My Muse | Clare Irons

Hi everyone, Olivia here to introduce this week’s My MUSE: the inspiring, compassionate and effortlessly stylish Clare Irons.

Clare’s journey to Arrowtown began with a South Island campervan trip after meeting her Kiwi husband in the UK. What started as a family gap year in 2019 soon became something much more permanent, and today Clare, her husband and their three children happily call Arrowtown home.

With a background in Art History and a career spanning philanthropy and the not-for-profit sector, Clare has a deep appreciation for both art and community. She currently works with 45South Community Foundation, helping people give back to the places they love and create a lasting impact for future generations.

Since moving to Arrowtown, Clare has embraced a slower, more adventurous way of life, from exploring the surrounding backcountry to developing a more relaxed approach to getting dressed. Her style is classic with an unexpected twist, and she firmly believes there’s no reason to save your favourite pieces for a special occasion.

I caught up with Clare to talk about art, community, family, life in Arrowtown, personal style and the things currently inspiring her.

 

For those who may not know you, can you tell us a little about yourself and what brought you and your family to Arrowtown?

I met my Kiwi husband in the UK. Just after we got married we came to New Zealand for a South Island campervan adventure. When we were planning our trip a friend of mine who had visited NZ a couple of years before said to me, "Don't just go to Queenstown — there's a cool little town nearby called Arrowtown with a gorgeous cinema, Dorothy Browns…" So we added Arrowtown to our itinerary and fell in love! Five years later we managed to buy a bit of land, and for a few summers in a row we'd come over from the UK and camp with our three kids and extended family (on one famous occasion our youngest slept in a wheelbarrow, as the airline lost our portacot!)  In December 2019 we decided to come to Arrowtown for a family gap year… and by the time the borders opened up again after Covid we were settled, and this place had become our home.

 

You studied Art History at university in Scotland, before building a career in philanthropy and the not-for-profit sector. Has art remained a big part of your life, and does your background in Art History still influence you today?

Yes, absolutely. I love the way an artwork can change the way you feel — that first initial response you might have, and then the ongoing conversations we have with something in our home: perhaps a memory it evokes, or the way it makes us feel. Art is still a favourite pleasure — wherever I am, if I have some time, I'll make it a priority to pop into a gallery or museum, and we've loved introducing that to our kids too.

 

You now work with 45South Community Foundation, helping connect people who want to give with organisations making a difference in their local communities. What drew you to this work, and what do you find most rewarding about it?

Community Foundations are an amazing way to help create a lasting legacy for a place. There are 18 Community Foundations in Aotearoa, covering most of the country. When you love a place, you want to help preserve the very best of it and ensure it's able to thrive into the future. Someone recently spoke to me about placekeeping and placemaking, and that's a distinction that has stayed with me. Philanthropic funding can help facilitate both — and it's why we encourage people to think about making decisions now that future generations will thank us for.

For me, that's what legacy really means — not just leaving money behind, but leaving it with intention, so it keeps doing good for the community long after you're gone. 45South and the other community foundations in our network are a great way of ensuring that happens.

 

You seem to have a strong connection to community, both through your work and your life in Arrowtown. What does a strong community mean to you?

A strong community is one where all parts of it work together — business, the charity sector and government — and where everyone has the chance to thrive. That feeling of community is on one level the coffee shop knowing your regular order, and on another, having friends you can call on in a crisis. There's breadth and depth to a strong community, and this is a pretty special one.

 

You moved to New Zealand in 2019. What has surprised you most about making a life here, and what do you love most about living in Arrowtown?

I have loved discovering the joys of hiking — from initial short walks up Tobin’s Track in Arrowtown, to gaining the confidence to do multi-day adventures into the backcountry. It's a pretty awe-inspiring place to live, and I can't believe it's all here on our doorstep to explore.

How would you describe your personal style? Has living in Arrowtown influenced the way you dress?

Classic with a bit of an edge or a twist — I like to add something unexpected. And yes, absolutely it has! Before moving here, I had a classic divided work vs. weekend wardrobe: corporate during the week and jeans at weekends. It took me a while to settle into my style here — it's more relaxed, but I still love adding those dressier, elevated pieces. Why save them for best? Wear the dress if you want to wear the dress!

 

Are there any pieces or designers you find yourself returning to again and again?

I love adding a jacket or blazer to an outfit. Layering is a fun way to add interest, particularly in our four-seasons-in-one-day climate.

What are you currently loving? An artist, exhibition, restaurant, book, podcast, travel destination or perhaps a recent fashion find?

I'm on an education journey learning about New Zealand artists. I was fortunate enough to be invited to Grahame Sydney's new exhibition in Queenstown, which was wonderful. There are lots of works that have been lent from private collections that you wouldn't normally get to see. It's definitely well worth a visit!

And a favourite recent fashion find — a gorgeous men's blazer that I thrifted on my travels on a recent trip back to the UK.

What is currently on your MUSE wishlist?

The Nili Lotan Camo jacket, and the Shon pants in grey denim. Great pieces that can be dressed up or down.

 

And finally, finish this sentence: A woman is most powerful when she…

…understands that kindness and strength are not mutually exclusive; she doesn't trade one for the other.