|
The inaugural New Zealand Fashion Festival kicked off on the 16th of March - and OH BOY - were the public in for a treat. The first event of its kind locally; a Fashion Show hosted exclusively for the public, showcasing well-known designers' Autumn/Winter '10 collections. It's certainly convenient to be showcased collections, at the same time they are actually on sale in stores! I wish money grew on trees, because there are so many pieces I want to buy! Kudos to the organisers of this thought out event; such a great idea to support and grow the fashion community.
THE SHOW. Mmm, where do I begin. Lets just say there were a lot of sparkles, leather-yeah, shoulder pads and high buns...
Workshop flaunted the classic clean look they are known for, with a seasonally appropriate darker colour palette. No surprises with the chunky knit scarf, which will be a hit this winter among retailers. Impressively tailored blazers also graced the catwalk, alongside well illustrated screen-printed tees.
Next up was Helen Cherry who introduced fur for the night - also leather in various forms made their debut - which was a continuous theme for the night. I also LOVE LOVE LOVED the socks paired with ridiculously high heels.
See photos from all of the designers off the Catwalk below...
Huffer came through showcasing a classic style parka jacket, which is a piece well worth investing in, because it can last seasons to come. The 'Huffer' girl strutted her stuff in the most beautifully fitted skinny jeans, whilst the 'Huffer' boy made his way down the catwalk in unwashed dark denim jeans, a textured knit sweater and a grey skinny scarf.
Hailwood. Blew. My. Mind. I'm normally not that impressed by Hailwood to be honest... come last Tuesday, the dresses! OH! The DRESSES. They were exceptional. The first two floral dresses were amazing, the way they cut the female form is simply timeless and absolutely gorgeous. Ten Points Hailwood. Ten Points.
Moochi displayed a sparkly cohesive range, full of the latest trends. Including a cropped leather jacket, harem pants, silk leopard print cropped top. Styles were all topped off with a new age turban style beanie.
Next off the block was the nationally known label, Barkers. It's always interesting to see what this brand is churning out. I was thrilled to see the high level of production and construction that was their Autumn/Winter '10 Collection. The layering and styling of their outfits was just staggering.
Stolen Girlfriends Club always seem to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Their collection was winter in full-force with the return of knitted Fair Isle patterns and the quintessential all-American jacket. I also enjoyed the simple knit shift dress with the accented shoulder pads. What I couldn't miss even if I wanted to though, was the shoes! All the models rocked, worn and torn 8-eye working boots with a fur trim around the top. Ah, Love it.
Kate Sylvester had the most impeccable styling of the whole evening. Setting aside her wonderfully creative pieces I really appreciate the styling effort that went into her outfits.
I must say, with the whole Trelise Cooper affair that happened last year regarding the originality of her pieces with the 'bow', I went in cautious, which in turn paid off - my favourite piece in her collection was the velvet shift long sleeve dress. I'm loving the return of Velvet, oh so plush!
New Zealand Fashion Festival was such a fun evening out to see the beautiful collections that are available in store now!
P.S The best backing track of them all was Andrea Moore's. It was Marina and The Diamonds- 'I Am Not A Robot', one of my Top Ten songs of 2009. |
