Kathryn Wilson has established herself as New Zealand's premier footwear designer, an influential business woman with a brand that is in constantly high demand, having launched her eponymous footwear brand in 2003 and grown it into a leading name across Australasia, with boutiques in Auckland and Wellington and a strong national retail and online presence. Known for her creativity paired with sharp commercial instinct, she has built a brand that balances design, business and longevity in a highly competitive industry.

Her career highlights include having her designs worn internationally by Beyoncé, hosting legendary designer Jimmy Choo in New Zealand, and establishing a business that has stood the test of time in the fast paced world of fashion. Beyond the brand itself, Kathryn is widely respected for her business acumen, resilience and ability to evolve with changing markets.

After graduating from Massey University and winning an AMP Scholarship, Kathryn honed her design skills and set about creating her own line of footwear. Kathryn Wilson has emerged as one of the fastest-growing fashion brands in New Zealand. Stocked in over 90 local boutiques and with an ever-growing online market, the label is on the front foot in the fashion industry.


In 2011 Kathryn opened her first retail store in the form of a pop-up shoe box that travelled New Zealand. Kathryn Wilson has since grown to three retail boutiques in Herne Bay, Remuera and Wellington.

Her acute business acumen has also meant Kathryn is in demand as a leader and brand ambassador, garnering the attention of global brands Volvo, Samsung, Lancome, Nespresso, Dermalogica and Vodafone to become long-term supporters of herself and the brand.


Locally, Kathryn has remained a driving force in fashion, hosting a New Zealand first exclusive footwear runway show at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2010, followed by a huge social media-driven show at the same event in 2011, which saw over 2,500 people attend.Kathryn Wilson has supported the Ronald McDonald House charity as an ambassador since 2012 and has helped to raise funds and awareness over the years with various projects and events. Ticket sales from annual catwalk events include a donation to RMH along with a percentage of online sales during the campaign appeal week.

Community charities/partnerships: Click here for more information.

Kathryn Wilson footwear takes its ethical and social responsibilities of our suppliers, our clients and the environment seriously. We are committed to upholding enjoyable and fair working conditions as a wholesaler, retailer and employer and ensure that our supply chain adheres to our legal, moral and ethical standards.

Who makes our shoes?

We ensure that all products we produce and purchase through third-party contractors come from ethical sources and have a range of measures in place that form our responsible sourcing guidelines. These supplier relationships throughout Europe and Asia are long-standing from 4-12 years producing our beautiful shoes for us and are constantly striving to better their workplace and their processes.