Today was the first (and probably the biggest) day at New Zealand Fashion Week 2012. I have been lucky enough to take three full days off work to get amongst it and experience the goodness up close and in person (!). I saw plenty of amazing things from Ruby/Liam, Cybele, COOP, Company of Strangers, Hailwood, Juliette Hogan, and Zambesi today – and can safely say that there is a lot to look forward to in Autumn/Winter 2013. Here are a few highlights from the day:
- The prominence of olive green in the Liam AW/13 collection. This is a colour that is seriously underrated.
- Very pretty prints at Ruby – including two particularly gorgeous dresses (although there is always at least one dress sure to please any girly-girl in each and every Ruby collection). I also took a liking to a peach sweater (the fuzzy kind…) and jacket. A great colour.
- Cybele nailed little black dresses. There was a great use of shape and texture throughout the collection – and the pop of cobalt blue toward the end of the show was a real treat!
- COOP! I loved quite a bit of what I saw at COOP. The venus fly trap print differentiated itself from your standard floral prints (although traditional florals also made a well considered appearance). I dug the variety in print, leather panelling, peplums, and sequinned dresses. The run sheet dubbed the range ‘high grunge’ – and I couldn’t think of a better way to describe this label’s aesthetic.
- Company of Strangers did an excellent job of mixing up black with bright pink, purple, and orange. The colours are MUCH louder in real life (in a good way).
- If I had to sum up Hailwood in a single word it would have to be ‘dreamy.’ The show itself was quite lulling, with calming music and misty spotlights taking over the runway (although unfortunately said spotlights made picture taking near impossible). Midnight blue and teal made a notable appearance throughout the collection, with my favourite piece being a teal dress with black trim.
- Juliette Hogan knocked it out of the park – receiving the first cheer from the crowd. Piece after piece I just… WANTED. The collection included a selection of signature printed fabrics (including spectacular florals…), a bright pop of orange, lace and peplum dresses, blouses and blazers, and quilted jackets. This collection is definitely my favourite from Juliette Hogan thus far.
- Zambesi was a show I was especially looking forward to. The label didn’t disappoint, building anticipation by walking the models through the opening between the runway and backstage. In true Zambesi style there was plenty of BLACK – but also YELLOW (checkers) and a pale pink. Collars were an important part of this collection, ranging from studded, to furry, to plastic (?). Hair and makeup was stunning – birds nests and black lips – and it was here I spied what will be my AW13 winter jacket.
More to come!