Vibrant Colour, Famous Faces On The Runway At NZ Fashion Week Opener

New Zealand Fashion Week has kicked of with a modern vision unifying the breadth of our country’s creative talent. The week of events and shows designed to spotlight fashion in Aotearoa was opened with a showcase at key sponsor Giltrap Group’s underground vehicle showroom.

Called ‘The Art of Style,’ the opening NZFW celebration was an ode to that vision, gathering looks from new collections in stores now, as well as some very recognisable moments from NZ’s fashion past. To the delight of the audience, models included figures like.

What Happened

This marks Downes second year walking in the opening show. The stark concrete space lined with stylish guests was in striking contrast to the dynamic colour and texture celebrated in the show.

• The energising collection of looks perfectly served as a taster for the week’s events, in which fashion labels including Caitlin Crisp, Twenty-Seven Names, Juliette Hogan and Zambesi will share their latest collections.

• Further influences on our sense of style recognised in the show included nods to local landscapes, poets, painters, costumers, choreographers and significant Māori and Pacific artists.

• Featuring everything from elaborate construction to edgy streetwear, the looks also acknowledged every person in the chain of creation, from dyers, milliners, embroiderers and pattern cutters to machinists, wardrobe teams and technicians.

Key Details

The collections and styling chosen by Ahwa were intended to highlight how fashion and the way we wear our clothes contributes to both our personal identity, and that of our culture.

• Further reinforcing the connections that unite the country’s creative talent, a performance from contemporary dance company Black Grace was part of the presentation.

• Curated by top stylist and NZFW Creative Director Dan Ahwa, ensembles were drawn from a range of established and emerging labels.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by MiNDFOOD as more details emerge