Breaking down fashion barriers

Linda Davidson and her daughter Phoebe mix it up with pieces from Linda's latest collection. Photo / Babiche Martens

Fashion has a bit of a bad reputation, and it's sometimes easy to see why. Trends come and go, clothes are disposable, there's a constant barrage of new "must-have-now" items, and those working within the industry often don't help with the haughty stereotypes (new TV series Stylista, where interns compete for a job at Elle magazine, is a case in point).

"I kind of want to take the myth out of it," says Linda Davidson, 60-year-old designer and stylist, who has recently launched her namesake label and is organising a style workshop to help women of all ages reinvent, restore, nourish and find a new personal style. Her to-the-point sartorial advice reflects this attitude. "Find a designer you trust. Vintage is a way of putting something unexpected into the mix, and that's what fashion always is - each season, it's meant to be something unexpected. Wear it because you feel good, not because it's 'fashion'."

Davidson knows fashion, and is passionate about it - walk into her Grey Lynn home and you'll see new issues of Italian and French Vogue sitting next to the latest issue of local magazine No, and her own sartorial style is surely inspirational for mature women everywhere. "I don't want to pigeonhole myself into women my own age, but there are a lot of older women out there who don't want to look like the clothes that are available to them," says Davidson. She jokes that her range is for women who "don't want to wear a white shirt or a polo neck". She's right: not all older women want to wear Trelise Cooper or Paula Ryan. "There's a Rick Owens saying, 'indifference is the greatest aphrodisiac'. And I don't mean indifference per se, I mean not too studied, and always modern." Davidson also hopes to inspire and excite those women who may feel style doesn't have any relevance to their lives anymore. "Just because you're 60, it does not mean it's the end. But for a lot of women, that's how it is.

"A lot of the path that is there for women with more mature bodies, a lot of that is overworked and it's not modern enough in a lot of ways."

Davidson grew up in the United States before moving to New Zealand when she was 18. "I grew up with a family who were like foragers; we went to the Goodwill. My mom dressed amazingly from that, and so that was in the blood." Davidson says when she goes back to the States to see her sisters, they go on "rummaging sprees. That's how we bond really". Her own children both work within the fashion industry too - daughter Phoebe, pictured, is a model and will launch her own online vintage store soon. Davidson has clearly passed her love of vintage on. "I was always trying to adapt things, sew jeans up strangely. I always wanted to do something a little different to everyone else - not silly, but different." It's that defiant attitude that helped shape her longstanding fashion industry experience: she moved to Peria Valley in Northland to "live off the land" and launch her own fashion range, before moving back to Auckland where she worked with Marilyn Sainty at Scotties "for years, which was amazing". She eventually began designing for other labels, as well as styling shows at Air New Zealand Fashion Week. Her first stint at show styling was for Liz Mitchell in 2005. "I had no experience, I just kind of did it. Before the first show, I remember thinking: I just want to get in the car and drive away!"

Markets are another of Davidson's passions, she once ran a small vintage market out the back of Scotties. She plans to sell her designs with a carefully edited range of vintage pieces at the upcoming Sale Street Market in Auckland.

"A million years ago there was the Cook Street Market, it was kind of place where you went if you wanted an outfit for Saturday night that wasn't going to cost you a thousand dollars and was really cool and well-made. So I love the idea of what they [Sale St Market] are doing."

Davidson's style workshop, called Time To Shine, will be hosted by friend Peta Mathias and will feature a range of well-known local faces. Mandy White will host a one-hour yoga demonstration, hairdressers from Toni & Guy will be available, as will a professional makeup artist from Samala Robinson Academy. Other features include traditional Indian eyebrow threading, mini-Shiatsu, a champagne bar and a fashion show featuring pieces from Davidson's range mixed in with chain store, vintage and other designer pieces.

There will be a special room with a "panel" of style experts, including Davidson, Black Magazine co-editor Rachael Churchward, designer Mala Brajkovic, Jetsetbohemian's Kirsten Tweedie and Melissa Gardi of NZ Weddings. Each will share their insider secrets and simply "shoot the breeze". And yes, there will be a goodie bag. "I hate the word uplifting, but it is." says Davidson. "You get all these women together, older ones, younger ones, and let's face it, those people who are characters, it's just amazing. I hate the word powerful too, but it is!"

If you're interested in taking part, or want to know more about the Linda Davidson range, ring (09) 376 0663.

* The new weekend designer Sale Street Markets open this Saturday at 7 Sale St, Freemans Bay.