In Her Shoes: Kiki & Alice from Hej Hej
WHAT IS HEJ HEJ?
hej hej is a label born from a healthy obsession with linen. We wanted to create colourful collections for women (and men) who are confident in their own skin and have equal parts style and attitude.
Alice, based in Auckland, has a background in design and Kiki, based in Shanghai, brings business nous and production skills. We are old friends that always wanted to create something together.
We launched our online store two years ago and this year opened our first store (next to A&C Homestore at BLOC).
talking business
When setting out on your current path in business, what was the vision you had for the future and how is this different (or the same) to your reality today?
The vision was to create an online brand that filled a gap in the market (and our closets!) - using our different experiences and geographic locations to help. We started opening popup stores in the beginning and never thought we would have a full-time store, but realised quickly that it was important for customers to touch.
talking health
Name two of your favourite ‘feel-good’ activities that help to maintain your wellbeing – one that’s virtuous and one that’s a vice (or a guilty pleasure) – and tell us what you love about them.
Alice: Virtuous – I don’t know if I have many virtuous activities! But anytime I can get to the gym and have some time to myself is always a good day. Guilty Pleasure – KUWK, when I need to zone out and block my brain I watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, I am pretty obsessed.
Kiki: My favourite “feel-good” activity is walking through the Former French Concession with our dog, Griffin. It is the best way to start and end the day. Our morning walk always includes a stop at Lunear for an iced latte and sometimes a chocolatine - some might call this a guilty pleasure.
talking home
How do you approach the styling of your home to make it truly ‘yours’ and how do you like to spend your time there?
Alice: Having young kids we want our house to be comfortable and easy. We love having people over and entertain both adults and kids. We inject our personality through art and photography. Furniture takes a bashing in our home!
Kiki: We live in a smallish apartment and move often so we’re very selective about the pieces we buy for our home. We choose colourful pieces that remind us of our travels. We have an open kitchen and living room and spend all of our time in this part of the apartment.
talking women
What do you think some of the big issues women are facing today and what change would you like to see happen before International Women’s Day 2021?
Alice: Work-life balance, the juggle is real! I think we are moving in the right direction but definitely would love to see more equality in the workplace with maternity and paternity leave. Every mother has her own journey but getting back to work was so important for me and having a flexible/understanding workplace is so important for both mums and dads.
Kiki: Around three-quarters of garment workers, worldwide, are women and one of the changes I would like to see is equal pay and opportunities in this industry specifically. We hope we can be part of this change!