The tailor of Clyde
Jamie shared her story with Jo Elwin
Weekends find Jamie Richards pouring wine at the Wet Jacket cellar door in Lake Hayes, but it’s from the pocket-sized studio in her parents’ garden in Clyde that she indulges in her true passion.
Jamie is a tailor and the founder of Margaret Wray, a bespoke bridal and evening wear atelier that she has recently moved to Central Otago from London’s Kings Cross. What induces a young woman in her early 40s to make such a move? Family.
“I grew up here,” Jamie says matter-of-factly. “I went to Clyde Primary until I was ten, then Alex Primary and Dunstan High School. We lived in a caravan up the road from the house we’re in now because Dad was a shearer and Mum was the cook, so we travelled around a lot. I also did quite a bit of correspondence schooling. Mum and Dad moved to Alex when I went to school there and moved back to Clyde once I went to University in Wellington.”
After studying fashion design and technology, and four years as a design and production assistant, Jamie took off on an adventure to London where for 15 years she worked for leading fashion houses as a garment technician. “That’s the person who makes sure that sleeve on your blouse fits snuggly but still allows you to move your arms,” she says pointing to my short, buttoned sleeve that could have benefited from her expertise. “We make sure that designs are fit for purpose by ensuring fabrics suit the style, the fit allows for correct movement, fabrics are passing testing and the product is delivered as garment has been approved.” The last few years were spent freelancing, which enabled her to design bridal gowns on the side, leading to the creation of the Margaret Way atelier in a romantic, arch-windowed studio in Kings Cross. Kiwi women living in London would come to Jamie to get their dresses made before heading back to New Zealand for the big day.
The Margaret Wray atalier in London’s Kings Cross.
“At that point I was coming home for three months over summer and then going back for the rest of the year,” Jamie says in answer to how she made the decision to come home. “I knew I wanted to be in Central Otago when I came back and ultimately thought I would be moving back to live in Queenstown or Arrowtown – which is my favourite – but I came back and moved back in with Mum and Dad, just to kind of figure it out, and now that I’ve been in Clyde for 18 months I’ve realised I quite like it.” She has no qualms about living at home. “Mum and Dad are great, there’s only twenty years between us,” she shrugs. “We get along really well, and I do have my own living area if I ever need space. I work at Wet Jacket on the weekends, depending on my workload here, and I stay with friends over there. That gets me out of here a bit, but it’s nice to spend weekdays in Clyde.”
“I came back in 2018 but didn’t really get the Margaret Wray thing going properly until 2019. I worked in Aussie for a bit and then I did a whole lot of things over that time. I was a courier driver, I worked in the orchard thinning and worked the Summer Sessions at Wet Jacket, which lead to me taking on the cellar door position. They’re a cool crew. Greg, the owner, and the team are very knowledgeable, so I have learnt a lot and, you know, it’s wine … wine’s good. I appreciate wine a lot more.”
There are old school friends around but, “most of the friends I hang out with are those I met in London who have moved back here. Our group was pretty much all South Islanders – a lot from Invercargill and Central Otago – there were only a handful from the North Island. So, I’ve got some really good mates here. I know enough people to keep me entertained. I’ve made some new friends as well. I am seeing some who live down the road in Clyde tonight because it’s Two Drink Tuesday. We decided that by Tuesday sometimes you do want to have a drink, but you don’t want to have too much so we limit it to two drinks.”
Jamie talks of life in Clyde when the Stables were just stables, not luxury accommodation and Olivers, where the teachers would take the kids to sit around the big fire at lunchtime, was owned by Fleur. “There’s still a really good community here and at some stage soon I’d like to move the studio to a space with a shopfront so that I can be more at the heart of it.” For now, Jamie gets to spend time in the village helping at fashion boutique Lily & Esther, where owner Anna McRitchie curates a covetable selection of New Zealand designer fashion and shoes, so she’ll be in good company.
A bride in her ‘Lily’ dress outside Olivers in Clyde, photographed by Lisa Hill.
Also in the immediate future Margaret Wray will be offering a men’s tailored suit service. “I don’t have capacity to make the suits, so I am teaming up with a tailor in Auckland who works to British tailoring standards. Men down here can come to me and try on different suit options, choose fabrics and be measured up. Then come back for fitting once the suit has arrived.
Margaret Wray is the name on everyone’s lips when it comes to alterations. You can rest assured that this very skilled tailor will take your treasured designer garments in, out, up, down or change them around in the correct manner. Some people have favourite pieces they would like copied and brides bring in dresses that they bought from other places to be altered to fit better. Custom made bridal gowns are the core of the business and Jamie has two collections that can be tried on and then made up in the bride’s choice of fabrics, laces and embellishments. A couple of styles could be mixed together, or Jamie will work with the bride to design a gown that is uniquely theirs which is an experience that I can imagine would be incredibly special because of Jamie’s warm, pragmatic personality.
Busy time for bridal couture is September to April “and there’s always the odd winter elopement,” Jamie laughs. Which is good timing for Central Otago winter activities, but that’s not her thing. She’s not here for the hills or the rivers, although she does say she’d like to get a canoe big enough to take Monte, her adored chocolate lab, out on the lake. Jamie really is here for family, so she’s more likely to spend any time off helping her golfer dad behind the bar at the Dunstan Golf Club, or hanging out with her niece and nephew who live in Dunedin and come to stay with their Grandparents and Aunty Jamie in the holidays.
Margaret Wray is a combination of Jamie’s Grandmothers’ names. Her paternal grandmother, Margaret Richards (below left) and maternal grandmother Thelma Wray (below right) who were both from Southland. She says, “They were both beautiful and unique in their own way, each had an elegant style. They’re one of my main sources of inspiration and the basis of my company’s name. Every dress I make and new design I complete is like an ode to my heritage, honouring the fierce and fabulous females who’ve come before me.”
A few of my favourite things
+Warm Central days walking the dog.
+Swimming in the lake.
+Catching up with friends and family.
+Wine (obviously). +Yoga
+Jewellery (a nickname as a kid was Magpie, partly from my middle name, Margaret, but also because I like shiny sparkly things).
+Shoes (I have shelves of them in my room and they lined the stair case of my flat in London).
+Our remote holiday hut where we rely on rainwater and a coal range. There is no power.