Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Sue Dunmore, co-founder of Rose & Thorne.

A couple of decades ago there was a big lingerie industry here in NZ, but in 2010 Bendon made the call to pull the last of their NZ operations out , and the design jobs left New Zealand.

This moment left the head of design and a past CEO wondering if there might be a way to make a different kind of bra company, designed here, and based more on fit than trends, where they could match affordability with comfort.

These weren’t the first time that these thoughts were had in the industry, but when these people went for affordable, they meant it. Bras that can be bewilderingly expensive, but their first big customer was the Warehouse, where they sold for $25.  Since their start they’ve expanded to retail, international sales and have sold something in the region of a million bras.

To talk the journey, turning a lost job into a multimillion dollar opportunity and what’s next,  Rose & Thorne co-founder and Managing Director Sue Dunmore joins me now.

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