Maggie Tabberer

Margaret May Tabberer (; 11December 19366December 2024) was an Australian fashion, publishing and television personality. She was a dual recipient of the Gold Logie award for her television work. Tabberer founded her own fashion label and PR companies and was known for her long-time position as fashion editor of the Australian Women's Weekly magazine.

Career

Modelling and fashion career At the age of 14, while attending her sister's wedding, she was spotted by a photographer and as a result was offered her first modelling job, a one-off assignment. In her early twenties she attended a modelling school and at the age of 23 was discovered by photographer Helmut Newton who mentored her and launched her successful modelling career. While living in Melbourne in 1960, she won the Model of the Year award and then moved to Sydney to take advantage of modelling opportunities there. She chose to end her modelling career at the age of 25 after beginning to lose her slim figure.

Tabberer stayed well-connected to the fashion industry, however. In 1967 she started a public relations company, Maggie Tabberer & Associates, which took on many fashion-related clients and assignments. In 1981, she launched a plus-size clothing label called Maggie T. Tabberer was the brand's ambassador but did not have a stake in the company.

A portrait of her by Australian artist Paul Newton was a finalist in the 1999 Archibald Prize.

Publishing and PR work Tabberer began working in publishing when she wrote a fashion column, "Maggie Says", for The Daily Mirror newspaper in Sydney in 1963. She remained with the paper for 16 years, until billionaire Kerry Packer asked her to become fashion editor of Australian Women's Weekly magazine in 1981. She soon became the public face of the magazine, frequently appearing on its cover and in television advertising. Tabberer stayed with the magazine for 15 years until 1996.

In 2001 Bio and Foxtel published a two-disc DVD compilation of selected interviews: Maggie Beer, Natalie Bloom, David Campbell, Iva Davies, Collette Dinnigan, Dawn Fraser, George Gross and Harry Watt, Geoff Harvey, Marcia Hines, Claudia Karvan, Kylie Kwong, Jeanne Little, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, Trent Nathan, Georgie Parker, Neil Perry, Ian Thorpe, Stuart Wagstaff, and Jacki Weaver

Personal life Margaret May Tabberer was born on 11December 1936 in Parkside, South Australia, the youngest of five children to Alfred and Molly Trigar.

Tabberer took her surname from her first husband, Charles Tabberer, whom she married at the age of 17. They had two daughters, Brooke and Amanda. The demands of her modelling career, however, saw that marriage end after seven years.

After moving to Sydney with her daughters in 1960, Tabberer was introduced by Helmut Newton to Ettore Prossimo, an Italian restaurateur, whom she married in 1967. In that same year, Tabberer gave birth to their son, Francesco, who died of sudden infant death syndrome when 10 days old. The pair separated after 17 years of marriage, although they rekindled their friendship before Prossimo's death from a heart attack in 1996. and died on 6 December 2024, five days before her 88th birthday.

Honours and awards In the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1998, Tabberer was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community, particularly through her support for charitable organisations and the advancement of the Australian fashion industry.

Awards Award Association Year Work Result Model of the Year 1960 Gold Logie Logie Awards 1970 Maggie Gold Logie Logie Awards 1971 Maggie