An inimitable personal style

Margarita Robertson sorts through NOM*d archival photographs.
Margarita Robertson sorts through NOM*d archival photographs.
From a 2001 Maison Margiela lookbook, the model wears an intriguing apron top constructed...
From a 2001 Maison Margiela lookbook, the model wears an intriguing apron top constructed entirely of labels, one of the garments that will be shown in the exhibition.
A portrait of Margarita Robertson by photographer Jono Parker. The image was reworked by Sam...
A portrait of Margarita Robertson by photographer Jono Parker. The image was reworked by Sam Robertson.
One of the 12 chosen outfits is tried on a mannequin in preparation for the exhibition.
One of the 12 chosen outfits is tried on a mannequin in preparation for the exhibition.

Dunedin's most significant fashion designer, Margarita Robertson, has an enviable personal dress style which comes under the spotlight in a forthcoming exhibition. Jude Hathaway reports.

Three beguiling but very different cities, an acclaimed professional career spanning 33 years, and 12 standout fashion outfits are the catalysts for an exhibition which will be a highlight of the forthcoming iD Dunedin Fashion Week.

Entitled simply Margarita Robertson 3.33.12, it is co-curated by Dunedin's Margarita Robertson, creative director of the globally recognised fashion label NOM*d and co-owner of the Plume fashion stores with her husband, Chris.

She is also one of the most exciting and respected designers in the country.

The exhibition, sponsored by Deloitte, will open at Dunedin Public Art Gallery on March 18 and continue through to April 17.

‘‘Much has been written about NOM*d and Plume, and deservedly so, but this exhibition explore's Margi's personal style and the ways it has evolved over time.

"It will also highlight some of the clothes that have special meaning to her,'' said Tim Pollock, co-curator of the exhibition and commercial development manager at the gallery, who has worked closely with Robertson on various collaborative projects over the years.

Comprising significant pieces which Robertson has mined from her own extensive wardrobe, the exhibition reflects her highly individual personal dress style which has been influenced by Tokyo, Paris and Dunedin.

It is also a style nurtured by the same creative intelligence and originality that is responsible for her potent career path, one that steers well clear of the mainstream.

Taking into account the fact that her first pieces from international designers were purchased in the early '80s, it seemed pertinent to ask her if it took long to select just 12 outfits.

‘‘It took a while,'' she said with a smile.

‘‘Being in the industry for so long I've obviously filled a few wardrobes at home. But, there are a number of garments that I have thought of as being particularly important to me in one way or another. This made it easier.''

The fact that logistically the exhibition could feature only 12 outfits made it imperative for her to be discerning.

Only one, incidentally, is made up of NOM*d garments. As she pointed out, the exhibition is not about NOM*d but about garments she has purchased and treasured through the years.

She has also included a stunning Siberian coat dress from an early '80s Zambesi range by her sister, Auckland-based Elisabeth Findlay, whose designs often reference clothes from their mother's wardrobe.

Japan a big influence

It was with Findlay that Robertson visited Tokyo for the first time in 1983.

‘‘I went along with Liz to be a sounding board in her selection of fabrics for the Zambesi label.''

It would be a trip that changed Robertson's whole perception of clothes and would go on to influence her own design aesthetic.

‘‘Even the way the Japanese approach store presentation has had a lasting influence,'' she said.

‘‘Remember we had just come out of the '70s decade with the soft hippie and Liberty print styles, which were followed by the power dressing and structured garments reflected in shows like Dynasty.''

It was little wonder that she found the minimalism, particularly reflected in the designs of Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto, exciting and refreshing.

As a consequence she is showing two very different Comme des Garcons outfits, one a black suit from the label's Noir range she bought for a wedding, the other a T-shirting/cotton combination knit from the Tricot range.

From Yamamoto's Workshop brand is a blue jacket teamed with asymmetrical pants that continue to be produced today.

‘‘It was these designers' one size-fits-all and the relaxed way of dressing that fascinated me,'' she said.

Also to be reflected in her NOM*d knitwear, first launched in 1986, was their off-kilter utilitarian and practical approach.

‘‘I also loved the unashamed use of black. I can still remember us coming back into New Zealand and customs officers thinking that we were part of a cult! However, the trip was also around the time of my father passing and with our Greek heritage it was natural for us to wear black.''

Trips to Tokyo became a regular occurrence for the two sisters. They revelled in the crowds, the exotic aromas, and the entire Japanese cultural experience.

‘‘Up until the late '80s Japan was an economical place for us to visit and to purchase garments for our fashion stores. However, as a result of the changes in the economic climate in the late '80s, it became more viable to travel to Europe on fabric-buying trips.''

But a whimsical fondness for Tokyo remains strong.

And so began Robertson's close liaison with Paris, the city she continues to visit with Findlay at least twice a year.

‘‘We would attend the Premier Vision fabric fair which was just a week out from Paris Fashion Week and also select Jean Paul Gaultier and Martin Margiela garments for our stores.

‘‘I wore a lot of Margiela between 1998 and about 2004 and so I've styled three outfits of his for the show.''

Each of these stands out distinctly from the other.

One is from his artisanal collection comprising a reversible Mongolian lamb vest over an apron top made up of old labels and teamed with a full-length vinyl skirt. A glove purse completes the look.

This outfit, like the others, illustrates the mark of a master craftsman who has applied distressed techniques, deconstruction and raw finishing to reach amazing conclusions.

And check out the purpose-built pants specifically designed to be worn under dresses, which would become an enduring urban streetwear trend.

From the '90s is a Jean Paul Gaultier tattoo print T-shirt and short floral jumpsuit teamed with a restyled denim jacket, while an outfit from Ann Demeulemeester includes a painted denim coat, leather skirt and knit singlet with a beaded tulle overlay.

Then there is American-born, Paris-based Rick Owens, represented by an outfit Robertson purchased for her niece's wedding. Featuring his signature draping, it comprises a leather tunic over drop-crotch pants teamed with sneaker boots.

‘‘Rick Owens designs can be quite feminine in a hard-core subversive way,'' she said.

Her most recent outfit comes from the Vetements (which translates to ‘‘clothing'' in French) fashion house where the team are former Maison Margiela designers.

‘‘It's intriguing in that the patched jeans, teamed with an oversized pure wool suit jacket, have so many similarities with Margiela,'' Robertson commented.

She plans on wearing the jacket on her impending trip to wintry Paris. It will be back on the mannequin in time for the exhibition's opening!

Unsurprisingly, the one outfit that posed the most difficulties for her was the one from NOM*d.

Her final decision represents earlier NOM*d garments featuring deconstructed and reworked garments and customised T-shirts, including a design by her son Sam.

‘‘The outfit obviously represents what I love most about we've done over the years,'' she said.

During the exhibition, films depicting Robertson's three significant cities will be screened next to each other on the rear wall of the gallery.

Tokyo was shot by long-term collaborator Richard Shaw. Laurent Soler captures Paris while local artist Max Bellamy succeeds in reflecting the small, character-laden Dunedin that Robertson happily calls home.

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