Q&A: Shelley McCrae

Shelley McCrae

As venue interior designer, Shelley McCrae is responsible for transforming the spartan America's Cup sheds into the home of this year's Fashion Week, complete with dazzling chandeliers, graffiti artworks and intricate Maori carvings.

Q: This is the second year you've been involved in Fashion Week; how does this one compare to last year?

A: This year I think is better. We've improved the layout, and there are a couple of new elements, like the restaurant and the Icons room. I think Fashion Week as an event is just getting bigger and better.

Q: How much work has gone into the event, for you?

A: So much work it's scary. You're researching and trying to find suppliers a year before, but then it really gets intense - 80-hour weeks towards the end.

Q: Why did you become involved?

A: I love it. I've been an interior designer for 18 years and this event offers a unique size and scale. But more appealing is its transient nature. You design for a short time, which is different to designing for permanent structures. And it's fun.

Q: Standout moment?

A: I get the biggest kick out of seeing it happen. I'm on a high when it opens. The thing that really makes me feel good and keeps me there is having a good connection with the people behind the event.

Q: Most hair-raising moment?

A: There is just so much to do and there are so many people to deal with. In the build-up, you're getting a phone call every minute, you're getting a hundred emails a day. It's that intensity that gets to you.

Q: Most eagerly-awaited show?

A: That's hard. I'm really looking forward to Nom*D.

Q: Biggest challenge?

The way I fit it out is through contributions from suppliers, with almost no budget. So when you start looking at the venue and how it can work, you've also got to be negotiating with suppliers to get them behind you. And that is a major challenge.

Q: What was your inspiration for the fit-out?

I tried to give it a New Zealand feel. The whole point of interior design is to add to the experience and to create spaces that convey the sense of celebration and esteem that we have for our fashion designers. It's an important event on New Zealand's cultural calendar, and I wanted people to feel like they've come somewhere important, somewhere special. It's fun too. I don't want to sound precious about it - the whole point is to have fun.

Q: You have five Maori carvings around the venue. Where did they come from?

I met James Rickard at Fashion Week last year and got to know him. He's an amazing man. He's a master carver and was taught by the greatest carvers that we have - the most well-regarded international Maori artists. This year, he did five pieces from scratch for Fashion Week - they're worth about $200,000. They each have a story and they all connect to Maori mythology. They're all part of getting that uniquely New Zealand feeling in there.

Q: What's your number one fashion tip for the style conscious?

Keep drinking plenty of water so your skin doesn't get dehydrated from all the champagne.