86% matchYohji Yamamoto
Black asymmetric draping at the avant-garde source
What changes: Far higher price and global runway scale
Brand profile
Zambesi
New Zealand fashion house founded in Auckland in 1979, known for dark, structured tailoring and locally made, trend-resistant garments.
AucklandOrigin
UnisexFocus
Avant-gardeStyle
$$$Price
4 brands like Zambesi like Yohji Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester, Y's →
What to know about Zambesi
Black, charcoal, and sharp angles
The house works in a dark register: structured tailoring, asymmetric layered cuts, and fluid fabrics set against hard silhouettes, mostly in black and charcoal.
Made in its own Auckland workroom
Garments are produced in Zambesi's own Auckland workroom, which helps explain the medium-high pricing relative to imported contemporary labels.
A 1979 house at a crossroads
Founded by Elisabeth and Neville Findlay in 1979, it retails in Auckland and Wellington with Australian and Japanese stockists; the founders have said they are seeking a buyer.
If you like Zambesi
86% match
85% matchAnn Demeulemeester
Romantic-gothic take on sharp black tailoring
What changes: More leather and rock-poet styling, luxury pricing
80% match
76% matchA.F. Vandevorst
Uniform-derived Antwerp deconstruction
What changes: Conceptual collection-driven, more archival than wearable
Brand facts
Zambesi is a New Zealand fashion house founded in Auckland in 1979 by Elisabeth and Neville Findlay. It works in a dark, intellectual register: structured tailoring, asymmetric layered cuts, fluid fabrics against sharp silhouettes, and a palette anchored in black and charcoal. Garments are made in the label's Auckland workroom. It operates stores in Auckland, including a Commercial Bay flagship, plus Wellington, with Australian and Japanese stockists, and shows at New Zealand Fashion Week. The Findlays have publicly said they are seeking a buyer for the business.
- Founded
- 1979
- Origin
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Made in
- New Zealand
- Price
- $$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Styles
- Avant-garde, Punk / Grunge / Goth, Minimalist / Contemporary