NZ Fashion Week Focus on Diversity

New Zealand Fashion Week is relaunching in 2019 with a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion.

The event has announced plans to recruit 100 disabled volunteers, unveiled a commitment to diverse modelling and will stage its first-ever diversity seminar.

In addition, the world’s first intellectually disabled fashion show at a Fashion Week will take place: called “Living Colour” it features garments from top New Zealand designers, worn by 15 models with intellectual disabilities.

The annual event has unveiled four new additions to its 2019 line-up; many of which are world-firsts for an international fashion event:

Volunteer recruitment: New Zealand Fashion week places immense value on its network of volunteers and is working with the Ministry of Social Development where 100 New Zealanders with disabilities will be placed in highly sought-after back-stage volunteer positions.

Model casting: It won’t just be the fashion on the NZFW 2019 runways showcasing diversity and inclusivity. This year the casting call for models continues in its commitment to ensure that transgender, racially diverse, plus size models and those with disabilities are included in NZFW shows wherever possible.

Intellectually disabled fashion show: For the ultimate inclusive fashion party on Saturday 31 August, Dance For Abilities (DFA) in partnership with NZFW will put on New Zealand’s first ever fashion show for people with intellectual disabilities. The DFA fashion show will have more than 300 people with intellectual disabilities in attendance, and generous Kiwis are being asked to donate the $35 it would cost to host each member of the 300-capacity crowd via an online fundraiser. Dame Pieter Stewart and Elisabeth Findlay will award one of the attendees with a “Best Dressed” accolade.

Diversity Conversation Seminar: Presented by fashion website FashioNZ, the Diversity Conversation Seminar will feature a panel of guests leading the way in championing diversity and will offer thought-provoking insights on the importance of inclusivity. The seminar will be attended by inclusive disabilities pioneer Grace Stratton, body positive influencer Jess Quinn, plus-size fashion writer and influencer Meagan Kerr, veteran model Mercy Brewer, top fashion and celebrity stylist Sammy Salsa and Zeenat Wilkinson, editor and founder of inclusive beauty website SAUCE.

Dame Pieter Stewart, NZFW founder and managing director, commented: “Fashion can – and should be – for everyone. That’s why we’re so excited and proud to have such a strong focus on diversity and inclusivity at this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week.

And it’s literally from the ground up, with our beautiful access-friendly new venue at the Auckland Town Hall and Aotea Square, through to inspiring guest speakers, a truly diverse selection of designers and models, invaluable help from 100 volunteers with lived experience of disabilities, and our Living Colour fashion show in partnership with Dance For Abilities.”

Daniel Hopkirk, Dance For Abilities Director, added: “We’re really excited to get the opportunity to open another door for people with intellectual disabilities.Fashion can sometimes be viewed as unattainable to a lot of people in society, but with forward thinking people like Dame Pieter Stewart we’ve been given the opportunity to showcase to people that fashion can be fun and for everyone.”

Amanda Nicolle, director of industry partnerships at Ministry of Social Development, said: “By recruiting 100 volunteers we’re enabling a broad spectrum of New Zealanders to experience this opportunity, including many who might otherwise miss out because of difficult life circumstances “We know volunteering is a fantastic way for our clients to build confidence, work experience and motivation that will help them as they seek employment.”

There are also several designers showing at NZFW 2019 who are ones to watch when it comes to celebrating diversity and inclusion.

Lenon Wakuwa, a non-binary designer who many will recognise as a contestant on hit New Zealand TV series Project Runway, will be showcasing their androgynous fashion brand Adhala Lenzo. Wakuwa’s goal is to encourage and empower youth to feel confident in their own skin and embrace their unique sense of identity and draws inspiration from their African heritage to create bright, fun and colourful pieces.

Natasha Ovely’s gender-neutral, sustainable and size inclusive brand Starving Artists Fund draws on the designer’s childhood memories of growing up in Saudi Arabia and living among a diverse range of cultures in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and New Zealand. Through her designs, Ovely aims to celebrate body positivity, individuality, non-binary perspectives and diversity.

Meanwhile transgender designer Cecilia Kang Couture (CKC) has been gathering momentum since NZFW last year, with Kang’s humble charm and impressive self-taught design skills seeing her receive plenty of media attention. ‘Galaxy Extravaganza’, her new collection and solo show presented in partnership with Face Me Makeup, will be revealed for the first time at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019.

New Zealand Fashion Week runs from Monday 26 August until the close of Fashion Weekend on Sunday 1 September with select shows across the weekend available for the public to partake in. See iticket for details.

Tuesday 27 August

3pm, Adhala Lenzo as part of an NZFW Group Show

Thursday 29 August

11am, FashioNZ presents ‘Diversity Conversation: What Can Fashion Do to be Inclusive?’