New Zealand fashion designer Trish Gregory has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to the fashion industry.
Mrs Gregory said she was absolutely delighted to have received the honour and would wear it ‘‘with pride’’.
‘‘For me, it also reflects on the great team that stood by me as I set out on my journey as an aspiring entrepreneur,’’ she said.
That journey had begun in a boutique in central Timaru.
She and her husband James had arrived in the area on a ‘‘cold frosty morning in 1968’’ after being posted to radio 3ZC by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation.
Mrs Gregory was a copywriter and her husband a radio announcer.
After 12 months Mrs Gregory quit her job with the NZBC and drawing on her artistic talent, decided to challenge herself in the world of fashion.
She found a small shop on Caroline Bay Hill that had a ‘‘big wonderful view’’ and a small manageable rent, which she named The Figleaf Boutique.
She said boutique was the de rigueur name for any clothing shop worth its salt in 1969.
‘‘Boutique meant ultra stylish, trendy fashions and it could be distinguished from other stores, by its black painted interior, both walls and ceilings.’’
Mrs Gregory said like most start-ups, there was not a lot of money for The Figleaf Boutique fit-out.
‘‘Kind friends loaned us bits and pieces and even a couple of mirrors.’’
It was a long space, which allowed for the shop in the front and the workroom with two machinists/hand sewers, at the back.
She said the target market was the country set and aristocracy of South Canterbury.
‘‘Our clients came from far and wide. Many were from the farming community and appreciated that we were using natural materials like 100% pure New Zealand wool off the farm.
‘‘We also offered a bespoke service for special occasion wear.
‘‘We featured one-off, original, mostly tailored garments in pure wools, suedes, leather, and real fur trims, such as collars, cuffs and hem detail, reflecting the fashions of the time.’’
The fur collars, cuffs and hemline trims were all made by the local furrier in Stafford St.
Mrs Gregory won four Benson and Hedges Fashion New Zealand Design Awards between 1970 and 1974 and became the first New Zealand fashion designer to receive a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council Award in 1974.
The award allowed her to study in Europe at London’s Royal College of Art.
She returned to New Zealand with something revolutionary: the concept of bringing professionally designed high fashion to fashion-conscious young women through deconstructed, sewable kits.
Mrs Gregory went on to have an award-winning career living in the North Island, but she had not forgotten her beginnings.
She said her story was ‘‘ultimately about vision realised through persistent innovation, and this recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours reflects not just personal achievement but an acknowledgement of design’s potential to serve broader social purposes’’.
‘‘In an industry often criticised for superficiality, my career demonstrates that design can be simultaneously beautiful, accessible, sustainable, and meaningful.
‘‘These are principles that remain deeply relevant for today’s contemporary designers as they face the challenges of the modern business world.’’
