About Tanya

A celebrated New Zealand designer, Tanya Carlson is renowned for her refined take on both tailored and off-duty dressing.
Raised on the Otago Peninsula, and a dedicated surfer, her aesthetic references dramatic brooding landscapes, dynamic movement and clean lines. 

Informed by a love of traditional menswear tailoring, fine art and the fluid fashions of the 1930s and 1970s, Carlson garments convey an essence and lightness of being alongside an innate respect for the human form. Pared back silhouettes flatter the body, imbued with an inherent sense of grace, ease and motion.

Following her school years, Carlson left Dunedin at age 17 to study painting and printmaking at the National Art School in Sydney, completing a fine arts certificate before a further four years of study in fashion design. Returning home, she established a custom design studio before launching her eponymous label in 1997.

Carlson remains a strong supporter of the New Zealand's fashion industry, producing ready to wear collections and custom-made demi-couture red carpet and bridal pieces. She is famed for her deft freehand draping and cutting in designing her spectacular custom-made garments. All Carlson pieces are proudly made in New Zealand and designed to be cherished. Carlson is also a member of Mindful Fashion, and is a long-time selector and head judge for the iD International Emerging Designer Awards.