THE NEW STARS OF NZ FASHION
Copious amounts of champagne — and some of the best fashion trends in town — awaited those in the know at NZ Fashion Week.
Fashionistas and politicians mixed it up on Monday night, with National Party MP Nikki Kaye, joining Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Fashion Week owner Dame Pieter Stewart in the speeches. Labour MP Jacinda Ardern watched proceedings with beau Clarke Gayford.
And it wasn’t just the old guard who impressed over the past week, with a number of up-and-coming designers stealing the show.
“My favourite moment of the past 16 years occurred on Tuesday, it was electric and a new era of fashion designers was born,” Dame Pieter said.
She was right. While most of the big names in fashion opted to show over the week, a new generation of designers received high acclaim on the catwalk between Monday and Thursday. Labels such as Eugenie, Wynn Hamlyn, Danielle Power-Silk, Trish Peng, who wowed everyone with her red wedding dress and most especially Jarrad Godman all slayed it, much to the delight of the front row. Australian-based fashion writer
Patty Huntington agreed, telling Spy she was impressed at the array of designers whose creations impressed on the catwalk.
“Designers can come straight out of design school and create a brand with social media, things have changed and these bright young things have lit up the catwalk like the big designers of Fashion Weeks past,” she said.
Trelise Cooper, Zambesi and Andrea Moore, were among the established labels opting to show their latest wares during Fashion Weekend.
The exception was long-time Fashion Week label Hailwood, who had the celebrity front row of the week — including Silver Fern Maria Tutaia,
Amber Peebles, a host of reality TV stars and chart-toppers Six60 at its Wednesday evening show.
Tutaia was back again Thursday evening, this time modelling a wedding dress in the show of the day, Rochelle. Stan Walker serenaded the Glamazonian, with members of the audience hoping she trades in the court for the catwalk.
As predicted the Stolen Girlfriends party in Grey Lynn and the Huffer party in Queen St were the places to dance the night away with the cool crowd. After-party guests of SG were very impressed with the clean and fresh venue The Face.