The formidable fashion doyenne, former New Zealand Herald cadet and Viva contributor paved the way for our local fashion industry. Dan Ahwa remembers Michal McKay’s influential contribution to our local fashion industry.
The first time I met Michal McKay was in 2009, when I worked as the editor of the
She welcomed me into her Remuera home at the time wearing a black and gold silk cheongsam top and black velvet trousers, her signature bob tucked neatly behind her ears. The image of Michal has been a constant, one that stays with people after every interaction. She was smart, warm, funny and unflinchingly elegant – and not a hair out of place.
Her obituary notes that she passed away peacefully at home in Havelock North on March 16, and signs off with: “Please raise a glass of bubbles in memory and celebration of life, lived to the fullest.”
These poignant words sum up a full life lived with a sense of grace and style.
“Michal had an air of another era about her,” reflects former Viva editor Amanda Linnell, who commissioned Michal in 2013 to write a column for Viva and is one of the country’s most respected lifestyle magazine editors.
“I was thrilled when Michal agreed to be a contributing editor,” says Amanda. “Bringing her knowledge of fashion, arts and culture, along with her discerning eye for good taste and her passion for the Pacific, meant she was the perfect fit. Years earlier, Michal had hired me as a freelance writer and stylist when she edited New Zealand House & Garden and its off-shoot magazine Holiday, and I had always been inspired by her editorial vision, her experience and stories from working abroad, her love of the ballet and support of so many charities. And, of course, her timeless elegance.
“When magazine editors had their own offices, with fresh flowers every Monday, and were always elegant in designer outfits ready for meetings with clients or opening nights at the theatre. I loved her stories about working abroad for big publishers and beauty companies, her recommendations of the best places to eat in New York and discussing the appeal of wearing Issey Miyake and Donna Karan. She was passionate about the theatre, the ballet, and very close to her heart were the people of the Pacific. She was the ultimate career woman – strong, determined but never losing her femininity and elegance. A true icon of New Zealand media.”
Michal’s mother, Paddy Walker, was one of New Zealand’s leading names in fashion during the 1950s and 1960s, staging events including work as a fashion co-ordinator at Milne & Choyce, one of Aotearoa’s first department stores, along with organising a fashion showcase for the New Zealand Wool Board as part of the Queen’s royal tour in 1963. She is considered one of our first real “fashion stylists”.
Paddy was born into the Seumanutafa family of Samoa, the eldest of six children. Her stylish life in Auckland was an education for her daughter Michal, who subsequently followed in her influential mother’s footsteps, and the seminal work she did in her later years to help new migrants from the Pacific.
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Reflecting on her mother’s influence for Viva in 2014, Michal shared how good graces and a true appreciation for beauty were intrinsic to her life.
“The paths she followed may have been divergent, but the links to her Polynesian heritage were the foundation. Being one of Auckland’s beauties was a clever cover-up for a woman of indomitable willpower; a strong Samoan trait she taught me at an early age – to be the best I could be.
“My father returned from the war with TB. He lost a lung and spent years in the Hanmer Sanatorium. With nothing but sheer determination to find work and a strong interest in clothes (I had a wardrobe any little girl would covet, all made by my mother), she hied into Hays Department Store and announced to Sir James Hay, the owner, she wished to work in fashion. Like so many since, he succumbed.”
Channelling her mother’s determination, Michal’s formative years in fashion began post-secondary school as a New Zealand Herald cadet, harnessing the journalistic skillset that helped shape her career.
“Journalism became my career choice,” Michal said. “The world of fashion magazines was a natural fit, given I had been surrounded by style my whole life. And I took off to foreign parts to seek my fortune, while my beloved mother rediscovered her roots and undertook to do something constructive about the plight of the flood of Polynesian women who were pouring into New Zealand to better their lives.”
Her training subsequently prepared her for the role of fashion and beauty editor of Vogue New Zealand in 1964, which saw her undergo a three-month training course at Vogue’s iconic and recently closed historic Hanover Square offices.
Former editor Sheila Scotter interviewed the then precocious 21-year-old who cut her teeth in London working with the “it” fashion set of the swinging 60s era: model Jean Shrimpton, photographer David Bailey and fashion designer Mary Quant.
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Advertise with NZME.She used her training as the foundation for elevating our local fashion scene with Vogue New Zealand between 1964 and 1968, a magazine that captured some of the best of local fashion at the time with a global perspective.
Life after Vogue New Zealand included a fashion and beauty editing post for Good Housekeeping in the UK, the nation’s highest-selling glossy month magazine at the time, and a stint as Australian Vogue’s associate editor. While in Australia, she also lent her discerning eye to top Australian brands including Carla Zampatti, Norma Tullo, Country Road, Estee Lauder and Sportsgirl.
But a passion for editorial remained and she utilised her journalistic skills across editorship roles for Vogue Singapore, New Zealand Women’s Weekly and New Zealand House & Garden.
Her consultancy work led her to start her own company MAIKI Ltd, which served its clients as a creative communications consultancy, across industries in which she was passionate and experienced – tourism, fashion, homewares and beauty. She extended her work into arts and culture, as a development consultant with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, co-ordinator of the Auckland Museum’s Wonderland exhibition and a senior account director for Cook Islands Tourism. She was also a valued trustee of The New Zealand Fashion Museum. “She was a wonderful support as a trustee on our board when we were building our website” says founder Doris De Pont. “She brought so much energy, connections and knowledge to the project.” Read the New Zealand Fashion Museum’s profile of Michal here.
More recently, while living in Havelock North, Michal contributed to the BayBuzz, covering the arts and culture of the Hawke’s Bay region.
When asked about her ultimate style advice for Viva in 2014, Michal imparted some pearls of wisdom that will never date. “That wonderful adage ‘keep it simple’ probably sums it up. But not to the extent of being boring – it only takes one touch to sharpen the overall effect, not an assortment.”
More New Zealand fashion history lessons
The local industry is paved with the tireless work of those who came before.
Autumn fashion special: National treasure Suzanne Paul takes us through a parade of fabulous clothes. What better way to usher in a new season of joyous fashion than with some help from Suzanne Paul, an equally uplifting style icon?
Remembering influential New Zealand fashion journalist Hilary Alexander. The beloved journalist and champion of emerging talent has died in London, aged 77.
Doris De Pont is celebrating New Zealand’s fashion history through storytelling. The founder of the New Zealand Fashion Museum on the value of documenting social history through clothing.
Remembering the generosity and elegance of Colyn Devereux. Charlotte Devereux pays loving tribute to her mother.
