Ten years of NZ Fashion Week was marked with a Retrospective show on the last day but rather than the celebratory occassion I was hoping it was more of a soulness walking catalogue – albeit of beautiful outfits – from the nation’s great labels…
Ten years of NZ Fashion Week was marked with a Retrospective show on the last day but rather than the celebratory occassion I was hoping it was more of a soulness walking catalogue – albeit of beautiful outfits – from the nation’s great labels.
Everyone I spoke to beforehand was very much looking forward to it and wondering what memorable pieces might show up. And the precedent for emotional retrospective shows had been set by Zambesi’s 30th last year which garnered a standing ovation and many a teary eye after a powerful show which followed a dance by Black Grace.
No such emotion was present at the Fashion Week Retrospective. A missed opportunity really, it could have been a special and moving event. It opened with bang-bang-bang of a drum machine as a dozen catwalk stills filled the backdrop screen but a Powerpoint wasn’t what we had hoped for. Maybe some clips of designers saying what fashion week meant to them? Or a short film montage of highlights and the early years?
Another thing that could have been done better that other Editors I spoke to also expected, was for it to be in chronological order and have designer names appear helpfully on the screen.
As for the choice of designers, that was broad and represented old and new in the 81 outfits that were shown on Friday 24 September 2010. I liked seeing labels that are no more – Insidious Fix, Cherry Cotton Candy- along with the ones that have been there every year – Zambesi, Trelise Cooper and Nom*d.
It could have been more memorable to show outfits that summed up each year, in particular Annah Stretton’s boarhead, and Nicky Watson in the diamante bikini; things that made headlines at the time. I understand the logistics of only having available what designers have kept or have access to. Huffer got it, with their iconic three dots tee-shirt, and World’s crystal suit was a fitting conclusion.
Here are some of the outfits.
Nom*d 2007
Huffer (no year given)
Cybele 2007
IPG 2005
Federation 2009
Salasai 2008
Mild Red 2009
Cybele 2008
But the production aside, it has to be said well done for Fashion Week achieving ten years and for these labels to have shown. We heart fashion week, and just wanted the retrospective event to have been a real honest celebration that made our heart soar. Sadly, it didn’t.
By Megan Robinson
Photography Kevin Robinson
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