NOM*d

NOM*d is an independent New Zealand fashion design label established in 1986 by Margarita and Chris Robertson in Dunedin, a historic city in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. The label developed from the Robertsons' experience operating specialist clothing boutiques and from Margarita Robertson's interest in creating garments that were not readily available in Dunedin's retail market. From its beginnings, NOM*d combined a strong regional identity with an outward-looking approach to international fashion. The brand's origins can be traced to the Robertsons' earlier boutique, Hang-Ups, which they operated from 1975 to 1981. The store stocked a range of fashion labels and gave the couple practical experience in retail, buying, and the presentation of clothing. They later opened Plume, another Dunedin store. At Plume, Margarita identified an opportunity to develop an exclusive knitwear line, partly because Dunedin's cold climate created a natural context for knitwear and partly because high-quality yarn suppliers, including Roslyn Woollen Mills, were located nearby. Her knowledge of sewing came from her mother, Zinovia Gladiadis, while her older sister Elisabeth Findlay was the founder of the New Zealand fashion label Zambesi. Although NOM*d and Zambesi worked in the same national fashion environment, NOM*d developed as an independent label. NOM*d's early identity was defined by a deliberately restrained palette, especially black, and by garments with utilitarian, oversized, layered, or otherwise functional qualities. Margarita Robertson drew on the sombre and gothic atmosphere she associated with Dunedin, while also engaging with the work of Japanese designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto. The label's design approach was associated with conceptual fashion and included constructivist forms, vintage reappropriation, transformable or multi-purpose garments, bricolage, streetwear conventions, and an androgynous, bulky silhouette. These ideas allowed the brand to question conventional relationships between fashion, utility, gender, and consumption. For much of its first decade, NOM*d concentrated exclusively on knitwear. Its first collection comprised summer and winter knitwear ranges and approximately ten womenswear styles. The label's profile changed in the late 1990s when it was invited to show at London Fashion Week in 1998. NOM*d appeared as part of the New Zealand Four presentation alongside Zambesi, WORLD, and Karen Walker. The event helped distinguish NOM*d as a separate fashion house rather than an extension of Zambesi, with which it had sometimes been grouped because of the family connection between the founders. Following its international exposure, NOM*d broadened its offer beyond knitwear. The label introduced utilitarian-inspired garments for a wider audience and began developing made-to-order woven clothing. The Autumn-Winter 1999-2000 Quiet Revolution collection was particularly important. It reworked the form of women's bowling skirts and marked a significant expansion into woven garments, especially for the Australian market. The collection gained attention internationally, and one of its outfits was included in the Tokyo Vogue exhibition at Griffith University's Queensland College of Art in 1999, where NOM*d was presented in dialogue with Zambesi and major Japanese designers. NOM*d has remained associated with independent, concept-driven New Zealand fashion rather than mass-market apparel. Its work spans knitwear, womenswear, woven garments, outerwear, and accessories, with recurring emphasis on dark colours, layering, asymmetry, practical detailing, and unconventional construction. The label has also achieved visibility through celebrity wear, including its appearance in an advertisement for Puma featuring musician Rihanna. In 2011, Hilary Radner and Natalie Smith curated New Zealand's first exhibition devoted to NOM*d garments and memorabilia, recognizing the label's contribution to the country's fashion history. The available reference material does not establish a different ownership structure, corporate parent, public listing, or precise current distribution footprint.

NOM*d was founded in 1986 in Dunedin by Margarita and Chris Robertson. Its development was rooted in the Robertsons' earlier retail experience and in Dunedin's distinctive cultural and climatic environment. From 1975 to 1981, the couple operated Hang-Ups, a boutique that carried international and New Zealand labels and had a contract with the Australian brand Jag. They later opened Plume, where Margarita saw an opportunity to produce a specialized knitwear line for the store's customers. The decision to focus initially on knitwear reflected both commercial and creative circumstances. Dunedin's cold climate provided a strong local rationale for knitted clothing, while the presence of quality yarn suppliers, including Roslyn Woollen Mills, supported local production. Margarita had learned sewing from her mother, Zinovia Gladiadis, and was also influenced by her sister Elisabeth Findlay, who founded Zambesi. These family and regional connections helped place NOM*d within the emerging New Zealand fashion scene, but the label was conceived and presented as an independent enterprise. The first NOM*d collection contained summer and winter knitwear and about ten womenswear styles. Early collections established the label's characteristic visual language: a limited, predominantly black colour palette; practical or military-associated details; oversized and layered proportions; and garments that could be worn or interpreted in multiple ways. Margarita Robertson's references included the gothic undertones of Dunedin and the work of Japanese conceptual designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto. NOM*d's stated design principles also connected the label with the international conceptual fashion movement. They included constructivism, the reuse and transformation of vintage material, multi-purpose garments, bricolage, streetwear conventions, and an androgynous bulky body. The brand's anti-consumer aesthetic was expressed not by eliminating fashion's commercial setting, but by challenging standard expectations within it. For its early years, NOM*d remained primarily a knitwear label. Its public identity changed in 1998 when it was invited to London Fashion Week as part of the New Zealand Four, a presentation that also included Zambesi, WORLD, and Karen Walker. Before this event, NOM*d's knitwear had often been shown alongside Zambesi on New Zealand platforms, which could lead observers to assume that the two labels were one operation. The London appearance was important because it gave NOM*d a distinct international presentation and emphasized its own design identity. The label subsequently expanded into utilitarian-inspired clothing beyond knitwear. Quiet Revolution, its Autumn-Winter 1999-2000 collection, was a major turning point. The collection reworked women's bowling skirts and accompanied NOM*d's move into made-to-order woven garments, particularly for the Australian market. Its success helped demonstrate that the label's conceptual methods could operate across a broader clothing range. A look from Quiet Revolution was later included in the Tokyo Vogue exhibition at Griffith University's Queensland College of Art, held from 28 October to 4 December 1999. The exhibition situated NOM*d and Zambesi in a conversation with leading Japanese designers, reinforcing the international references already present in NOM*d's work. NOM*d continued to represent an independent, design-led strand of New Zealand fashion. Its garments are associated with dark colours, asymmetry, layered construction, vintage reappropriation, and the tension between utility and experimentation. The label's visibility extended beyond specialist fashion contexts when its clothing was worn by Rihanna in a Puma advertisement. In 2011, Hilary Radner and Natalie Smith curated the first New Zealand exhibition dedicated to NOM*d garments and memorabilia. That exhibition recognized the label's historical importance and preserved aspects of its material record. The available reference material does not provide a confirmed corporate parent, public listing, founder succession, or detailed current retail network; those matters require additional verification.

