This skirt hails from the height of Thornton Hall's legacy, the 1980s. While this label became predominantly known for shaping the aesthetic of corporate attire in New Zealand at this time, they also maintained an undercurrent of youthful, fun and playful styles which appealed to trendsetters and businesswomen alike. It would be easy to see this skirt paired with a fitted black turtleneck, leggings, and many other colourful accessories in the styles made popular by pop stars such as Boy George and the Thompson Twins. 

The huge success of Hullabaloo and Thornton Hall marked Isabel Harris as one of the top designers of the 1970s and 1980s. She won Eve magazine’s fashion award in 1972 and Thornton Hall made a triumphant appearance at the 1982 Benson & Hedges Fashion Design Awards, scooping up four out of the five awards for which the label was nominated, including the Supreme Award. Isabel Harris was invited to judge the Benson and Hedges Awards in 1989.