I got divorced after 23 years. It took a while before I was ready to date again

Margie Woods is a fashion designer best known for her label, Viktoria & Woods. Here, the 50-year-old talks about her relationship with her father, her fond memories of her maths teacher, and finding love again after divorce.

Margie Woods: “It took a while before I was ready to date again, but I fell into it relatively easily, which surprised me.” Credit: Peter Rae

My maternal grandfather, Massie, was a teacher before he migrated to Australia in 1967 and spent his working life at Ford Motors in Melbourne. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child while my parents worked long hours, and got to know him well. He was a quiet, reserved man who enjoyed reading. He did this weird thing where he’d put a Teddy Bear biscuit in my bowl of cereal at breakfast as a surprise. He passed away when I was 16.

My dad, George, is one of seven children. He migrated to Australia at 20 in search of a better life and new opportunities. Nobody from his family came with him and I didn’t really know that side of the family. He met and married my mum, Mona, when he was 31 – they met through Mum’s brother. Dad is 10 years older than her.

I had a strange relationship with my dad. I’m the eldest of four girls and was treated differently to my sisters, probably because I was a bit of a ratbag who’d sneak out of the house. Dad worked a lot of night shifts in factories, then owned businesses and worked seven days a week.

As I became a teenager, Dad’s personality really came out. From being a quiet man who didn’t say much, he became more protective and outspoken as I got older. I don’t think he really knew how to guide me, even though he had good intentions.

I have fond memories of my maths teacher, Mr Cantwell, at Strathmore High School [in Melbourne]. He was the strictest teacher at the school, but had a soft spot for me. I was quite capable and wanted to do well in maths because of him.

After high school, I moved out of home to live in a rented Carlton share house and studied at La Trobe University. Dad and I disconnected for a few years during this time, but we came into each other’s lives again just before I got engaged to David, who I met at the age of 21.

David was my first proper relationship. He’s seven years older than me – we got married when I was 23 and he was 30. We waited 10 years before we started a family and were married for 23 years.

In the beginning, our relationship was a lot of fun. He was a hairdresser, owned his own salon, and was an energetic surfer who really got me into loving nature. But we grew apart as our lives evolved and went in different directions.

David and I have two gorgeous kids together – our son Harper, who’s 16, and daughter Ruby, who’s 18. We used to fight a lot when we were a couple, but we get along really well these days. We have a lot of respect for one another, and for each other’s new partners.

My parents were aware that our marriage was falling apart. In the beginning, they encouraged us to make it work, but my father was happy when we ended it. Dad finally became a modern man and accepted that some things don’t last!

It took a while before I was ready to date again, but I fell into it relatively easily, which surprised me. The hardest part was finding a partner in a similar space with children and work commitments. Having a partner who shares similar values and goals is very important to me.

Andrew and I have been dating for two years. He runs his own successful business and is a father of three grown children. He is motivated and we share similar values. We are pretty perfect together. He makes me laugh a lot and my kids love him.

I am lucky to have a great relationship with my kids. Harper is my favourite shopping partner – he loves going into designer stores with me and helping me choose shoes. He has incredible knowledge of perfumes and scents and really appreciates the finer things, like I do.

The new Viktoria & Woods “Aura” collection is available in stores and online now.

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