Auckland woman dyes wedding dress black in tribute to All Blacks

Elle Crowhurst, 28, of Auckland who dyed her wedding dress black at Steinlager's Black Laundry pop-up bar on Karangahape Rd. Photo/Supplied Michael Doolan - DDB

New Zealand was awash in All Black jerseys last night but one Auckland woman took her outward support for the national team to another drastic level - dying her wedding dress black.

Aucklander Elle Crowhurst had her wedding dress dyed black at the Steinlager Black Laundry pop up bar on Karangahape Rd.

The Steinlager Black Laundry will be open for the duration of the World Cup on nights the All Blacks are playing and offers to professionally dye an item of patrons' clothing completely black.

No longer with her partner from her 2015 marriage, Crowhurst said the dyeing of her wedding dress was also an opportunity to get of an unwanted item in her wardrobe.

"It was because I just didn't know what to do with it. I felt like I couldn't give it away. I didn't want to have it hanging in my wardrobe. I felt like I couldn't bin it. So to dye it seems like it's recreating it. Emotionally sending it away."

But the All Blacks were also on the 28-year-old's mind last night too, in every sense.

"I want them [All Blacks] to know I dyed it in memory of them," she said.

"You can always admire the ABs on TV and then admire everyone around you. Admire the talent.

"I think everyone will get excited and happy and maybe I'll believe in love again, because they'll be like 'oh the All Blacks won'."

"They've got my wedding dress. My marriage wasn't successful, therefore my dress had been turned black, so the game is going to be successful."

Elle Crowhurst modelling her dyed wedding dress outside Steinlager's Black Laundry pop-up bar on Karangahape Rd. Photo/Supplied Michael Doolan - DDB

You can book in your clothing to get the all black treatment at the laundry until October 20.

Crowhurst even had a metaphor for her past relationship that she'd adapted to the All Black spectacle last night.

"I thought about how can I translate it for the All Blacks, and I was thinking he was playing AFL and I was playing rugby but we were all on the same field doing different things.

"Red card, foul, swear words. We thought we were playing the same game, but we were actually playing completely different games."

The Steinlager Black Laundry accepts almost any garment, with cotton blends being the preferred items.

Fans can bring an item with them or wear it there – changing rooms and overalls are provided to wear while their garment is dyed black and stitched with an embroidered Steinlager emblem.

Sessions at the Black Laundry can be booked at www.blacklaundry.co.nz

The black laundry is located at 450 Karangahape Rd in Auckland throughout the 2019 Rugby World Cup from September 21 to October 20, and is actually a refurbished laundromat.

And outside of ideal role as All Blacks supporter garb, Crowhurst says she may use the black wedding dress for Halloween in the future.

Elle Crowhurst's wedding dress in the process of being dyed at the Black Laundry pop-up bar on Karangahape Rd. Photo/Supplied Michael Doolan - DDB

As the nations get knocked out of the 2019 Rugby World Cup their jerseys will be dyed black.

Elle Crowhurst in her dyed wedding dress. Photo/Supplied