The Benson & Hedges designers

Press, 4 April 1989, Page 14

The Benson & Hedges designers

Editor:— Tanya Gadsby. Advertising Co-ordinator:— Liz Freeman. If you have information of possible interest to Press Fashion readers, please send it by mid-month to The Editor, Press Fashion, “The Press,” Private Bag, Christchurch. Advertising inquiries, telephone 790-940.

Robert Gormack, winner of the Benson and Hedges Supreme Award, talks about his life, his career and his ideas for the New Zealand fashion industry. (Continued from front page.)

Portrait of a Winner

Robert gormack believes that designing for the unique New Zealand lifestyle, and promoting that differentness . overseas, will appeal to the European and American markets. In the meantime, there will be no radical changes in direction for the three Judith Malcolm labels, and Robert believes that the concepts which Judith Powell has instilled in him over five years of working together will be invaluable. There are, however, “quite a few” different areas of New Zealand lifestyle design being investigated by the company. The Robert Gormack label, for instance, will included leatherwear, and there are other design areas outside the clothing industry which are being looked at. “New Zealanders are getting into design in the same way they got into exercise — so watch out!” says Robert. He has certainly come a long way from the schoolboy who couldn’t find bought clothes that he liked, so decided to see what he could make himself. His career has been colourful, varied and sometimes hard, but it has been characterised by an inquiring mind and a fascination with garment construction. As his know-

ledge of this last factor has grown, so has the sophistication of his designs. He began in the early 70s, working in a small clothing shop in the Square. Fashion was moving away from the tightfitting clothes of the 60s. It was the beginning of the unconstructed movement which was to last for nearly 20 years — only now are we seeing its decline, and the resurgence of the tailored look. It was an exuberant time. “Fashion was a buoyant industry — everyone had money for clothes.” And there, wearing the widest flares and the highest platform soles was Robert Gormack. He went to the Wellington Polytechnic in 1976. “I was one of those classic nerds who used to ask ‘why?’ all the time,” he laughs. His difficult questions about pattern-making sparked the interest of his tutors, and led to extra classes after school and in the week-ends. Having finished his course, Robert found that there were few jobs available in the New Zealand industry, which was then in its infancy. "The established local designers we have now were just starting out themselves.” He went to Sydney, where he had a series of jobs. One was for a lower-price-bracket clothing firm producing 6000 copies of each garment. "I could do whatever I wanted, so long as I didn’t use more than I*A metres of fabric!” It was good experience in problem-solving

through design. It wa also to alter the wa Robert looked at colou and lifestyle. Finally, he had hai enough of Australia, bu was not ready to return f! New Zealand. A two-yea stint in Hong Kon, followed, doing intensiv pattern-making for i sportswear firm. Next it was Lo Angeles, and a uniforn factory which, amon; other things, fitted the local police and fire-fight ing forces. Robert came back t( New Zealand in 1981, jus as the Japanese wen making their impact oi the fashion scene. Thein was perhaps the bigges influence in forming his ideas for the New Zealanc industry today. “They have so much tc teach us. Japan is the most modem place or earth and yet the mosi traditional and insular.” He saw a countrj adapting European fashion trends to its own lifestyle, something which had never yet been done in New Zealand.

“I’m aiming to do that now — to help create an indigenous fashion industry which is not ethnic. We’re trying to produce stylish, sophisticated New Zealand fashion for New Zealand city life, which is quite different from city life anywhere else.” He first worked with Judith Powell soon afte, his return to New Zea land, on a leather rangl which she was producing. Their association went from there. It hardly seems a meteoric rise to fame, yet at a relatively young age he is at the top of the New Zealand fashion industry. Robert Gormack’s story is one which relies on a wide base of hands-on experience, and he draws on this in his advice to anyone starting out as a designer. “The fashion industry in New Zealand has little room for artists or visionaries — you have to have hands-on experience and know how a garment goes together.”

Robert Gormack’s winning design will be on display at the Peter Small Gallery in Shades Arcade this week.