twenty-seven names get Fearsome

There was no feeling of naughty school girl here at twenty-seven names. Modest knee length skirts, high necked dresses, cropped trousers and ‘put on something warm or you’ll catch a cold’ layered wool coats showed a refreshing new direction…

twenty-seven names AW11 ‘The Fearsome Five’
NZ Fashion Week 23 September 2010

It was back to school for twenty-seven names AW11 collection The Fearsome Five with blazers, pinafores, bow ties, culottes and long sleeve shirts – top button always done up, of course.

Models sported long just-brushed hair, pulled up white ankle socks and black leather shoes throughout, reminiscent of those days when we customised our uniforms and feared the teacher’s reprimand.

There was no feeling of naughty school girl here though. Modest knee length skirts, high necked dresses, cropped tailored trousers and ‘put on something warm or you’ll catch a cold’ layered wool coats showed a refreshing new direction in trends, moving away from the often difficult to wear and rarely flattering trends of past seasons seen on the streets of New Zealand, that only really worked if you had the body of a 12-year-old.

The jackets and coats were the stand-out pieces from the show. The baseball-esque ‘shy guy’ bomber, the 213 cape-like layered wool coat and strong blue and white striped cricket blazer were favourites of mine.

The polka-dots must also be mentioned, seen on prints and in velvet on sheer dresses. From also seeing them on dresses at Hailwood, it appears that spots are the new stripes for next winter and twenty-seven names is right on the mark with this one.

As it was inspired by high schoolers and college students, not all of these garments can be worn by all ages but there are elements of the range which may be. Many of the silhouettes and designs are very mature and likely to fit well into any well-dressed woman’s wardrobe… No matter her age.

Below: cameras and phones came out to capture the back of this elegant cape.

In a week of many uninspiring collections I couldn’t find much fault with this one and so was my personal pick of fashion week’s shows, alongside Huffer. Very refreshing.

By Olivia BoswellPhotos Megan Robinson