Mackay fashion icon M’Lady’s celebrates 40 years in business
Friends and admirers of Mackay’s beloved fashion institution have celebrated 40 years of M’Lady’s glamour. Here’s what they had to say.
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Mackay fashion institution M’Lady’s celebrated 40 years of business with a special party that spilt out onto Wood St.
The shop heaved with women eager to snatch a pair of shoes and owners Jan Simpson and Sue Walker hurried about serving their customers.
Others sat at tables on the street and sipped on wine.
The turnout demonstrated the deep affection Mackay holds for the shop, which has kept glamour alive in the Sugar City since 1982.
In an era of concentrated commercial power, M’Lady’s shows that a different kind of life is possible and Mrs Simpson says the secret ingredient is seeing customers as friends rather than sales targets.
“We often talk about friends of ours and then we stop to think, well actually you started out as a customer and now we think of you as our friends,” she said ahead of the 40-year milestone celebration.
“That has been part of it.
“People come back because they are part of our circle of friends.”
Mrs Simpson also credits the store’s mix of glamour, accessories and regular family offerings for its longevity.
Mrs Simpson has run the store for the past 37 years with her sister Sue and she says they have “never had an argument”, sharing a bond that has helped both women pursue their dreams of family life.
“Because we both wanted families and wanted to be able to share the business so that one of us wasn’t tied there,” Mrs Simpson said.
“We also made a decision that we would never get any bigger.
“We never wanted to be so big that it would rule our lives.
“We wanted to still do tuckshop and go to sports days and see all the eisteddfods, do all the things a part time job would gives us.”
Mrs Simpson opened the original iteration of M’Lady’s at Centrepoint.
In her time watching fashion trends over the years, Mrs Simpson says she has seen a marked decline in formality, something she sees as a loss.
“Everybody is extremely casual,” she said.
“If you are going somewhere, definitely from the female’s point of view, half of the fun is getting dressed up and we don’t do that very often now.
“Once upon a time, people were a little bit afraid of being underdressed. Now everybody is a little bit afraid, or a lot afraid, of being overdressed.
“I think we’ve become a bit lazy.
“You certainly don’t have to spend a lot of money or go to a lot of trouble to look like you care.”
Looking forward to the next 40 years, Mrs Simpson expressed hope businesses such as hers would continue and keep alive a warmer seller-buyer relationship.
“We’re all a little bit distant from each other,” she said.
“Everything is a little bit at arm’s length.
“And I think lots of people miss that.
“We have customers who come in just to sit on the couch and have a chat.”
For young fashionistas who love fashion and would like to start their own shop one day, Mrs Simpson says stay cool and temper expectations.
“Don’t be too gung-ho,” she said.
“Don’t expect too much straight away.
“It is small steps.”
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