Melissa Gardi

On growing up in a creative family…

I’ve been surrounded by creative people my entire life. Growing up, at home there were always creative projects going on. One year my dad would be into stained glass, the next it would be woodwork – dad would carve the wood and mum would paint it. Both of my two brothers are talented musicians. I’ve always been obsessed with imagery (through my early years you couldn’t see my bedroom walls as they were covered with art and pages torn from magazines). Ultimately I’m inspired by creative thinking and the arts, whatever shape it takes. 

On working in the creative industry…

I started working at an ad agency when I was 16, heading there every day after school to assist (and learn from) the creative directors, art buyers and production team. I cut my teeth in publishing at Andy Warhol's Interview and Harper’s Bazaar in New York City – creating stories for the same magazines that had covered those bedroom walls years before. Working at both big corporates and small independents across all media during the past twenty years taught me a lot about how awesome things result from experimenting and pushing outside of your comfort zone. And striking the balance of organised systems and messy creativity isn’t easy, but necessary for innovation.  

On moving to New Zealand…

I moved to New Zealand from New York City after falling in love with my Kiwi husband, Dino. Having finally paid my dues, doors were opening in my career – it wasn’t easy to walk away from that. But in life we’re constantly faced with opportunities and we ask ourselves what direction to go in. It could be a simple pivot, or a big transformation. I didn’t think it would be such a huge life changing decision to move to Auckland as I was sure we would move back to NYC after a year, but that was almost 20 years ago. It’s difficult to live on the other side of the world from people I care about. Although, the distance in the early 2000s felt further than it does now – we didn’t have WhatsApp or then. Now, whenever I see my Stateside family and friends, I savour every minute. 

On living in New Zealand…

There are a lot of differences between New Zealand and the States, starting with the obvious: sheer land size of the country and population. We have about 2% of the States’.  Before the pandemic, I spent a few enjoyable months on the American east coast visiting family, and returning home to New Zealand only heightened my gratitude for living here – from the beauty of our island coastlines to the innovation of our people; our healthcare system and way of life. It got me thinking that while we are all grateful for various things – such as our health, our families and friends, our homes, our lives – in New Zealand we are also great full. We are a country brimming with skill and talent – makers and artists; designers and builders; scientists and engineers; organisations and businesses. It's important to celebrate that!

On an inspiring quote…

Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama

‘To see is one thing. To look at what you see is another. To understand what you look at is a third. To learn from what you understand is something else. But to act on what you learn is all that really matters.’ – Author unknown

On essentialism…

The pace of change for all of us has increased so much in the past few years – as technology continues to advance it’s not likely things are going to slow down. Plus, we live in such uncertain times. What's key is identifying the essentials – distilling all of what we’re bombarded with and focusing on what’s important. For me, as I’m sure for most of us, this includes contributing to a better future for our children.

On being grateful...

Practicing gratitude was particularly helpful when my husband and I were trying to get pregnant – it helped me cope. After multiple rounds of IVF and experiencing a miscarriage, we were successful. At 40 years old with a history of complications, I knew that risk factors were higher than the norm so took the pregnancy day by day. Placenta previa put me in Auckland Hospital (my first-ever visit to a New Zealand hospital) where I was amazed about the care I received. After two more visits to hospital, our daughter Isabella was born: healthy and happy. We knew she’d be our one and only, and every day I’m thankful that she’s in our lives. 

On supporting our community’s access to quality healthcare…

It blows my mind that we have such extraordinary, accessible services in such a small country. But having access to excellent services is only possible through adequate funding. And while government funding contributes to healthcare services, it doesn’t cover all the costs required for us to have the latest equipment or advanced technology let alone the highly qualified professionals and support services for those affected by disease. That’s why donations are so important. 

On starting Great Full…

When considering ways to make ongoing contributions to our community – a community that has given so much to my family through the years – I thought that bringing people together for good, perhaps we could do something great. Starting Great Full has been part of my gratitude practice. Working with others on projects that can help others lifts me up, drives me forward and makes life better.

On Great Full’s first project…

Life starts with birth, right? Whether that’s in the form of a person or a project. With our first project, it seemed fitting to launch an initiative for Starship – as they focus on providing family-centred care to infants and children in hospital.

Through the years, I’ve met some phenomenal people in various industries, including fashion, who have inspired me. I do love fashion – and with a young daughter I love dressing her in fun clothes. I thought it’d be interesting to see what some of New Zealand's best fashion designers would come up with for babywear.

On creating Made in NZ limited edition collections…

Each Great Full project is a limited edition collection of garments – made in New Zealand. Once we sell out we don't produce more. The extraordinary artists – and creative sector they represent – vary and each artist generously designs and gifts artwork that we screen print onto the GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric that is custom-made for us. Having the garments manufactured in New Zealand introduced has been awe-inspiring. The experience gave me new appreciation for the talent and skill that we have here, at home.

Photography by Stephen Tilley