It’s often said that NOM*d created the New Zealand Look – gothic, utilitarian, androgynous. It’s an aesthetic that’s become known around the world, though Margi Robertson would likely be more pleased to discuss the label’s influence in Dunedin. This small university town, ‘Dunnerz’ to locals, is Margi’s home and she’s shaped the look of its residents for decades.
NOM*d’s recent NZFW show reminds us the label’s genderless aesthetic is as bold now as it ever was. Though NOM*d’s been retailing since 1975, Margi’s still looking ahead – she really is the god mother of New Zealand fashion.
On her and her sister Elisabeth Findlay of Zambesi…
She’s the queen. She’s Queen Elizabeth, and I’m Princess Margaret – I’m the baddie.
On the New Zealand look…
I feel quite proud of New Zealand. I don’t think New Zealanders realise how aware of fashion we actually are here.
On her favourite up-and-coming Kiwi designer..
I think Steve Hall is so cool. His NZFW show was amazing, he’s quite original. What I think is incredible about his stuff is that you can see it’s so beautifully constructed. When you look at his lines, they’re all perfect.
On the NOM*d footwear look (opaque tights worn over Doc Martens) that everyone was talking about…
I can’t take the credit for that, it would’ve been Zeke, who is kind of like our number one designer. We always use Doc Martens, and when we were playing around at home, we were originally cutting the tights and playing around with the nude tights, because nobody really ever uses the flesh colour. In the end, we though “why not just put the whole thing on?”.
On the spoken word poetry soundtracking the show…
That wasSam Hunt, a poet from Wellington. He emerged in the 80s, when that type of prose came out where things weren’t really rhyming. He’s quite out there. He recited recently in Dunedin at a grungy pub down at Port Chalmers. Anna and Zeke went to hear him. We found the recordings, and mixed it with Alistar Galbraith, a Dunedin musician.
On working with Alastair McKimm…
I’m quite lucky in some ways that we’ve always had really good collaborators. Alastair used to come out here and style for us for fashion week. I met him in London. The following fashion week we brought him out with a photographer from i-D. I feel proud we were working with him back then.
Credits
Photography Russell Kleyn