SWAN SONS
Tom, Ike and Cosmo Sylvester are the sons of one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated fashion designers – Kate Sylvester. More than that, they’re a trio moulding their parents’ thirty-year-old fashion house into its contemporary future. They chat with Metropol editor Nina Tucker about imposter syndrome, a life-changing accident, and their new store in The Crossing.
Together, Tom, Ike and Cosmo Sylvester have just a few years of combined industry experience, yet they’re trailblazing the national fashion industry with the poise of a seasoned designer. Because the trio had a clothing brand for a big sister (“Kate Sylvester [the label] was like our cool older sister growing up”), their toy chest was full of more practical fashion hacks than dolls and tutus. “She taught us an incredible amount about self-expression, personal style, and the value of art, craft, and design,” the boys say. So when, in April 2024, their parents Kate Sylvester and Wayne Conway announced 31 years was enough, Tom, Ike and Cosmo felt as though they were losing family.
BEFORE SYLVESTER THERE WAS KATE
“Growing up, people always asked the same question: “Are you going to take over the family business?” Our answers were always the same: “We want to do our own thing,” Ike remembers. As Kate and Wayne’s fourth baby – the brand – wound down, Tom, Ike and Cosmo came to a reckoning. “We started to realise that this is our own thing.”
One year, two weeks, and five days later, a reimagined Sylvester launched. A vision of their mother’s brand not new, but evolved. The distinguishable Kate Sylvester swan logo became ‘The Huddle’ – “a circular rope with three loops illustrating three brothers, heads together with arms over shoulders. It shows us united as a family.”
At the time of launch, the trio said they were “honoured to have the opportunity to follow in our parents footsteps and make what we hope will be a meaningful contribution to Aotearoa’s fashion industry.” Nearing Sylvester’s first birthday and their February move to The Crossing to trade amongst some of New Zealand’s finest fashion houses (think Juliette Hogan and RUBY), one can certainly see their immediate influence. “Getting to the one-year mark is a great feeling because now we’re starting to feel like we’re getting a better grip on the reins,” Ike explains.
“Every Sylvester store needs to feel like a home away from home,” Ike says of the new space, which will sit across from Country Road and next to Belleza Boutique in The Crossing’s Kettlewell Lane. It’s “where you feel like you can play dress-ups for hours,” – a shopping environment of warmth over prejudice.
FREAK ACCIDENTS AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME
“Responsibility makes you grow up quickly. Luckily, the three of us keep each other from being too serious,” Ike says. But responsibility wasn’t the only maturity-inducing factor. During a sunny summer’s day in January 2025, just months before Sylvester’s launch, Tom broke his neck – he was paralysed instantly – after diving into the family pool.
While Ike and Cosmo’s energy pours into Sylvester, their brother Tom faces a starkly different challenge: adapting to life in a wheelchair. He says it’s his passion project. “I guess I could say I’m working on myself. Since my accident, there’s so much to learn about how to operate this new body and navigate this world from wheels rather than feet.”
Losing many functions in his hand came with its own set of obstacles for a creative Tom. “It makes navigating a computer more difficult and physically drawing a lot less accurate,” he says. “I have found that I need to use words and images more as a tool for design rather than spec drawings, which is challenging, but I am figuring it out.
“My perspective has changed so much because before my accident, I don’t think I fully appreciated anything, and now I feel grateful for everything,” Tom reflects. “My partner inspires me, and my family and community keep me busy. That combination fuels my fire.”
Tom’s optimism is a source of creative inspiration for Sylvester, but his absence is mourned by his brothers. “The most challenging low has been not having Tom at our side the whole time,” Ike says. “Due to Tom’s accident, Kate and Wayne have been much more hands-on than we initially anticipated. But it’s been glorious fun. Directly learning from them but also teaching them things every day is special.”
Like anyone faced with a colossal project – taking over your mum’s iconic 31-year-old brand and re-introducing it to thousands of grieving fans – Ike became familar with imposter syndrome. On launch day, he “was burnt out, suffering from imposter syndrome, and convinced that the website was not going to work”. Not an easy feeling to shake (though a successful launch and orders flooding in did help), but Ike’s antidote is those around him. “This is the beauty of working with your family. Yes, it can get loud sometimes, but ultimately we just lean on each other when we need to and keep the ball rolling,” he explains. “We are young, and we can handle it. That’s what mum and dad always say. And it’s true.”
The trio combine hours of overtime during the week to alleviate pressure on the weekends, and dedicate time to their social lives. “We’re so lucky to have mum and dad on the sidelines,” the trio say, “and a bit of meditation helps too.”
HOMECOMING
Their latest collection, Home, represents Tom’s pining from the spinal unit for the comfort of familiar spaces. A ‘big idea’ like this shapes each collection. “We have these massive boards in our design space where we stick a few images up that resonate with a big idea,” Ike explains. “Once the big idea has emerged, we build our reference, and then the design begins. It’s fluid and awesome to be a part of.
“With every collection, we learn more. Home captures everything we want Sylvester to offer, from the easy everyday essentials to the elevated event pieces.” Tom, Ike and Cosmo apply this new knowledge in a way that directs Sylvester’s future. Moving away from seasonal collections, Sylvester releases a smaller collection every two months (halving the suspense – genius!). “This allows us to build more core products into the offering and react less to the standard retail calendar,” Ike explains. “It’s new for us, and we are definitely still ‘ironing out the creases.”
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS
Your favourite or most-worn Sylvester piece?
Ike: My olive quilted jacket.
Tom: My Twill Suit.
Cosmo: My Ruched blouson and Rugby polo.
Kate Sylvester’s favourite or most-worn Sylvester piece?
Her Traveller shirt and Traveller trousers combo in khaki.
The biggest lesson you’ve learned along the way?
Always proofread everything.
Your biggest inspiration in life, or in fashion?
Mum and dad.
Your go-to ‘struggle’ meal?
Pea pasta! Cook your penne or shell pasta and frozen baby peas. Combine in a pot with lots of olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, feta, salt and pepper, chilli flakes if you feel like it. Serve hot, but it also bangs cold the next day.
What does Sylvester represent, beyond the beautiful garments and accessories?
We want people to think of Sylvester as easy. Easy to wear, easy to look after, easy to buy, easy to sell, easy to build upon.
