NZ Fashion Week has wrapped up for 2014 with a fashion-filled week that has left me feeling yes, exhausted, but also exhilarated about the future of the local fashion industry and the amazing talent we have here. It is a personal passion of mine to support the local industry rather than order everything in from overseas; there’s a place for that, but you know what they say, use it or lose it, and so let’s keep supporting local designers!
At the heart of Auckland city, is fashion. When I think of going shopping, I immediately think Auckland city, and the shops in and around the newly-developed Britomart complex. Auckland’s central city retailers played an integral part at New Zealand Fashion Week. All of these labels were involved in this week’s NZ Fashion Week: Andrea Moore, Trelise Cooper, Huffer, Juliette Hogan, Kate Sylvester, Kathryn Wilson, Zambesi, and NOM*d. They are basically the backbone of creative fashion design – and I’d include Karen Walker in this list but she shows in New York which is happening next week – good luck Karen and team!
Below: Andrea Moore backstage models. Photo by James Yang.
As if you needed anymore reason to shop the heart of the city, here’s a full list of central city designers showing at NZFW that are stocked by retailers: Andrea Moore, Barkers, Trelise Cooper, Trelise Cooper Boardroom, Coop, Cooper by Trelise, Crane Brothers, Huffer, Juliette Hogan, Kate Sylvester, Kathryn Wilson, lululemon athletica, Storm, Taylor, TK Store, Vinka Bridal, Zambesi, Annah Stretton, BLAK, Company of Strangers, Hailwood, Jimmy D, Kowtow, Meadowlark, Nick von K, NOM*d, SHEN, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Yvonne Bennetti. You are well and truly spoiled for choice.
In this post I thought I’d share with you highlights from these designers from the runway of their upcoming Autumn Winter 2015 collections which will be instore around March.
ANDREA MOORE
At Andrea Moore’s show, there were two clothing collections, as well as Andrea Moore jewellery and Eyewear accessorizing the looks. First up, models wore the main line, ANDREA MOORE Autumn Winter 2015 line, ‘Wink Wink’. This is inspired by surrealist art with an icon of a winking eye, seen on the model’s hands in the picture below.
Wink Wink had orange pops of colour, bright greens, and a cool zig zag print on flowing georgette dresses. My personal pick was a very gorgeous emerald ruffle-fronted jumpsuit.
The second line was her diffusion line, I AM – a witty play on her initials, AM – on a group of younger models. This was the first time that I AM has been shown on the fashion week runway and it looked fresh and cool in its geometric prints on trousers, and tops with a cute origami cat design – the titular print for this range, ‘Curious Cat’. I AM is designed by Jacenta Kwan for Andrea Moore.
KATE SYLVESTER
At fashion week 2014 this week, not only did Kate Sylvester come back after a half-a-decade absence, she re-introduced her menswear, and gave us theatrics and a soundtrack and clothes so good that the whole package just kicked it out of the ballpark.
Kate Sylvester’s AW15 collection was named for author Donna Tartt, and wittily had strawberry tarts on the front row seats, made by Little Bird Organics Unbakery. The Autumn Winter collection ‘Tartt’ drew upon the author’s two books The Secret History and The Goldfinch, creating a wardrobe for these girls with a casually-decadent air about them. There were long neck scarves jauntily thrown over shoulders in that careful-to-look-careless manner, furry jackets, lacy dresses, and restrained sex appeal a-plenty. It was all so covetable and I would wear the entire collection and the red lips to boot. It had the best finale, with three men in the rigging above her heads releasing small squares of the novels cut up like word-snow raining down in a text-flurry. Photos by James Yang
HAILWOOD
As the only show that gave us a toy car in the goodybag from sponsor Citroen, this show has a special place in my son’s heart! We watched a short film from Citroen at the start, and then the show began – with a glitzy, glam cast of girls, wearing my favourite eye makeup of the week.
