KEY POINTS:
She's a late starter, is Denise Isaacs. The mother of two has recently beaten out dozens of the country's most dedicated followers of fashion - and, no doubt, a bunch of madly stylish design students too - to gain a place on the staff at the Karen Walker
label.
She's got the job as part of the Air New Zealand Inspiring New Zealanders scholarship programme and Isaacs herself admits that, at 41, it's likely that she was one of the oldest candidates for the highly coveted position.
"I've always been a late beginner," says the down-to-earth designer, laughing, "I graduated again when I was 32, I had children late."
And that's not Isaacs' only endearing quality - she's also, she says, had three different lives. Isaacs moved to London and worked as a banker before being accepted into Central St Martin's College of Art & Design. "So I went from student to banker to fashion student."
After graduating from the legendary fashion school, Isaacs went on to work in a variety of what most New Zealanders would consider fairly glamorous positions: she worked for Louis Vuitton as an accessories designer where, thrown in the deep end, she reckons she learned names for parts of bags in French that she will never know in English. She also designed knitwear for up-and-coming label, Sharon Wauchob.
At which stage, Isaacs moved onto her next life - as "a mum at the school gate," she laughs. She was also back in New Zealand after 15 years of London life.
"My sister-in-law actually emailed me the application," recounts Isaacs, whose two children are now aged five and three.
"I didn't think I had a chance but I decided to apply and before I knew it, I had an interview."
Isaacs believes her varied life experience actually proved advantageous when it came to getting the job.
"I think it helps in terms of visual references, also in terms of exposure to other fashion scenes and work experience in other countries."
Yes, she says she only worried about swapping her family oriented outfits for a new workroom wardrobe for about a week - she's already ordered one new Karen Walker jacket - but now her biggest issues are remembering everyone's names and updating her computer design skills.
"We did everything by hand at Louis Vuitton."
Basically, as a result of the fully paid, year-long scholarship she will now take up at Karen Walker central in Ponsonby, Isaacs believes the moral of her story is that "it's never too late".
"I remember when I got into Central St Martin's, I was 30 and I thought, oh dear, I'm going to be the oldest student there," Isaacs says. "But then I also thought if I don't do this, then when I'm 40 I'll kick myself. Which is why when I was offered this, I thought if I don't do it, I'm going to kick myself when I'm 50."
Who are your favourite designers?
Karen Walker, Comme des Garcons, Sharon Wauchob, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Anne Valerie Hash, Miss Crabb, Vivienne Westwood, Dries van Noten, Marc Jacobs, YSL, Margaret Howell, Ozzie Clarke, Vionnet, Rick Owens, Martin Margiela. I could go on!
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
A Yohji Yamamoto jumper, I adore his knitwear.
What's your biggest indulgence/guilty pleasure?
Series 2: Red, Carnation perfume from Comme des Garcons. I smell like a carnation. I am addicted.
Best fashion bargain?
My Swiss Army jacket. Made in 1979, it cost $3 in Paris. It has been everywhere with me and people often ask me if it is a Helmut Lang jacket.
What endures throughout the seasons?
Anything black.
Your favourite shop elsewhere?
Dover Street Market, London. More like a gallery than a shop. Full to the brim with eclectic fashion, art and product design installations.
How do you define the word "fashionable"?
Bloody hell, that's an essay. Fashionable to me means not sticking to one particular trend, theme or look. People often ask me, "What's in?" And my reply is, "I haven't a clue". It changes so quickly and there are so many designers out there now mixing up that melting pot of ideas that it's hard to pin-point what is "fashionable". There is no formula.
Whose wardrobe would you most like to raid?
Cate Blanchett, Katharine Hepburn and Diane Keaton's in the movie Annie Hall.
Is there anything you'd never wear?
After having two children, I have burnt my bikini.
Best sartorial advice you ever had?
Less is more (but not in the case of the aforementioned bikini). And the designer Katharine Hamnett, who was a guest tutor at Central Saint Martins College in London, once said to me, "Just f*** it up". Which meant, don't be too precious about design - experiment with chance and accident.
Favorite fashion-y movie?
Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. Marisa Berenson's costumes are divine and sumptuous.
Most stylish city?
London, anything goes.
Best city for fashion shopping in the world?
For vintage and new, for cheap and chic, for cool and classic, London's got it all. I miss Portobello Market for researching vintage clothing especially Sheila Cook's shop, where most designers go to raid.
Silliest trend you ever heard of?
Size 0 - they'll be wearing baby-gros next.
Best trend of this season?
A little bit of punk, because punks were true bricoleurs [French for a person who invents their own style by using existing materials in a creative, original way]. Mix it up and do-it-yourself.
