The gilded age IT'S OUR TIME TO SHINE!'

We celebrate three Kiwi women who are as bold as their clothes

- Fleur Guthrie  

Whenever stylist Michiko Hylands heads to an event, she receives the inevitable slew of messages asking, “Will your fashionista mum be there too?”

Because at 78, Masako Hylands is a style icon in her own right – although she humbly laughs at that description – and owns one of New Zealand’s most covetous wardrobes.

As she welcomes the Weekly team into her home on Auckland’s North Shore, she leads us into a treasure trove of brightly coloured outfits strewn over the sofa. There’s a mix from hometown pieces,  a pair of gold flares and Louis Vuitton handbags, to a lime-green cashmere sweater with the Chanel logo embroidered with gemstones.

“I really like to put something interesting on that no one else is wearing. And I always wear colour – pink is my favourite. But as I’ve got older, I’ve toned it down a bit,” says Masako as daughter Michiko laughs and begs to differ.

Born in Hokkaidō – the most northern part of Japan – Masako grew up always wanting to be different.

“In the early 1960s in Japan, it was frowned upon to stand out,” she explains. “Everyone was expected to blend in and be the same. But I wanted to live in the West, where I would be able to fully express my love of colourful fashion, have an interesting hairstyle and be myself.”

At 21, Masako came to New Zealand on a three-month working holiday to learn English. She quickly got a job in a chocolate factory in Parnell and met her future husband Rodney while studying in the University of Auckland library.