They do exist, if only in the realms of fashion. Adrian Hailwood’s unicorn logo showed up as a blue embroidered motif on sweatshirts, and on the Unicorn poncho pictured below, in his latest AW15 collection.
I also really liked the blue rose graphic on his Tudor rose knit tops which were styled with the Steve dark indigo jeans and Puma velvet straight leg jeans. Bring on the night – this collection was strong on eveningwear, with sequin and lurex dresses reminiscent of mermaids in the Galaxy sequin dress.
HUFFER
You will of course know and love Huffer for its street wear clothing, but what do its devotees wear to go out in? What if they want to go to a wedding, or the aforementioned art gallery opening? They need a dress. Or a silky top. Or a jumpsuit with a sexy laced-up back. The question of what to wear is in fact answered with the arrival of its new womenswear label, Aim. The new label was revealed today in an installation showcasing the print campaign imagery at Huffer Basement in Auckland with a live performance by Chelsea of Watercolours.
COOP
The highlight of COOP, Trelise Cooper’s more youthful line, was the Roy Lichenstein pop art-style prints on garments. In fact, she wore a skirt in the COOP finale with “Kiss me” emblazoned on her behind – perhaps a retort to detractors over the feather headdress controversy from the first night. Colour-wise, my favourite apart from the pop art, were the navy blue and bronze combinations.Tee-shirts also promoted a campaign for Breast Cancer Research Trust, The New Army, (#thenewarmy) as Trelise Cooper is a patron of the BCRT and does much work and fundraising for the charity.
JULIETTE HOGAN
There’s nothing wrong with waiting for a lady – and this was the longest wait so far – and it was soon apparent why. The stage was turned on its side in theatre-style, with guests along one wall, and a black curtain along the other. The curtain pulled apart, to reveal a live band, Sunken Seas, playing as models walked the long narrow space.
Garments were pared-back and elegant but with a less girly feel than in past collections. Entitled ‘Take It Or Leave It’, it is inspired by her muse going to the streets of New York and thus has a slightly more grown up and less whimsical edge to it. She has a rougher edge and a tougher attitude. Even the florals are on a black background. Tee-shirts are cut in leather, and wispy lace skirts are teamed with slouchy ribbed knits.
I loved so many pieces, but my top favourites were the maxi lace skirt, the brown floral dress with sequin flowers, and the floral jumpsuit.
NOM*d
NOMd kicked off the first day at New Zealand Fashion Week with the coolest show. They had the guests stand on one side of the runway and a row of 7 drumkits and drummers in balaclavas with teeshirts on down the opposite wall. I liked the cutaway-back teeshirts that were over-sized; at the same time concealing and revealing the body. Outfits were accessorized top to toe with Dr Martens, and grey felted wool bonnets by Marmalade Hats. An illustration of heads with ‘Love NOMd’ appeared on white tee-shirts, and the label’s ever-popular band tee-shirts showed up at the party – so rock n’ roll. Dunedin-based designer Margi Robertson is the master at this urban-yet-punk look that we love so well. Models wore the woollen gloves we were given in goodybags which was a nice connection to the runway for guests. I have model sized hands, at least.
STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB
We headed out west on Tuesday, for one of the only off-site shows of this year’s fashion week, to Western Springs Speedway. This was such a cool setting, and models walked out on the actual racetrack lit with night lights and the headlamps of Minis. Guests assembled on the concrete bleachers and waited for the car lights to switch on. Smoke rose from the cars, joined with the noise and smell of burnouts as their wheels spun, and anticipation mounted. The first model strode out from the smoke to a collective gasp, as she walked a 400 metre catwalk along the gravel track, around a road cone, and back again. Womenswear and menswear featured tartan, pops of yellow, and black and red tees emblazoned with The Guilty Ones.
This post is brought to you thanks to Heart of the City. For more info on www.heartofthecity.co.nz follow their social media accounts:
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Megan Robinson of ThreadNZ.com
31st August 2014
Intro image backstage at Zambesi by James Yang.
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