Five minutes with: Margie Cooney

Margie Cooney is a young New Zealand creative and writing talent living in Auckland, New Zealand. By day, she writes for Denizen Magazine, but in her spare time she keeps busy working on freelance styling projects and establishing her own business as co-owner and creative director of jewellery label, Hera Saabi.

 

Here’s what we learned in five minutes with Margie.

 

It's a bit of a balancing act for sure. But when you love both it always feels a lot easier to make the two work simultaneously. I'm still figuring out how to make the two coexist, but I haven't nailed it yet. Luckily there can be some crossover between the writing and the fashion stuff so that makes it a bit easier. In terms of other creative outlets, I love film and the theatre — seeing a good piece of theatre is so transformative. Maybe one day I'll write a play. I also love reading but I need to make more time to do it.  

 

I feel that I am in a stage of my life where it's hard to pin that down. It feels like my style is still evolving. Although I err on the side of simplicity and I love using clothes in unexpected ways. Recently I've been wearing lots of my boyfriend's clothes... it's so funny how many women ask me where his stuff is from when I wear it. 

 

My tip would be to experiment. Winter graces us with the opportunity to layer, so there's more room to play with the colours and textures you usually wouldn't. Where summer is all about clean simplicity, winter can be a good time to try out some stuff. Don't be afraid to break the 'rules' — there really aren't any. 

Striped Retta Top / Miranda Pant / Marcella Trench

Paris Top / Bloor Pant / Decorum Top

I was definitely drawn to the red tone that runs through the collection. That and the tailored trousers. The thing with this line up is that it's very versatile. Every piece looked like something I could easily have incorporated into my day-to-day look.  

 

If I'm honest, I probably dress the same on and off duty... although a special occasion will always garner some extra effort. The red pieces that I loved can be styled for any occasion, but I felt drawn toward the Decorum top for a more formal look... and the striped Retta top for a more casual look.

 

At the end of the day it totally comes down to personal preference but my advice would be, don't limit yourself by categorising clothing in terms of appropriateness. That casual top that you would never consider wearing with a formal outfit, could be just what that outfit needs. If fashion is teaching us anything at the moment it's that the boundaries between high and low are all but extinct. Mix things up!

 

Recently I've been listening to this guy Rosehardt on repeat, he's great. His album Songs In The Key of Solitude is on Spotify. I'm also currently getting through Zadie Smith's book of essays Feel Free, which I'm really enjoying.