Simon Hames

Director & co owner

Originally hailing from Christchurch, and after attending Christchurch Boys High, Simon left to pursue an interest in the furniture industry and trained as an upholsterer. Upon finishing his apprenticeship, he wanted to further his training and start to develop work of his own. So he moved to Nelson where he undertook a diploma in Visual Art majoring in Furniture.

While in Nelson, he linked up with the World of Wearable Art show, volunteering his services in the art dept painting sets and making props. As many of the props were often, costume based and with mending garments and creating new ones, he just started to make entries for the show.

After graduating, he moved to Auckland and worked in the furniture industry and a design product business before a stint overseas in Europe.

He moved back to Nelson where he set up a studio, continued with his furniture, and started to decorate and theme dance parties and make Wearable art.

Prop making became more of a focus, which led to a move to Wellington to secure a job in the Prop Dept on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. That year he created a garment called the “Superminx” a pair of wearable chairs that won the World of Wearable Art supreme award for “1999”.

Furniture remains as passion, and he continues to develop techniques and forms alongside his family, and house project, which keeps him pretty busy.