JOHN MACDONALD - DESIGN DIRECTOR
To say that John has had a lifetime of retail and design experience is no exaggeration.
Starting in the design department of what was then New Zealand's leading departmental chain in an 'after school' role, John eventually joined the company full time where he gained his initial experience of all aspects of retail.
With this diverse experience behind him, John ventured into specialty retail, working with a national menswear chain as the display and shop designer. This was followed by an enjoyable, 'enlightening' and enduring time in the hospitality industry, producing bar and bottle store design and also all company merchandising and advertising requirements. Then, after a brief stint repositioning a chain of garden centres with a full design package including logo, shop layout and advertising, John ventured back into the fashion industry, this time with a womens fashion group, initially as a shop design and advertising manager, but eventually managing the entire chain including sales and purchasing.
1990 saw John in association with a friend and fellow designer Bob Lee, initiated Design Environments (Auckland) Ltd and, as they say, the rest is history.
"The business has been very time consuming over the years as it has been developed into the creative and efficient operation it is today... retail design has grown into a professional career and Design Environments has grown with it."
Born and educated in Dunedin, John's move North to Auckland was instigated by both his business and his sport. A representative runner and basketballer John has always enjoyed an active outdoor life. His love of the surf and bush ensured that Titirangi, the hub of the Waitakeres, would be the home that could give him access to both with the added bonus of the best of training grounds for his running.
While he can no longer do his daily runs, John still enjoys a regular gym attendance and swimming when weather permits.
Educated at a school that majored in art and music, John still enjoys both today, and has an learned knowledge of the history of American blues and roots music, has a vast collection of CD's and books on the genre, and is a regular visitor to international music festivals.
