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STYLE | special feature 27<br />
GUSTO, IMPERATIVE<br />
As well as the successes, Lee still appreciates, and looks<br />
back fondly on, the challenges and set-backs that took<br />
tremendous strength to overcome.<br />
“The fashion business is not for the faint-hearted,”<br />
Lee surmises. “You are only as good as your last<br />
collection” – remaining relevant was of gigantic<br />
importance.<br />
A cash flow that included suppliers who needed to<br />
be paid promptly versus retailers who were often slow<br />
to cough up for their stock was always hard to balance.<br />
With challenges that included the Christchurch<br />
earthquakes, a certain strength and determination<br />
was required. Fortunately, Lee has both in abundance.<br />
“The joy of making something that you’re really, really<br />
thrilled with [and] the customers who love wearing our<br />
clothes” made it all worthwhile.<br />
Panache parade circa 1980s.<br />
SUPPORTING ACT<br />
Lee has benefitted from encouraging family and friends<br />
and a husband who “enjoyed the business side” to their<br />
relationship.<br />
It is because of William that Lee believes the business<br />
took off and operated so very well. “Any success<br />
would have been somewhat a non-event if I was left<br />
to organise the business side of things,” she states.<br />
With William’s support, Lee was “able to work on the<br />
garment design, fabric choice, all of the interesting things,<br />
with the help of our remarkably talented production<br />
manager/sample machinist and our brilliant pattern<br />
cutter. How fabulous was that?”<br />
WHAT OF TODAY?<br />
Fashion is the “business where you are only rarely<br />
drinking Champagne”, so Lee is the first to applaud<br />
the young fashion businesses of today. “The challenges<br />
are very different from when we started, therefore the<br />
designers who have continued to flourish or the new<br />
designers who are succeeding in this new era all have<br />
my total admiration.”<br />
She also notes how wonderful it would have been<br />
to study one of the design courses at ARA, because<br />
nothing like that was available when she started out.<br />
More than 50 years since that first collection, Lee is<br />
dressing these future students. Many a New Zealand<br />
school student has Barbara to thank for their modern<br />
uniforms with Lee producing these for a number of<br />
New Zealand schools – including St Margaret’s and<br />
Selwyn House. She says it’s a privilege to be able to<br />
create a unique image for each one.<br />
Panache circa 1995.
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