Hawthorne Den owner and vintage fashion connoisseur Jan Wards beside one of the jewels of her collection, a Petite Vogue dress, which she says she will never part with but still loves to display in her Waikaia op shop. Jan Wards runs the Hawthorne Den alongside her husband in Waikaia, which is both an event space, with its vast and beautiful garden area, and a special shop. An old chapel holds a massive collection of vintage clothing Mrs Wards has found in op shops and sales around the country. The op shop served as a way for Mrs Wards to give back, as she said the thrill of the op shop was one she found soothing, wishing for others to experience the same thing. "I’ll say back, ‘I’ve just done a half an hour trawling at an op shop’," she said, laughing.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 06, 2026 15:50 UTC