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.
Also recognisable? Some of the faces on the runway. To the delight of the audience, models included figures like chef Josh Emett, designer and director of the New Zealand Fashion Museum, Doris de Pont, and former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes. 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.
Curated by top stylist and NZFW Creative Director Dan Ahwa, ensembles were drawn from a range of established and emerging labels. Further reinforcing the connections that unite the country’s creative talent, a performance from contemporary dance company Black Grace was part of the presentation.
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.
“New Zealand fashion has always been at its most compelling when it reflects who we are and where we come from,” commented Ahwa, saying it was a moment to celebrate history but also where we’re headed.
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.
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.
“The Art of Style isn’t about having perfect taste – personally, I prefer bad taste, whatever that is,” Ahwa noted. “It’s about developing your own. In times like these, that is where personal style becomes true art.”
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.
Our favourite looks from the show:
Photography / Radical