• 2011

  First New Zealand NOM*d exhibition

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  Hilary Radner and Natalie Smith curated an exhibition of NOM*d garments and memorabilia.

• 1999

  Quiet Revolution collection

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  The Autumn-Winter 1999-2000 collection reworked women's bowling skirts and supported the label's expansion into made-to-order woven garments.

• 1999

  Tokyo Vogue exhibition appearance

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  A Quiet Revolution outfit appeared in the Tokyo Vogue exhibition at Griffith University's Queensland College of Art.

• 1998

  London Fashion Week debut

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  NOM*d presented at London Fashion Week as part of the New Zealand Four with Zambesi, WORLD, and Karen Walker.

• 1986

  NOM*d established in Dunedin

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  Margarita and Chris Robertson founded NOM*d, initially developing a knitwear-focused label.

• 1981

  Hang-Ups period ends

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  The Robertsons' Hang-Ups boutique operated until 1981 and was followed by the opening of Plume.

• 1975

  Hang-Ups boutique founded

  [1]NOM*den.wikipedia.org

  Margarita and Chris Robertson established Hang-Ups in Dunedin, gaining retail experience before creating NOM*d.

Independent, dark, conceptual New Zealand fashion with utilitarian construction, gothic and regional references, Japanese avant-garde influence, and an anti-consumerist design attitude.

• Apparel · 1986

  Knitwear

  Knitwear was NOM*d's original and defining product category. The first collection included both summer and winter knitwear in a compact womenswear range. The category reflects the label's Dunedin origins, where a cool climate and nearby quality yarn suppliers supported a practical and locally grounded starting point. NOM*d's knitwear is associated with a dark palette, oversized proportions, layering, and conceptual construction rather than conventional seasonal basics.

• Womenswear collection · 1999

  Quiet Revolution

  Quiet Revolution was the Autumn-Winter 1999-2000 collection that marked an important expansion beyond NOM*d's original knitwear focus. It reworked women's bowling skirts and used utilitarian references in a conceptual fashion context. The collection was also connected with the label's move into made-to-order woven garments aimed particularly at the Australian market. One of its outfits was later shown in the Tokyo Vogue exhibition.

• Apparel · 1999

  Woven garments

  After operating primarily as a knitwear label, NOM*d expanded into made-to-order woven clothing. These garments extended the brand's established language of utility, layering, asymmetry, and dark colour into a broader womenswear offer. The expansion was especially significant for the Australian market and helped establish NOM*d as a full fashion label rather than a specialist knitwear producer.

• Apparel · 1986

  Utilitarian womenswear

  NOM*d's broader womenswear incorporates practical details, oversized or androgynous shapes, layered styling, and references to workwear and streetwear. The clothing is designed within a conceptual framework that may include reappropriation of vintage forms, transformable construction, and a deliberately non-luxury visual attitude. Black and other subdued colours are central to the label's recognizable appearance.

• Puma advertisement featuring Rihanna

  International

  NOM*d clothing was worn by Rihanna in a Puma advertisement, providing international popular-culture exposure for the otherwise independent New Zealand label.

  Outcome. The appearance increased the label's visibility beyond specialist fashion and New Zealand design audiences.

  Source

• 1999

  Expand from knitwear into woven garmentsGeneration change

  Background

  International exposure created an opportunity to broaden the label's offer, while the Australian market provided a target for made-to-order clothing.

  Action taken

  NOM*d developed woven garments alongside the Quiet Revolution Autumn-Winter 1999-2000 collection.

  Aftermath

  The move established a wider womenswear proposition and helped the label operate beyond its original knitwear specialization.

  Source

• 1998

  Present NOM*d as an independent international labelStrategy

  Background

  The label had previously shown knitwear alongside Zambesi in New Zealand, which could create the impression that the two brands were part of the same operation.

  Action taken

  NOM*d presented under its own identity at London Fashion Week as part of the New Zealand Four.

  Aftermath

  The presentation strengthened NOM*d's separate identity and introduced its utilitarian design approach to a wider international audience.

  Source

• 1986

  Launch an independent knitwear labelStrategy

  Background

  Margarita Robertson saw limited availability of high-end labels she wanted in Dunedin and identified an opportunity to create exclusive knitwear through the Robertsons' retail business and local yarn-supply environment.

  Action taken

  The Robertsons established NOM*d with an initial focus on summer and winter knitwear.

  Aftermath

  Knitwear became the foundation of NOM*d's visual identity and early commercial development.

  Source

1. 1NOM*den.wikipedia.org