In Conversation With Jon Dyball | Obi
 

As one of the featured designers from our recent fashion show, “The Night Is Ours”, we wanted to take you a little deeper into the world of Jon from the iconic NZ label Obi, where he talks about personal style, designing to empower women, the importance of confidence and comfort in fashion, and why timeless pieces will always outlast trends.

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After decades in the fashion industry, what is one lesson you've learned that still influences every collection you create today?

Decades are right, I was still a kid when I left Rotorua age 16 to follow my passion for clothing. Packing a bag and my sewing machine and embarking on a career that has allowed me to be Me! Not many people know this, But I have no formal training at a tertiary level, I’m either self-taught or have had the most incredible trainers or mentors, guiding me, teaching me, allowing me to excel and to make my own choices or mistakes. Theres been plenty of mistakes…. I guess the biggest lessons I’ve learnt, is to be true to oneself, trust the process but most of all, trust your own instincts. Trends come and trends go, but style never fades. I embrace my own style and stick to it, not everyone is going to like it, but some will. My greatest lesson is avoid being the white sheep, embrace being the black sheep and run with it. Own who you are and be unapologetic in your design choices.

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At Minx, we're passionate about creating footwear that compliments a woman's personal style. When you're designing an OBI collection, how important is footwear in completing the overall look, and what qualities do you look for in the perfect shoe?

And boy, do you do a good job of designing shoes for real women. And what a great question, in short, shoes make or break an outfit. The wrong shoe can make an outfit look unfinished. I personally really only wear black boots, I have dozens of pairs, the struggle of deciding which pair to wear is real! So, I would always look for a black military styled boot to elevate my own style, however we live in a very different world today, then say 10 years ago. It’s now acceptable to wear trainers to work, High heels have been replaced with flats and people wear jandals to weddings…. My advice to people these days are to wear what’s comfortable to you, but think about the setting you are in. I tell all my customers to take your outfit with you when buying shoes, especially for an occasion, shoes can either compete or complete an outfit. I send a lot of ladies to minx, as I know Minx is like Obi, we have a loyal fashion focussed customer, who want to look and feel good. Style should also make you feel good, the last thing we need when dressed to the nines is to be in uncomfortable shoes. 

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As a male designer creating fashion for women, how do you approach understanding what modern women want to wear, and has that perspective evolved over the years

This is a question I have been asked many times over the years, its actually quite a complex question. I started in the industry, training in womenswear, I then switched to menswear for 11 years, this is where my love of tailoring comes into play. I then switched back to Womenswear some 22 years ago. I love designing for Woman, I love giving confidence to Woman and making them feel powerful, strong and bold. Unlike many female designers, I don’t design for myself, I design to a muse. This gives me the ability to have a broader perspective in design. For decades now I have been studying, watching, learning that every Woman is different and unique to themselves. The female form comes in every shape, size and body type. I know what will compliment a pear-shaped body type versus an hourglass versus an apple shape. So, I design with that in mind, and yes this has evolved over the years. Credibility here comes from longevity, so creating is just an extension of experience and maturity. There is also a perception that designer clothes only look good on skinny people, I don’t buy into this, I feel everyone deserves the right to feel and look good. I don’t care if you are a size 8 or a size 28, I am going to design clothes to empower that Wonder woman inside any woman.

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OBI has developed a strong and recognisable identity in New Zealand fashion. How do you balance staying true to the brand's DNA while continuing to innovate each season?

This ones easy….. I don’t follow trends as such. I follow style. Trends come and go. Let’s face it, we have all worn what’s trending and looked completely ridiculous. Trends are for young people, people who haven’t yet found their own unique style. I am 53, I’ve been through the styles of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and beyond but I now have a very distinct style and am very confident in knowing what looks good on me. I feel very powerful in black, so I wear black. I feel fashion should represent who you are, apparently, I’m a vampire.
I know that the Obi Woman, is a very strong self-assured woman, with a strong self-identity, she doesn’t dress to impress others, she dresses for her own self-determination. The Obi Woman is sophisticated, intellectual and chooses quiet luxury to enhance her own self-worth. So, with that in mind, I am constantly moving from one season to the next adding to her wardrobe. Personally, I hate fast fashion. When I buy or invest in a new piece, I want to know it will last for years, I perceive value in how many times an item can be worn and what a new item brings to my existing wardrobe. I consider myself to be a capsule wardrobe designer. I often have woman stop me or come up to me to chat about there favourite Obi styles. Most common is, do you remember that jacket you did 10 years ago, you know the one it had stripe sleeves…. I love it, I still wear it, it looks great back with these new pants I bought recently, in truth, I cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday….. But I love the fact that they have bought timeless pieces that not only promotes sustainability but the longevity of my designs. I focus more on fit, quality and durability over say a new trending colour. Knowing who my actual core customer is, Keeps me true to the brand.

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If you could dress any woman, past or present, for a special occasion, who would it be and what would you create for her?

This is the hardest question for me. My dream job, if I could go back in time, I would have been a costume designer, I love period costumes. I should have been born into French nobility, I can see myself swanning around the French courts in the 1700’s, unfortunately that’s not a reality I can create for myself now! I would have designed elaborate dresses for Marie Antoinette. The opulence of court gowns mesmerizes me, the fabrics, the colours, the lace and all the embellishments all done by hand show the true integrity of a master dress designer.

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OBI - SUMMER 27 COLLECTION