she will open two standalone stores within Myers in Sydney and Melbourne.

If that seems late for a designer who has been dressing New Zealand women for more than two decades, it's not for a lack of ability, but because Sylvester hasn't been in a rush. She also only just found the time in her personal life as her sons - 15-year-old twins Tom and Isaac and a 14-year-old, Cosmo - have always been her number one priority. They're growing up.