04 July 2024

Belonging at Bendigo

Rakahinonga. Entrepreneur.

writer: Felicity Connell

photographer: Elle Piggott

Watching her parents – merino industry pioneers Heather and John Perriam – always strive to step out of the box and do business differently has shaped and inspired Christina Grant. The founder and creative force behind premium knitwear label Perriam, she is continuing to build on their legacy whilst honouring her high country roots.

Above. “With hoar frosts in the morning, winter can be harsh. But those cold, crisp mornings are usually followed by beautiful blue-sky days and with the snow on the mountains, you can’t beat winter in Otago, that’s for sure.”

Christina and her two older brothers grew up on Bendigo, a well-known high country station in Central Otago. “We had an amazing childhood,” she recalls. “We were very active children, doing all the things you do when you grow up on a farm – riding horses, raising lambs. We were outside all the time and had a lot of freedom. My dad had big ideas and took big risks. With him as a role model, I always thought I could do anything.”

Christina always knew the influence her father’s entrepreneurial nature had on her, but it wasn’t until she and husband Callum took over Heather’s signature project – The Merino Shop at Tarras – that Christina began to see her mum’s influence, too. “I started to find books full of her beautiful drawings and sketches of her designs for merino garments. She was so creative and had such a passion for connecting with people,” Christina says.

Above. Walter, all ready to go. “Being from Central Otago, the landscape is inherent to me,” she says. “The landscape and my upbringing hugely influences everything I do in my life.”

Heather died in 2010 after a short battle with cancer, and since then, Christina has been determined to fulfil her mother’s vision for Tarras. A focus on well-being isa clear throughline for Christina, and is reflected in her approach to the Perriam brand. She cares about every stage – from the way Merino sheep are farmed to how the fibre is processed and made into garments. Through Perriam, Christina wants to inspire a move away from cheap and cheerful for everyday basics like T-shirts and singlets. “The pieces that that you reach into your wardrobe for everyday should be good quality, too. I’ve fallen into the trap of buying not-so-good things to wear underneath my quality knitwear, but actually the whole outfit should be valued,” she says.

Above. “I’ve learned to switch off now when I get home and just focus on other things. I love chilling with my family, that’s my favourite thing to do,” Christina says.

Along the way, Christina and Callum decided to start a family, but found their pathway to parenthood wasn’t straightforward. “I’d always had heavy and painful periods and suspected that I had endometriosis, but it was never diagnosed. I saw a specialist who confirmed I had stage four endometriosis. I was told I probably wouldn’t be able to have children. But, me being me, I embarked on a journey of learning about endometriosis. I thought, ‘If I know more, I can work out a plan of attack.’”

After her first round of IVF wasn’t successful, Christina pivoted to a holistic approach and radically changed her diet and lifestyle. It hugely improved her endometriosis, and her and Callum’s second round gave them Walter. “Everybody’s journey is so different, but I truly believe the approach I took had huge influence on my fertility. We did more rounds subsequently, but by this stage, I was a bit older, and my treatment was disrupted by Covid, so we weren’t successful. But we’re very blessed to have Walter, he’s like our little angel baby. I can see my mum’s characteristics in him. His kind and loving nature is very much my mum. She would have adored him, and I know they would have been the best of friends.”

Christina, 45, Callum, 36, and Walter, now 5, had been living in Wānaka, but recently returned to live on Bendigo Station. “I had a yearning for Walter to have a similar lifestyle to what I had – growing up surrounded by nature and helping raise animals. Something I really want for Walter as he gets older is for him to follow his heart and live his life with purpose and passion. I really want him to have something that he loves doing just as much as I do. I never think I’m coming to work. I’m always coming to do something I absolutely love. I’m so blessed to be able to do something that I’m passionate about every day.”

Having Walter saw Christina reset her approach to running Perriam as well. “I realised there was a little bit more to life than just working. Through my thirties, I probably ran myself a bit ragged. There is a lot of stuff that comes with being an owner of a business – you put a lot of pressure on yourself. Having a family does make you reset in that respect. Now, I don’t feel guilty if I’m not at work. It wasn’t doing me any great service to be so busy. I definitely make sure now that I slow down.”

But what hasn’t changed is Christina’s drive to uplift the land where she grew up and the people who live off it. “We’re really focused on a transparent, traceable cycle from the paddock through to your wardrobe. We’re not there yet, but we’ve got a plan to get there. We also believe in our local industry and our community of makers are important to us. We are very conscious of valuing and supporting the people who have those specialist skills that we need. Being a New Zealand-made brand is a hard game, but for us, that’s the right thing to do.”

All this love and care extend back to The Merino Shop in Tarras as well. “We have a general store that is stocked with local and New Zealand-produced artisan products my mum would have loved – like candles, perfumes and hand creams, and, o fcourse, gorgeous merino wool for knitters. This year, we opened a wine cellar, and the vineyards that grace Bendigo are the only labels that we sell. I feel like I’m building on my mum’s vision for Tarras, but doing it in our own way.”

Top left. Perriam’s store at Tarras Village. Christina says, “It might seem like a lot of money at the time, but it's definitely worth the investment on quality fibre and fabrics. A classic well-made garment will see you through many seasons, rather than something that is on trend for just one season. I think when you buy something really beautiful, you feel like a million dollars when you wear it.” Top right. “It’s important that we nurture a strong farming community and that we retain our connection and heritage of being producers from the land – especially when we are creating natural products. I’m very passionate about educating people on why they should choose a natural fibre over an artificial one.” Bottom left “I’m just starting to get a really good team around me so I can concentrate on the things that I love to do – designing and creating beautiful classic knitwear.” Bottom right. Finding a work-life balance is essential. “Being in nature is important, as I spend a lot of time in the office and on the computer. Walking is a big one for me. I walk and listen to podcasts – it’s ‘me’ time. It’s good to have time to myself to reflect,” Christina says.