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 various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, 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 The Eastern Southland Gallery is a major provincial art gallery in Gore, New Zealand. The gallery is housed in the town's former Carnegie library building, which was built in 1909. Though principally a provincial gallery, the Eastern Southland G ...

, Gore, July 28–2 September.

Background

Robertson was born in Clyde in 1953 and grew up in Dunedin. 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 in 1992. Her label NOM*d, founded in 1986, was shown at the inaugural New Zealand Fashion Week in 2001 and is regularly features 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 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, 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'''s website devoted an editorial spread to
Dunedin's Black Brigade
that featured 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