Trip to Brooklyn Zoo

Brooklyn Zoo designer Joel Williams brought his love of New York City onto the runway at the launch of his summer 2011/12 collection, ‘Coney Island the Nickel Empire’ held at No.1 High Street on Tuesday…

Brooklyn Zoo designer Joel Williams brought his love of New York City onto the runway at the launch of his summer 2011/12 collection, ‘Coney Island the Nickel Empire’ held at No.1 High Street on Tuesday 6th December.

The ‘Star-factor’ of the night included media personalities Drew Neemia and Shannon Ryan from Drew and Shannon Live, and NZ’s Next Top Model judge Colin Mathura-Jeffree wearing a tee from the 2011 Winter ‘Brooklynism’ Collection.

Guests were welcomed with a VnC cocktail with playful straws adorned with puckered lips and mustaches.

The night’s live entertainment began with live jazz from the Brooklyn Trio followed with a performance by talented NZ artist Jesse Sheehan.

The urban streetwear label uses treated leather, organic cotton, merino wool and plush velvet sourced primarily from Europe and Japan to create the Brooklyn Zoo summer aesthetic that "captures the nostalgic heyday of Coney Island’s empire during the 1920’s".

The 23 year old NZ designer says this summer collection synthesizes both grunge and vintage styles to represent the luminous world of Coney Island today and during its prime throughout the 1920’s while drawing influence from early 90’s New York street culture.

Then the lights were dimmed and the show began with two blade-wielding clowns in brightly coloured – yet bloody – outfits creeping down the runway through a haze of dry ice.

Models adorned in Culet Jewellery headed down the runway to present the new streetwear line which merges men’s and women’s clothing with an urban grunge edge.

Brooklyn Zoo is soon to be stocked in three boutiques in Auckland, Tauranga and Nelson, and is currently available online at the Brooklyn Hustle store thebrooklynhustle.storenvy.com or check out the website www.brooklynzoo.co.nz.

Below: Guests at No.1 High Street.

Words and photographs, Diana Russell
6 December 2011