Forty-five years. That’s how long Fashion Quarterly has been around for. It’s older than me, yet it continues to feel as fresh and relevant as ever. This issue is a special one — not just because of the milestone but because of the people who built this magazine, page by page, issue by issue, deadline by deadline.

To celebrate, we gathered as many former FQ team members as we could — editors, writers, creative directors, designers — from the 1980s through to today. The energy on set was electric. There were hugs, stories, laughter, and later, champagne and cake. The image we captured together (see page 46) is more than a photograph — it’s a testament to everyone who has poured themselves into this publication. 

FQ has always been more than glossy pages; it’s late nights, creative courage, shared belief, and a deep commitment to championing New Zealand fashion and the ecosystem behind it. Once you’ve been part of it, the brand, the pages, and the people stay with you.

On a personal note, this issue also took me to Ireland, to my dad’s hometown of Kinsale. He’s no longer here, but I felt pulled to create something in the place that shaped him. While he wasn’t a fashion enthusiast (though he did have a firm commitment to a collared shirt, never a T-shirt), he was endlessly proud of where he came from. So we shot there: outside his local pub, The Speckled Door; on my Aunty Nora’s lane; at the black-and-white striped lighthouse in the Old Head where one of my earliest memories lives — climbing the spiral stairs with him as a four year old; and in the kaleidoscope of colourful streets in town.

There’s something powerful about remembering where you come from. In many ways, that’s what this anniversary issue is about too. Everyone who has passed through FQ — staff and contributors alike — holds a memory or moment that belongs to this magazine. It’s iconic, yes, but it’s also deeply personal.

And although I’m the owner and publisher today, I mostly feel like a caretaker — holding it safely, evolving it, and future-proofing it for the next generation. So that they, too, can fall in love with it — and keep it alive for another 45 years.

Read all that, and so much more in Fashion Quarterly’s summer issue—on sale now!