Last week Stolen Girlfriends Club held their NZFW show in a grungy basement/car park. Titled ‘Dirty Magic’, the show had a dark carnival atmosphere (light show, check, neon signage, check) and the collection strong goth, punk, and witchy influences. Plaid, leather, full length velvet dresses and paisley patterned mesh featured heavily, accessorised with safety pins, piercings, and mohawks. Eye makeup was especially memorable and dramatic, with an extreme interpretation of crying blood.
Even now, the one word that comes to mind when I think of the Hailwood show at NZFW is ‘dreamy’ – thanks to set-up that featured a carpeted runway paved with misty-spotlights. The winter 13 collection shown (titled ‘Winter State’) was large, varied, and had a strong 70’s vibe about it – everything from sweaters & quilted bomber jackets (!) to full skirts and elegant evening wear. The colour palette was excellent – dusky pinks, teal, and beige with splashes of gold, aubergine, and midnight blue.
Individual pieces from the collection (i.e. sweaters, peplum tops, full skirts, and tailored pants) felt ready-to-wear – easily transitioned from the runway in to one’s current wardrobe (aided in part by the easy 70’s blow dry hair created by Sebastian Professional). I loved Hailwood’s take on floral, and the ‘Hailwood horse’ sweaters, but the stand out piece for me was a beautiful sheer-glittering aubergine skater cocktail dress – demonstrating Adrian Hailwood’s skill for creating pieces perfectly tailored to the female figure.
COOP was a show I was truly excited about. It’s a label that’s relatively new on the scene but its edgy (the show notes used the term ‘high grunge’) aesthetic has quickly made it a favourite of mine. The winter 13 collection takes ‘high grunge’ and runs with it. There are some great tough pieces in the form of leather panelled jackets, studded cardigans, and the creepers paired with slightly tousled hair gave off a ‘yeah – I’m cute, but you don’t want to mess with me’ kind of a vibe. Luxe came through in the form of velvet & silky fabrics, peplum jackets, royal colours (blue, green, gold), and sparkling embellishments. Prints were bright and slightly off-beat, nailing a fine balance of girly-grunge. My favourite print was a green floral/venus fly trap – which was only slightly shown up by the luxe sparkly emerald dress following it down the runway shortly after. Love, love, love!
I remember walking in to Juliette Hogan with a feeling of excitement – having come to equate Juliette Hogan with the best kind of pretty, beautiful things. The winter 2013 collection ‘Don’t Look Back’ is truly beautiful, with a refined sort of elegance to it (lace, scarves, and tailored jackets) without taking itself too seriously (sweaters, socks, and playful prints). The silhouettes a feminine and flattering – complimented by straight, combed back hair – all very girly and chic. My favourite pieces were the orange lace skater dress, the floral dress, and the (other) floral blazer. J’Ho’s show was the first in which I started noticing the prominent use of orange this season – a colour I am particularly partial to & think you should be too. See for yourself below!
New Zealand Fashion Week has been an adventure! I’ve met fantastic people, and seen some incredible things (both on and off the cat walk). Day three was the last full day of shows – with six on the schedule. It was my last day down at Fashion Week – with the exception of last night’s Huffer show/party in Takapuna. Here are a few of my favourite things from day three.
Salasai’s collection was one of the most memorable from the week. It told a cohesive story, with a very American Gothic feel to it (reserved, pretty, and somewhat haunting). The hay-as-an-accessory, and ‘Sunday Best’ styles reinforced the motif. As far as wearability goes, there’s plenty in here to look out for including a zig-zag pattern, and a very cute black & white blouse with a bow on the collar.
NZFW day two was plenty-full of excitement and it was very much all go! Eight shows were lined up for the day – Twenty-Seven Names & Ingrid Starnes, New Generation, Deryn Schmidt, NZ Weddings, Andrea Moore, Riddle Me This, Trelise Cooper, and Kagi. Admittedly I was unable to make New Generation & NZ Weddings – but it was still a big day with plenty of highlights!
I was up relatively early to make it to the GHD presents Blue Sky show, hosted by Showroom 22 at the Britomart Australis House where we were treated to coffee and ‘high breakfast’ in the form of miniature muesli, fruit salad, and salmon sliders (yum!) before viewing the AW13 Twenty-Seven Names and Ingrid Starnes collections.
