Margarita Anna Robertson ( Gladiadis, born 1953) is a New Zealand fashion designer and the founder and creative director of the New Zealand fashion line NOM*d. In the

2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...

, she was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

, for services to the fashion industry. She is credited with helping define what is known as "the New Zealand Look." In the words of the New Zealand Fashion Museum, "Margarita Robertson’s status as a national designer of significant cultural importance is recognised in public collections and by her inclusion in recent exhibitions, biographies and histories on New Zealand fashion." In 2011, Robertson's creations were featured in a single-artist exhibition held at the Eastern Southland Gallery,

Gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...

, July 28–2 September.

Background

Robertson was born in Clyde in 1953 and grew up in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

. Her sister is Elisabeth Findlay, founder of Zambesi, another New Zealand fashion line. She opened her first boutique in Dunedin in 1975, establishing her current boutique Plume in 1978, and a second Plume in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

in 1992. Her label NOM*d, founded in 1986, was shown at the inaugural New Zealand Fashion Week in 2001 and is regularly included as part of

iD Dunedin Fashion Week iD Dunedin Fashion Week is an annual festival of fashion held in the New Zealand South Island city of Dunedin. The festival has been held regularly since 1999, and is held in the southern autumn in March or April. Description iD Dunedin is run by ...

Career

Within New Zealand, Robertson is associated with Dunedin and its cultural heritage as the location of the alternative music movement known as

Dunedin sound The Dunedin sound was a musical and cultural movement in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, in the early 1980s. It helped found indie rock as a genre. The scene is associated with Flying Nun Records, an independent label. Bands associated with th ...

. The bohemian counter-culture dimension of the city has left an indelible mark on her fashion sense. Her label appeals to a broad cross-section of its inhabitants – from those who were part of that movement to young aspiring creatives, writers, artists, musicians and others, including the many students who attend

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, which is located in this city. Her designs are also described as "enjoying a flourishing trade in Europe, the United States and Asia." In 2015, ''

i-D magazine ''i-D'' is a British biannual magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art, film and youth culture. The magazine was launched in 1980 by Terry Jones, originally as a hand-stapled fanzine it has since evolved into a glossy publication. In 2023 the ...

'''s website devoted an editorial spread to
Dunedin's Black Brigade
that highlighted Robertson and a series of young local inhabitants.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Margi 1953 births Living people New Zealand fashion designers New Zealand women fashion designers New Zealand people of Greek descent Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit People from Clyde, New Zealand