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Citizen stylists in Dunedin
 
Photo by Urban Dream Brokerage

Mix and match emerging designer fashion

Lesley Brook —

Margo Barton wants people to be more adventurous in styling their own clothes.

Margo is aware that many people feel they can't wear the designer fashion they see on the catwalk or in magazines. But it's possible to wear one designer item with pieces you already have in your wardrobe, and to create combinations that work for you even if they might not have occurred to the designer.

So Margo has created the Citizen Stylist project, where people get to try on designer clothes, mixing and matching garments from different designers to create their own look. Dunedin residents had the opportunity to get involved over the first weekend in December, when the Citizen Stylist project moved into a pop-up shop on Princes Street available through Urban Dream Brokerage. A hundred different garments from a range of designers were made available for people to choose what to try on and be photographed, enabling the participants, the designers and Margo herself to explore how people wear clothes. Over 150 different combinations were created by 54 participants, with many of the same garments being worn in different ways. Some of the results can be seen on the Citizen Stylist website.

A similar opportunity will be offered again in Dunedin in March 2017, with some international designers represented. As people become more aware of the fantastic talent amongst Dunedin's emerging designers, Margo hopes they will have the courage to buy and wear designer fashion. It's a great way for people to express their individuality, and to support independent designers.