Since its inception in 1986, NOM*D has been among a small number of directional fashion labels which have been responsible for defining the style that is now referred to as The New Zealand Look. As one of the ground-breaking New Zealand Four who showed at London Fashion Week in 1999, NOM*D firmly established the dark, intellectual qualities that are now synonymous with New Zealand design.

In part, the label owes its noir-ish aesthetic to Dunedin, a city situated in the remote, rugged surroundings of New Zealand's South Island where NOM*D's designer Margarita and her husband Chris Robertson are still based today. A university town, with an international reputation for its alternative music scene, and a preternaturally gothic atmosphere, the culture of Dunedin permeates the mood of Robertson's clothes.

Margarita was born of Greek/Ukrainian refugee background. A pre-occupation with fashion has been with Margi since childhood. As a young girl she was a devout op-shopper. That passion for vintage continues in her designs now with reworked vintage pieces frequently included in the range, alongside deconstructed, androgynous suiting and clever knitwear that defies traditional concepts of structure and texture.

Dark and wittily sombre, NOM*D has created an iconic image on the New Zealand fashion landscape. The label's designs, which reference traditional tailoring use reworked vintage garments, are anchored by utilitarian approach and the concept that clothes must, above all else, be wearable.

Deconstruction and customisation are key themes in every NOM*D collection. In winter 2005, vintage knitwear was one of the inspirations for a range that turned the notion of the classic twinset on its head. Like strange siamese twins, NOM*D twinsets join at the bottom in mirror-image fashion ad double up on each other. Other kits are given twists with cabled sections that can be detached and reconfigured while voluptuous, oversized cable knits play with extreme proportions.

With the addition of grungey vintage flannel shirts remodelled to be worn as skirts, and selection of ultra-skinny trousers and low-crotched, punked up pants, it was clear that, like previous ranges, the winter 2005 collection, This is NOT A Love Song, also owed a creative debt to the label's local alternative music scene.

The previous collection, summer 2003/2004's Bored Games, wore its musical affection on its sleeve - the range took its name from the seminal punk band who also hail from NOM*D's hometown of Dunedin.

In winter 2004, the look was more mod-inspired. Think Edie Sedgewick as Bambi viewed through deer hunter's rifle sights. Bold black and white stripes, leggings and oversized hoodies were teamed up with Tyrolean toggle knits and dufflecoats. The silhouette was a continuation of Red [Winter 2003], a collection which combined oversized sweats with skinny pants to create new proportions.

Androgyny is NOM*D other obvious character trait. In her summer 2002/2003 range, designer Margarita Robertson pulled apart vintage cocktail and day dresses and reconstructed them into new shapes. Throwing them over a pair of mannish flat-front pants or shorts, Robertson translated her dresses from feminine flights of fancy into hard-edged pieces with a utilitarian streak that made them easy to wear.

That same juxtaposition of feminine and masculine and the use of classic men's tailoring could be seen a common theme in the Clarion range [winter 2002] which used vintage 1940s mens suiting, breaking it down and then reassembling it to create a singular look.

In every collection, NOM*D maintains its credibility as a label unaffected by trends and whims, instead adopting the cool, considered gaze of the fashion outsider.

Blow / Spring Summer 2010/2011

No need to huff and puff baby, you just put your lips together, and blow...This summer, NOM*d remind us that life can be a breeze, with BLOW.

Hard work has never looked so easy in a collection built for movement, with clever draping the star of the show. Sheer cottons and airy silks keep it free and easy, rendering tough-guy silhouettes with weightless ease.

Feather light fabrics do all the heavy lifting in a parade of classic shapes that take on a new fluidity, but keep their utilitarian appeal. This season the palette is clean and simple in grey, white and black. An injection of factory blue adds intensity without distracting from the task at hand.

Key pieces are housecoats, half dresses, bomber jackets, and shorts. This collection places emphasis on movement and details with familiar, hard-working shapes that wear lightly. Iconic stencil prints reappear this season, including the Gig Posters, Comic and Bugs pressed into service for BLOW.

Polka dot knitwear is inspired by Yayoi Kusama, the hardest working woman in contemporary art, but the dots themselves are proof it’s not all work and no play.

The wittiest take on a work ethic comes in the form of this season’s signature print. A tip of the hat to that most industrious of invertebrates, Musca domestica, the housefly, is a gentle reminder that the lowliest of insects can provide inspiration, but only if you look at it the right way.

It takes a lot of effort to make it all look so easy, but hard work is something they celebrate at NOM*d. Working hard doesn’t mean being try-hard though, and these guys know the difference between the two.