Photography: Babiche Martens.
Growing up in Glenfield in Auckland, Liz Mitchell MNZM would spend hours dreaming up outfits to sketch, complete with specifications about fabric and accessories. (These are now held in the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa archives.)
While it seemed Liz was destined for a fashion design career, in the 1970s, when feminism was in full swing, the high-achieving student planned to be a doctor. Instead, she went to Elam School of Fine Arts, earning a BFA in theatre design.
Her career as a bespoke designer now spans more than four decades – she launched her own label from home in 1990 after designing for TV series Gloss. In 2003, Liz was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to the fashion industry. Her couture has dressed our country’s leading women, including three female Governor- Generals and other politicians.
Chatting to the Weekly from her Grey Lynn showroom, Liz, 69, is also a breast cancer survivor and ambassador for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ and Campaign for Wool NZ.
Tell us about your childhood and earliest fashion memories?
I’m the eldest of four, with three younger brothers. We used to play dress-ups in Mum’s clothes, trailing around the house in long evening dresses and high heels. It was a time when kids had very few clothes. My late mum Aileen worked as a draughtswoman in the Department of Lands and Survey, but she loved sewing and was a beautiful dressmaker. I’d choose fabrics and colours, then instruct Mum on what I wanted her to do with it. I remember asking her to make me a dress with a little velvet, leopard-print, detachable collar. I loved helping create each garment, never realising it would become a thread running through my life.
Which 1950s designers were you in awe of?
Well, Mum was very stylish and used to buy the French L’Officiel magazines, which I would pore over and have kept to this day! I discovered designers Chanel, Dior and Madame Grès, who made really feminine, tailored and sophisticated pieces, often with corsetry. The models looked like they were from a different world.
Did you come from a particularly creative household growing up?
We were constantly encouraged in music, art and fashion. In fact, my parents met at art drawing classes in Wellington. Dad was always going out with his watercolour paints and homemade easels – I’ve still got one in my studio. We had this house with my mum playing piano and various drum kits assembled out of boxes. My brother David Mitchell went on to be in iconic Kiwi band The 3Ds. But it wasn’t always easy at home, although it was a stimulating, highly creative environment to grow up in.
What changed your trajectory from studying medicine to moving to a Fine Arts degree?
Two things. When I went to Auckland Girls’ Grammar, I was in the top stream of classes, where they encouraged girls to be doctors, engineers and lawyers. But I spent a year taking art at 16, where New Zealand artist Carole Shepheard was my teacher and it stimulated something in me. I was also really good friends at high school with Kate Richardson, whose family came out from the UK to run the Mercury Theatre off Karangahape Rd. We were ushers, so I would hang out there surrounded by these larger-than-life people like Raymond Hawthorne, who was one of the theatre’s directors.
At that stage, he was married to a woman called Rohanna, who used to wander around looking like she had stepped out of a pre-Raphaelite painting! The theatre was full of personalities – Robert Lord, the famous playwright, and his very flamboyant designer boyfriend Russell Craig, the legendary Lee Grant and the wonderful actor George Henare. The productions were incredible and were very impactful on me. I became a theatre designer and subsequently got grants to work in the costume department of the Australian Opera in Sydney and the English National Opera with Russell in London.
Were the parties at Mercury Theatre legendary?
Of course! You’re up in K’Rd, then you’d leave in the morning after partying all night in the theatre. It was definitely an education for a shy girl from Glenfield. It was so exciting. I used to sit up late and talk to Kate’s father, director Tony Richardson. He’d eat a big jar of chillies and drink red wine. Director Richard Campion, who stayed with the Richardson family, would make me a breakfast of burnt toast.
Tell us about ’80s show Gloss, where the over-the-top fashions became as compelling as the scandalous storylines.
TVNZ advertised a costume designer role, and I got the job. I thought I’d just do that for a year. I connected with producer Janice Finn when she came on board for the show, and I joined the Gloss design department. I designed Gemma’s wedding dress – Miranda Harcourt played her. We also did coloured suits in lavender and orange for Simon Prast’s character. Shoulder pads and millinery were of course big. It was the look of the ’80s and it gave Gloss its signature. The show meant the introduction of seeing luxury brands on screen. No one knew how culturally significant that series would become.
Did Gloss put you on the map as a designer?
Winning the Benson & Hedges Fashion Awards in 1990 and 1992 put me more on the map. When Gloss finished after three years, the accountants had come into TVNZ, and decided they didn’t need to have design staff and workrooms. So they made everyone redundant. Then South Pacific Pictures was established, so I freelanced for them doing Marlin Bay. Initially, I worked from a studio under my house before taking a 10-year lease for premises behind Smith & Caughey’s. Women who were my brides became my clients. Looking back, it seems odd that I’ve had this fashion business for decades, yet never trained with anyone in the industry.
Tell us about a failure that led to more success?
It was having breast cancer in 2002 in my forties, when I had some international opportunities for export, but I turned them down because I didn’t know what the outcome would be. Interestingly, before my diagnosis, Next magazine invited me to dress four women who were doing a photoshoot for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I had breast cancer then, when we did that shoot, but I didn’t know it. Hopefully, it helped others with early detection.
What treatment did you have?
I had two lumpectomies, a mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Because I was vulnerable and had had enough, I didn’t want to have a reconstruction. Having a mastectomy was so confronting. I remember how emotional this time was and the effect it had on my partner Ian, my staff and my mother. To lose your breast is profoundly impactful.
The first week you did chemo, you were invited to do a fashion show with Cartier jewellery?
Yes, Champagne and chemotherapy! I kept that private, so people didn’t know. I just couldn’t believe you could be doing the most incredible things with the worst things happening at one time. But cancer gave me “the gift of every day”.
How did you meet your partner Ian?
Through mutual friends at art school. He’s got an engineering background and is quite different to me. He’s very loyal, loving and supportive, while I am the crazy, creative one. We don’t have children, but we’ve had a big life together.
Of all the celebrities you’ve designed for, which outfit holds special memories?
It was probably actor Keisha Castle-Hughes’ first “grown-up” gown for her Oscar night in 2002 after a serendipitous meeting. I was in Los Angeles and I got invited to a New Zealand government Trade and Enterprise party. Keisha was there, so I talked to her and her mum before she was going off to be photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Star Wars. At that stage, she’d been nominated for Whale Rider, so I said to her, “If you need anything to wear, I’d love to help.” I ended up designing a number of things, all while I was recovering from breast cancer treatment. We had an Oscars-watching party at home and it was amazing to see Keisha on the red carpet in a beautiful pink silk bias-cut Liz Mitchell gown.
Describe your style.
Understated. I’m happy for others to dress up and be flamboyant for me. When you work behind the scenes, you have to be quite practical.
Is this economic environment one of the worst in your decades of business?
Yes. The fashion industry has been severely impacted by the domination of Fast Fashion, with many businesses closing and many of our industry suppliers gone. The harsh reality is we have become throwaway consumers with no regard for the impact on our planet. We do not need toxic, poisonous, cheap clothing in our world. Fashion needs a reset – circular, sustainable, repair, remake and quality locally produced garments.
How do you view retirement Liz?
It’s not a word I embrace! My father worked into his eighties – it’s in my psyche. I’m enjoying felting and working innovatively with New Zealand wool. I think I’ll become the “queen of coats” – making them from woven wool excites me!
