Lily's creative legacy comes into focus

Since she was eight, Canterbury photographer Lily McCondach has always had a camera in her hand.

All her earliest memories with her family centre around creativity, whether it be sewing with her mother, Paula McCondach, or painting with her nana, Carolyn McCondach.

Even in primary school, she voiced dreams of becoming a photographer or director, but she was often told those paths weren’t financially viable. 

However, her family instilled in her the importance of passion over practicality from an early age.

“I’m just grateful I had that support,” McCondach said.

Creativity runs in the family. Her older sister, Helena Vujanic-McCondach, is studying animation at Auckland’s Media Design School, while her ‘auntie’ Lissy Robinson-Cole has a crocheted wharenui currently on display at the Canterbury Museum pop-up.

Now 19, McCondach went to Lincoln High School but left at the end of year 12 to pursue her creative ambitions.

“I remember going to a café, sitting on my computer going through job applications and I saw one for a photography studio that looked too good to be true,” she said.

McCondach landed the job, which became a turning point in her professional life. 

In 2023, she launched her own photography business, Lily McCondach Photography, specialising in fashion and beauty portraits. 

What began as taking snapshots of her family grew into a full-fledged passion – and a career.

McCondach has now published a digital book through the New Zealand Fashion Museum based on the life and work of her great-uncle, Colin Cole.

Cole was one of New Zealand’s leading fashion designers from the 1950s to the 1980s and was a trailblazer for feminine designs.

He passed away in 1987 – long before McCondach was born – but she had always been curious about him from listening to family conversations.

McCondach reached out to Cole’s daughter, Lissy Robinson-Cole, to see if she could take some photos of her great-uncle’s garments.

“She was like, ‘this will be in magazines, this will be an article, this will be a fashion show’, and I remember laughing.”

At first, those ambitions seemed beyond reach, but after countless hours of dusting off old dresses, photographing them, and editing the photos, the lofty goals became reality.

“It felt like this thing that was conceptual for so long, but to actually have it done and to share it doesn’t feel real.”

When McCondach shared the book’s release on social media, she was flooded with comments from people saying they had just pulled out one of his gowns, or they had his work in their boutique. 

One commenter even said she had worn one of Cole’s dresses on her wedding day.

“It was just so special to hear people still care so much for him,” she said.

“Every creative or anyone with a passion wants to be remembered for their work and he achieved that.”

For McCondach, the book became more than just a fashion portfolio – it was a way to connect with her family’s legacy and build connections with extended whānau that would not have been possible otherwise.

Her nana, Carolyn, who worked closely with Cole, passed away in 2020. Through this project, McCondach felt an even deeper connection to her.

“I’m just grateful for the experience.”

The digital version of the book is already available through the New Zealand Fashion Museum, and McCondach is now working to distribute physical copies to bookstores, libraries and cafés.

Cole and Carolyn also dedicated time to charity, helping establish hospices for children with cancer and organising fashion shows to support them. 

Their motivation stemmed from personal loss – Carolyn’s daughter, Louise, died from cancer when she was just 14.

Carolyn was dissatisfied with the support provided for Louise and did not want to see any other children go through the same experience. 

Now McCondach is organising a fashion show in Auckland to raise funds for the Cancer Foundation, honouring the legacy of her great-uncle and nana.