Live Your Work

Vicki Taylor, Creative Director, taylor & The Shelter

Vicki Taylor is third generation in the fashion industry. She grew up rolling, measuring, and cutting textiles for her father, delivering to design rooms during school holidays. She tried to leave. The industry pulled her back. Twenty-five years later, she is still creating, still building, and showing no signs of stopping.

We spoke with Vicki about what brought her to fashion, who shaped her thinking, and what the next chapter looks like for taylor and The Shelter.

What led you to a career in fashion?

"I am third generation in the fashion industry in my family. I spent my school holidays rolling, measuring, and cutting textiles for my Dad and delivering to design rooms. While I tried to avoid the industry, somehow the pull of change, creating something, and making my clients feel empowered through design and styling brought me back."

Tell us about your fashion influences, past and present.

"I grew up, studied, and entered the fashion world through the transformative years of the Antwerp Six and the emergence of Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons, and Yohji Yamamoto. Their individualisation of style and belief in pushing boundaries, or considered silhouettes, inspired much of my early years."

Those influences have stayed close. Closer than most could have imagined.

"I was very lucky to visit Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and Ann Demeulemeester's showrooms in Paris a few years ago, and these lived up to my expectations. And then, for the last five years, my brand Symetria has shared a rack with Yohji and Comme des Garçons in Selfridges London. A highlight of my career, to have my work beside those designers I grew up aspiring to."

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in fashion?

"Our industry is passion driven. A creative drive is not enough. You must live your work, love your work, and show immeasurable amounts of patience and persistence."

Twenty-five years since its inception, how do you continue to build on the brand, and what is next for The Shelter?

"As a designer, I have always wondered if my creativity would last. Somehow, 25 years later, I still have no shortage of ideas. I love creating pieces that inspire my clients to be their best selves."

The milestones keep coming. The Shelter Ponsonby is approaching its tenth year. The Dunedin store recently turned one.

"The Shelter is a creative hub for like-minded brands with infinite possibilities. This next season I am looking forward to sharing a couple of my favourite international brands with New Zealand, all the while working closely with our emerging designers to help them build strong brands that can compete on the international stage."

Discover The Shelter at theshelter.co.nz