Stories
Colin Cole's Legacy Inspires a New Generation
2024 -
Photographer Lily McCondach, Colin Cole's grand-niece has undertaken a project which acts as a photographic tribute, documenting and re-interpreting Colin Cole garments through her own eyes, and shares her personal journey and connections made in the process.
Our life's work; most of us hope for it to be seen by and inspire generations to come. In my great uncle Colin Cole’s case, he accomplished this. I never got to meet him however I have gotten to know him through stories about the man he was. Words that come to mind are vibrant, charismatic, and creative. I have got to know him through the hundreds of beautiful garments he has produced. I see dedication, innovation, and passion.
First image: Colin Cole and model Sue Larosa showing the new National Bank uniform he designed, 1970. Image © Christchurch Star. Second image: Portrait of Colin Cole taken by Clifton Firth, 1969, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 34-0070
This project started with my interest in fashion and wanting to build my photography portfolio. Little did I know the family had been wanting to photograph Colin’s collection because of how difficult it is to preserve textiles. I captured all the Colin Cole garments our family owns in a digital catalogue. I also created an editorial photoshoot because I wanted to incorporate my personal style of photography into the project. The garments were dusted off the coat hangers and worn for the first time in decades by the models; bringing them to life how Colin once envisioned.
My cousin Jazz-Dannii Farrell helped organise and steam Colin’s garments for the catalogue photoshoot, and also modelled.
First image: Behind the scenes of the first photoshoot – the mannequin catalogue. Second image: an excerpt of the catalogue, as featured in Lily's publication.
Behind the scenes, then a resulting image from the second stage of the project – editorial photoshoot. Model: Ella Maskell.
Behind the scenes and final images, photographing Alana from Jam Models from the editorial photoshoot.
Creativity is deeply rooted in our family. More often than not, my family are pursuing creative hobbies and/or careers. I have been creating since I could walk. When looking for photos of Colin, I found an old Facebook post my aunty Fi had captioned, “I have dug out this photo for my eight-year-old niece Lily who already knows how to use a sewing machine. Watch this space...”. It made me smile knowing I have always had a fascination with learning more about him. The first career I wanted to pursue was in fashion design when I was seven. My mum is an amazing quilter and taught me how to sew. I remember my dad first telling me about his uncle Colin and how one day I would get to meet his cousin Lissy Robinson-Cole (one of Colin’s daughters) who was also a fashion designer.
I am grateful that through this project I have gotten to know Colin’s daughters and their families. Every time someone tells me a story about Colin, my immediate thought is how similar he was to my nana, his sister Carolyn, which has made me feel closer to her as well. They were both a presence to be noticed, she always wore bold outfits and bright colours. Another thing the two had in common was that they were detail-oriented with their art; my nana with the intricacy of her iconography paintings and Colin with the hundreds of buttons, ruffles, and pleats he sewed. Doris de Pont ONZM shared with me the first time she met Colin. She was attending a fashion exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery where he made a grand entrance wearing a dramatic cape, pirate shirt, and tights and accompanying him was an entourage all wearing his garments. You couldn’t look away!
First image: Extended Cole - McCondach family photo. Second image: Lily and her grandmother, Carolyn McCondach, Colin's sister.
Colin cared about people. This is shown in his work; he loved that his garments made people feel beautiful. This is a goal I share with my own work. I love photography not just for the creative aspect, but I love that I can make people feel confident. My favourite moment is seeing the smiles that come to my client's faces when seeing the photos I have taken of them.
Colin shares in a wedding speech how, “Through dress designing, I learn a lot about god.” He said he first felt God’s presence around 16 when figuring out his career, “Unless you become apprenticed to a trade you will become a wanderer. Something within me caused me to search until I found an apprenticeship in a trade… I eventually found an apprenticeship in the clothing trade… which I know now [was] the holy spirit.” This makes me think of similar beliefs I have around trusting the universe’s plan of how everything happens for a reason and how that applies to my work. For Colin, God lead him to dressmaking. He shares a bible verse relating to this, “If the holy spirit is the source of your life then the holy spirit will direct the course of it… and the holy spirit is the source of my life.”
Manufacturing has changed immensely since Colin was a designer. The quality of his work shocked me, that almost all of his garments are still wearable after at least 50 years, while I find my clothing barely lasts 3 years. Vintage fashion, make-up, and style inspire me with my photography and my favourite photoshoots are decade-inspired. Nowadays, I find trends are mostly what influences clothing and with the trend cycles speeding up, designers have combatted this with cheaper clothing to keep up. I feel like we have this desire to blend in nowadays. Yes, there were trends when Colin was a designer, but it seems that quality and detail were valued more than quantity sold. Colin challenged trends, for example, he came up with concepts like using tapa cloth in his garments.
Binki Taua (Colin’s sister in law) posted this photo on social media captioned: “This is me in a beautiful Colin Cole tapa cloth coat in the 1960s...unheard of and the only one in the whole world.”
The Cole girls told me how Binki (Colin’s sister-in-law) frowned at how people don’t dress up like they used to. She had this iconic Colin Cole cherry red polka dot suit made for a wedding in the eighties. She wore it despite it being a three-piece suit on a hot summer day. I have heard repeatedly that Colin was the first person to tell you that you didn’t need an occasion to wear anything, wear what makes you happy every day no matter how extravagant. He preached to never be afraid to stand out. I am getting more confidence to do this myself.
First image: Binki wearing the cherry red polkadot suit. Image © Colin Cole Estate. Second and third image: Mannequin and editorial photographs from this project.
I have always been inspired by the way my nana and Colin made things happen. Together they raised money through fashion shows and events to go towards the Child Cancer Foundation and Hospice. This was inspired by Carolyn’s experience of the quality of care her daughter Louise experienced when she died of cancer at 14. Nana’s work did not go unnoticed, and she was awarded an MBE in 1991.
Colin and Carolyn Cole at one of their fashion shows. Image © Colin Cole Estate.
I would like to organise a fashion show with Colin’s garments so that his work is remembered and appreciated by a new generation. I have dreamed of hosting it and fundraising as they once did, with ticket sales going towards Hospice and the Child Cancer Foundation. Like Aunty Fi said, watch this space.
Text by Lily McCondach.
All images courtesy of Lily McCondach and the Cole Family.
Lily McCondach is a Christchurch based photographer who specialises in fashion and beauty portraits. Her photographic style is vintage inspired with a cinematic feel. She focuses on unique concepts, styling, and angles, and delves into different interests; fashion, fitness, travel, and more. Connecting with people during her photoshoots is one of her passions, and strives to make her clients feel their most comfortable and confident.
Lily's full Colin Cole project book can be viewed online here.
Article edited by Doris de Pont ONZM and Nathalie Gregory.
