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New Zealand-born London-based Laura Myers, creative director of new fashion brand Atea, says she wanted her collection to be fashionable, “but not shout-y”. “Think more Emmanuelle Alt than fashion blogger,” Myers says.

With the launch of Atea’s global Web site this week, Myers hopes to reach customers that covet the minimal aesthetics of The Row or Céline – but her goal is to bring it to them with a smaller price tag.

“I felt there was a gaping hole in the market for truly wearable clothes created from great fabrics. I was aiming to be above the high street, but below designer prices, and just have pieces that I really wanted to wear myself but couldn’t really find out there — or afford,” says Myers, who prior to living in London lived between the Polynesian islands, New Zealand, and the United States (Atea means “distant and remote” in Polynesian languages.) She also wanted to offer a wardrobe that travels well between time zones and temperatures.

The fabrics, among them wool mousse, ribbed silk, and fine alpaca, are a particularly proud point for Myers: “All of the fabrics are sourced in New Zealand, and the country has carved out a bit of a niche in the development of some very innovative and technical fabrics. The wool mousse feels almost like a foam, and New Zealand mills have created a merino wool that is butter-soft.”

Meyer’s boutique, Atea Oceanie is located in London’s Knightsbridge.