After a challenging retail period, it’s good news for New Zealand’s fashion designers, who will have the opportunity to display their designs on the runway in August next year.
New Zealand Fashion Week will be held in Auckland from 25th – 30th August, 2025.
This year’s event was expected to take place in August, but was cancelled by owner Feroz Ali in May, with Ali citing the economic downturn and pressures on consumer spending which had affected the industry.
It’s been confirmed the 2025 event will also take place in a new venue. After facing challenges with the closure of the Wynyard Quarter crossing bridge for repairs preventing access for guests, New Zealand Fashion Week has moved on from its previous Viaduct Events Centre home.
Next year’s event will instead be held at Shed 10 on Queens Wharf on the waterfront in Auckland’s CBD.
NZ Fashion Week owner Feroz Ali says it is “critically important” the fashion industry flourishes and thrives. To help, he says there will be no entry fee for designers for the next event for the first time.
“NZFW is a celebration of creativity and talent focused on creating meaningful opportunities for designers,” Ali said in a statement. “We understand the challenges the industry has been facing and that’s driven our decision to waive designer entry fees in 2025 to ensure the event is as inclusive as possible.”
Organisers are also looking forward to making the most of the new venue, near the busy shopping district in downtown Auckland.
“The new venue of Shed 10 with its character waterfront appeal, will bring a fresh energy as we continue to evolve our thinking about how to deliver a relevant, uplifting and
empowering event that showcases the New Zealand design talent for audiences locally and internationally,” says Ali.
The schedule is expected to include runway events, talks, seminars and on-and off-site activations with more information to be revealed in early 2025. Rather than the previous industry-only events, a bigger focus on inclusivity for fashion fans and the wider public is planned.
