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Collection custodians

Meet the people devoted to keeping alive the extraordinary story of Eden Hore and the couture fashion he collected.

Patrons

Sir Sam Neill, KNZM, OBE

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our Patron, Sir Sam Neill.

Sam was much more than one of New Zealand's most admired actors. To Central Otago, he was a passionate advocate, a generous supporter of community causes, and someone who gave his time freely to the people and places he cared about.

As Patron of the Eden Hore Central Otago collection, Sam believed in the importance of preserving Eden Hore's remarkable legacy and sharing it with future generations. His encouragement, wisdom and unwavering support played an important part in our journey, and his friendship meant a great deal to everyone involved.

Sam's love for Central Otago was genuine and enduring. He understood the character of this place, celebrated its people, and never hesitated to lend his voice to causes that would strengthen the region and its cultural heritage.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Sam's family and friends, and to the many people whose lives he touched with his generosity, humour and kindness.

Thank you, Sam. Your advocacy and your belief in what we do will always be remembered.

Sam Neill is internationally recognized for his contribution to film and television, with more than 80 films and over 45 television programmes to his credit. A versatile actor he has had leading roles in films such as Sleeping Dogs, My Brilliant Career, The Piano, and the Jurassic Park trilogy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Blackbird. His television roles include Reilly: Ace of Spies, Merlin, Peaky Blinders, and The Tudors, and he has narrated and directed numbers of documentaries. He has a small organic winery called Two Paddocks, and is a longtime activist and spokesman for environmental causes.

Dr Jane Malthus

Jane is Honorary Curator of European Dress at Otago Museum and an independent dress historian, curator and artist. She was instrumental in developing the Eden Hore Fashion Collection, before and after it was acquired by CODC. She has organised exhibitions, overseen cataloguing, contributed to conservation assessment, given talks, published scholarly articles and provided professional advice to Council as required. Throughout this process she has undertaken research into the items and designers represented in the Collection. This work is ongoing.

Sam Neill

Sir Sam Neill, KNZM, OBE

The Eden Hore Central Otago Trust,was established by owners of the collection, the Central Otago District Council (CODC). It is guided by its steering group, which remains focused on telling the story of Eden Hore and his extraordinary fashion collection.

Tamah Alley

Tamah Alley, Mayor of Central Otago and Chair of EHCO, has a background in law enforcement, serving as a police officer for 12 years in Auckland and Central Otago. Before becoming mayor, she was a councillor and Chair of the Vincent Community Board, and currently chairs Zone 6. Her leadership focuses on tackling local government challenges such as rate increases and service delivery, while building resilient, connected communities. Tamah is passionate about engaging residents in local democracy and believes collaboration leads to smarter, cost-effective outcomes.

She is a trustee of Southern Lakes Trails and the Southern Lakes Health Trust, and is active on her local school PTA. Living near Alexandra with her husband Matt and their children, Tamah enjoys biking, skiing, gardening, and a good Central Otago wine.

Dr. Jane Malthus

Jane Malthus (PhD) is a dress historian and curator, Honorary Curator of European Dress at Tūhura Otago Museum, and sometime artist. She first met Eden Hore and his collection in the 1980s. A former academic, she has organised exhibitions, overseen cataloguing, researched collection designers, contributed to conservation assessment, given conference papers and talks on the Eden Hore collection, published scholarly articles and provided professional advice to Council. She is a founding member of the Costume and Textiles Aotearoa New Zealand and lives on a sheep, cattle and deer farm.

Claire Regnault

Claire Regnault is Senior Curator New Zealand Histories and Cultures at the Museum of New Zealand Te PapaTongarewa. New Zealand’s dress histories and associated industries including fashion photography, textile design, retail and promotion are specific interests. She is the author of Dressed: Fashionable Dress in Aotearoa New Zealand from 1840 to 1910, winner of the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Award for Illustrated Non-Fiction; New Zealand Gown of the Year (2003); and co-author, with Douglas Lloyd Jenkins and Lucy Hammonds, of The Dress Circle: New Zealand Fashion Design Since 1940 (2010), which was a finalist in the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards. She is current President of the Costume and Textiles Aotearoa New Zealand,

Marco Creemers

Marco Creemers is Owner and Director of Earnscleugh Castle Ltd, currently restoring the Category 1 listed Earnscleugh Station Homestead in Alexandra. With a BBS in Property (Massey) and a Diploma in Horticulture (Lincoln), he was previously General Manager and Projects Director at Samson Corporation (1989–2023), helping grow it into one of New Zealand’s largest private commercial property firms. He led major green developments including Ironbank (NZ’s first 5 Green Star As Built office, 2009) and Geyser (first 6 Green Star As Built office, 2011). Over 35 years, his projects have earned numerous national and international architectural awards. He also runs V3 Property Ltd, advises Haka Tourism Group, and serves on the Board of the Central Otago Heritage Trust.

Margi Robertson

Margi Robertson ONZM is a New Zealand fashion designer and the founder and creative director of the New Zealand fashion line NOM*d and fashion stores Plume. She has helped define what is known as ‘the New Zealand look’, and has shown the label in conjunction with London, Paris and New York Fashion Weeks over the years. Her significant design output has been the subject of several exhibitions including in 2025 at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

John Crawford

John Crawford has a 30-year association with Naseby and the broader Maniototo area and chaired Naseby Vision Inc., for 13 years and remains a committee member. Naseby Vision has had an interest in the future of the Eden Hore collection since it was acquired by the CODC and has been actively involved in the Council’s consultation process. Previously, John was General Manager of Dunedin-based international television production company NHNZ Ltd. He now co-owns, with Jacquie his wife, Big Sky Adventures Ltd, an Otago Central Rail Trail tour business.

Paul Blomfield

Paul Blomfield has been involved in the fashion industry all his life. He was publisher of Apparel magazine and founder of fashion magazine, Pulp, and was CEO of the Apparel and Textile Federation and Chair of Fashion Industry New Zealand. Paul was a member of the team that helped produce 'The New Zealand Four' show at London Fashion Week. He spent two years at NZTE as lead of the Better by Design programme before launching his own PR consultancy and fashion showroom. He now specialises in public relations, event management, research and strategic planning.

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