[ FASHION ] New Zealand Fashion Week

Day One-

Starfish - First and foremost, the collection presented by Starfish was a total pleasant surprise full of beautiful contradictions; styles influenced both by the austerity and the Hollywood glamour so prevalent in the 1930's, as well as classic Starfish wearability, coupled with elements of structured tailoring...
Luxe materials like satin and velvet in pale tones and flowing silhouettes are coupled readily with clean lined, working-man styled blazers, tailored pants and a consistent pairing of organic-thread socks and open leather wooden soled clogs. The elegant subtlety of detailing, such as the hidden crossover back on a dress (which I would die to own!) and the simple use of vintage style embroidery really made this show a joy to watch. Style-wise, the makeup was clean and natural on fair models, which complimented the colour palate of Army green, bone, navy, peach, as well as inky, organic tartan and floral prints. This, coupled with the loose, windswept ponytail look really conveyed the ease with which many of these pieces could be worn.
The soundtrack, 90's Cat Power-esque breathy singing along to grungy guitar backing seemed to sum this show up well; feminine, edgy, delicate and harsh, glamorous and utilitarian all at once.


Juliette Hogan - The 1960's was great decade for pop culture, music and fashion, and Juliette Hogan's collection gave a nod to all that was fab, with a distinctly english edge; motorcycle gang debs, mods and the College girl look. Voluminous sleeved blouses paired with skinny trousers, delicate toned floral dresses with pussybows, structured shifts and great takes on the classic tweed/trench combination.
In some cases, leather was used to bring styles into the 21st century, such as box-shaped waist length tops, as well as pairing leather jackets with dainty printed dresses. Knitwear was also present in the form of tops, scarves and flattering cable knit sweaters in muted green and grey tones, making for great layering pieces for winter.
This homage to all that is sweet, sassy and feminine is what Juliette Hogan does so well, and in this case was helped along with Mad Men-style bouffant beehives and quiffs, and makeup focusing on dark feline eyes and pale lip colours. Finally, the ambience was completed with gutsy 60's girl group tracks such as April March's Chick Habit (great song!).


Sera Lilly - Upon entering the Westpac Tent, the crowd is greeted by a huge white hanging shroud spanning the length of the runway, and following a short behind the scenes film clip, this is dropped, revealing a bevy of models facing the audience on either side. This dramatic beginning sets the scene for the show, foreshadowing the drama which follows.
The narrative of the collection, The Sisters of San Salvador, is one composed of three main elements; references to South America and Appalachian traditional costume, the glamour and grace of the likes of Eva Peron (60's influenced day into night cocktail wear), which is then extended into the couture/bridal element of the show. Outerwear featured include cape-like ponchos, lambskin jackets and a stand-out floor length camel trench, styled with wide brimmed black felt hats, spanish lace, leopard print, madras, and a seemingly recurring theme this year, the clog/sock combo.This phases into monochromes, nudes, and bright coral/grey tone floral 60's style (both short and full length) cocktail dresses , blouses and suits, with ruffle and pleat elements.
Closing the show is Sera Lilly's self-proclaimed couture element, full of nostalgic evening and wedding styles, in shades varying from bright snow white to buttermilk cream, predominantly in lace and silk chiffon which was full of movement. Most were heavily embellished with crystal panels resembling ethnic jewelry shapes, alluding to the mood presented in the beginning.
By a country mile, the piece-de-resistance was the final piece shown - a lavish, full length black strapless gown covered in chiffon applique, and accessorized with black crystal jewelry and a fine tulle veil, referencing traditional latino mourning garb - a gothic feast for the eye!




Cybele - Elephants by Warpaint was the perfect piece of music to open Cybele's Nieriya collection which was heavily influenced by paganism and ritualistic acts. A huge bracken crucifix dominated the runway which reminded me of 60' cult film, The Wicker Man and set the tone for the show. In a range of earthy tones, Cybele showed layered pieces, beautifully constructed as always, with panels following the bodies's contours without being figure-hugging - which is what Cybele is wonderful at. Hoods dominated the looks, as did the label's signature sheer tunics; stand out pieces for us were the silk green and yellow abstract print harem pants, the ink velvet jumpsuit with split sides, the patent leather corsets and bustiers - which were very insect-like in shape. The models reminded me of modern-day Charles Manson followers with their pulled-back hair and very minimal, pallid makeup.





Zambesi - What I always love about Zambesi's shows is they just show what Zambesi do best - no definite trends, just amazingly well tailored pieces that we all want in our wardrobe. This year the show was quite androgynous, featuring unisex pieces worn by both the guy and girl models, lots of pants and leggings, drappy, loose over garments, knitwear and stunning coats. Amazingly we liked the menswear more than the womanswear - I wanted to steal the plain white shirts buttoned to the neck and the 50's style bomber jackets, also loved the bags that were sent down the runway - especially the grey marle football paneled men's hold all and the awesome plastic trench. Womanswear standout was a crazy print child-like shaped tiered dress with matching leggings. Loved the nomadic makeup and braids.


source: mixitup.co.nz