'Allo gaitors

If you are shopping in Christchurch in the High Street fashion quarter a good place to go is a gorgeous shop called One Big Sugar Bowl. We were lured inside on our hunt for the gaitor. Gaitors are fashion accessories that can be added to an ensemble to give it that Italian edge.

Virginia Disomma owner of the One Big Sugar Bowl store and company started designing her range of gaiters in 2003. "Gaitors look fabulous with long or short shorts, skirts, dresses and pants. They will turn almost any shoe into a boot and are a great travelling option as you can have the boots in your luggage without worrying about the weight".

"I designed The Gaitor in 2003" says Disomma. "I've always designed and made things - not always fashion items, sometimes interior design and homewares product but fashion and jewellery is my passion now."

Trelise Cooper bought her entire range of feather and flower hairclips that she was making in 1998 and she can safely claim credit for bringing feather and flower clips and fascinators back into vogue in New Zealand because at the time, no one else was doing them. Now, as we all know, they're everywhere!

Virginia Disomma has had her store since March 2001; first in the Christchurch Arts Centre for three and a half years and now in the up-market fashion quarter of High Street for the past four years. She states that the inspiration behind the name, One Big Sugar Bowl was "to give the feeling that this was a space full of sweet and sumptuous treats for women of all ages and somewhere they could truly celebrate femininity". And it certainly is. Filled with trinkets, slightly European styled accessories and a lovely atmosphere, it is the kind of place you will not leave empty handed.

One Big Sugar Bowl provides a makeup and styling service for bridal parties and in 2009 will be specialising in bridal jewellery, headwear and specialty bags, garters and more. As Virginia says, every woman needs "at least one piece of jewellery they can have for many years and love enough to pass onto their children."

One Big Sugar Bowl, 173 High Street, Christchurch. Ph 03 3773600 email: virginiadisomma@gmail.com

Cyndi Greep 18 December 2008