In Practice:

REBE Ponsonby Showroom

We sat down with Rebe Healy to discuss the journey behind REBE, her new Ponsonby Showroom, and the considered design philosophy that underpins every collection.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Holly Burgess

With over a decade in luxury fashion, Rebe Healy (Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Taranaki) has spent her career refining an eye for fabric, fit and styling, first as a fashion buyer, now as founder of her own womenswear label, REBE. That instinct for what women actually want to wear underpins a line built on restraint, quality and a precise cut.

A year after winning the Future of Fashion award at NZFW, given to the names shaping the industry’s future, Rebe has opened her first showroom in Ponsonby, Auckland. Light-filled and gallery-like, the space houses showroom, retail and head office under one roof, the designs themselves at the centre of it all, giving visitors a rare look behind the scenes where the functional meets the creative.

This new chapter also marks a shift to shared leadership. Husband Harry Healy has taken on strategy and operations, working alongside Rebe’s creative direction as the pair set their sights on Paris, REBE’s first move into the Northern Hemisphere.

You spent years as an international buyer before starting REBE. How has that background shaped the way you design and edit a collection?

My background in buying has had a huge influence on the way I design. I spent years looking at collections from both a creative and commercial perspective, and I think that taught me the importance of having a really strong edit. I’m always thinking about how a woman will actually wear something, what she’ll pair it back with, and whether it earns its place in her wardrobe.

I also became very particular about fabric, fit and finishing. When you’re constantly seeing and handling beautiful clothes, you develop an instinct for what makes a piece feel special. With REBE, I want every style to have a reason for being there. I would rather have a smaller, considered collection where every piece feels strong than add something simply to fill a category.

REBE is known for quality over noise. Walk us through your process - where does a collection start for you, and how do you know when a piece is finished?

It can start in lots of different places. Sometimes it’s a fabric, an image, a silhouette I’ve seen, or even something I feel is missing from my own wardrobe. I’m constantly saving references and thinking about how women are dressing and what feels relevant, but I also try not to be too led by trends.

From there it’s very much a process of refining. We spend a lot of time sampling, fitting and making really small adjustments to proportion, fabrication and finish. Often, it’s those few centimeters or subtle changes that completely transform how a garment feels.

I know a piece is finished when there’s nothing I want to add or take away. It needs to feel effortless, but there is usually a lot of work behind getting it to that point.

"I know a piece is finished when there’s nothing I want to add or take away. It needs to feel effortless, but there is usually a lot of work behind getting it to that point."

Tell us about the layout of the new showroom. What were you looking for in a home for HQ and retail, and what did you want the space to say about the brand?

We really wanted a space that could bring every part of REBE together. It needed to function as our head office and working showroom, but also be somewhere customers could come in, experience the clothes and get a sense of the world around the brand.

When we found the space, I loved the natural light and openness straight away. We’ve kept the interior quite restrained and gallery-like, with the clothes really being the focus, but I didn’t want it to feel cold. The BAYA Norfolk rug in Olive brings warmth, texture and softness into the space and helps ground the showroom.

"We wanted it to feel considered but still lived-in and welcoming. It is our workplace every day, so there’s a nice balance between something polished and something very functional and real."

Harry has now stepped into the business. What's it like building a business with your husband?

It’s been really special. Harry and I have very different strengths, which I think is why it works so well. I’m naturally very focused on the creative side, product and the details, whereas Harry has a much more strategic and operational way of looking at the business.

There’s obviously a different dynamic when your business partner is also your husband, and we’re learning how to create boundaries around that, but there’s also an enormous amount of trust. We both care deeply about REBE and share the same ambition for where we want to take it.

It has also allowed me to spend more time in the areas where I add the most value creatively, which feels really important as the brand grows.

With Global Sales Agency Catinella now representing REBE in Australia and a Paris showing confirmed for Resort 2027, this feels like a real turning point. What does this next chapter mean to you, and what are you most excited about?

It definitely feels like a turning point. I’ve known Robyn Catinella for many years and have always admired the way she works and the brands she represents, so having Catinella represent REBE feels like a very natural fit.

We’ve always had the ambition for REBE to be an international brand, and I’m excited about reaching new markets and introducing REBE to a wider audience while still retaining what makes the brand feel distinctly ours. Being a New Zealand brand is something we’re incredibly proud of, and we want to carry that with us as we grow.

Who is the woman REBE is dressing in this next chapter, and has she evolved since REBE began?

I think she has evolved, but the essence of her is still the same. She’s confident in her own style and doesn’t need her clothes to shout. She appreciates beautiful fabric, a great cut and a wardrobe that can move between different parts of her life.

As I’ve evolved personally, I think the REBE woman has naturally evolved with me. I’m increasingly interested in the idea of dressing with intention and building a wardrobe slowly, with pieces you genuinely love and return to season after season. There’s an ease to the way she dresses. It’s less about prescribing a particular look and more about creating really strong pieces that she can make her own.

Ponsonby is now home base for both your personal quarters and showroom. What are the three spots in the neighbourhood you find yourself returning to most?

SALA – I’ve been going to Sala for years now! They have the best mix of classes.

JUNO – Their matcha! 

BLUE - Afterwork vino spot. Adore the team!

Outside of fashion, where are you finding inspiration at the moment? Are there books, interiors, travel or people who inspire your creativity?

I’m really inspired by interiors and architecture at the moment. I love spaces that are quite minimal but still have warmth and personality through texture, proportion and the objects within them. I think there are a lot of parallels between that and how I approach clothing.

Travel is always a huge source of inspiration too. Harry and I have just returned from Japan and were completely blown away by the culture and approach to design and craft. There’s such a dedication to doing one thing exceptionally well, and a real sense of restraint and intention in everything from architecture and interiors to food and everyday objects. That way of thinking really resonated with me.

REBE's Showroom Rug

Norfolk in Olive