Dragons, lanterns and lashings of silk

By FIONA HAWTIN

An airless marquee in Aotea Square was the perfect venue for Liz Mitchell's show on the last day of trade shows at New Zealand Fashion Week yesterday.

The couturier revisited steamy 1930s Shanghai with her Kiss of the Dragon collection.

With red lanterns raised over the runway, Mitchell's ornate East meets West confections wowed her devotees.

She paired liquid hand-painted silk French knickers and camisoles with sumptuous velvet coats and kimono wraps, stockings and suspenders, cheongsam-style dresses, fluid silk pants and heavily embroidered capes.

The former costume designer's show was full of theatrical flourishes with models, including Susan Wood, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Geeling Ng, twirling paper parasols.

Mitchell's elegance contrasted with the enthusiasm of some of the younger designers at the L'Oreal-sponsored event.

Included in the line-up of eight New Generation designers was barrister-turned-designer Helen Talbot and Hawkes Bay teen Te Kaihou Ngarotata's 1-year-old label Ngati Babe.

At 13, she's the youngest designer to have taken part in Fashion Week.

After a rousing Maori challenge, the men's and women's range was brief and to the point.

The turned-up jeans, screen-printed T-shirts and cargo pants could easily be worn by teenagers the world over. The white freezing-worker gumboots and screen-printed 1840 top were nice touches.

Later, Ngarotata was overcome with emotion.

"I didn't think it was going to run that perfectly. I thought someone might trip over," she said.

The fashion crowd were a little worse for wear as they squeezed into the Auckland Museum's foyer for Sabatini White's show on Wednesday night. But they did have seats and standing room. Pity the poor photographers relegated to the revolving door. At least it wasn't revolving.

Called Seduction, the show was seduction by name and by nature. The flirty little knit pink lace French knickers and camisole top on a satin bra were heavenly, as was the soft mint julep green dress, the silver flapper mini, the black ra-ra dress with pearl-buttoned back, the long textured jackets and the knitted duffle bag.

The show was brief and left the fashion-goers on the edges of their seats and in need of an encore. The shy designer, Jo Chambers, was granted immediate fashion star status.

Earlier, Doris de Pont (formerly DNA) had everyone gathered at St Kevin's Arcade to show her Let's Gather Here range.

After the Pacific Islands drumming and fire dancing interlude the range, consisting mainly of separates screen-printed with Niuean/New Zealand artist John Pule's work, gave a Pacific flavour to European dress. The strapless cord, full-skirted evening gown was a treat.

Today, Aotea Square will come alive as 14 Newmarket retailers show summer fashions and designers hold a clearance sale.

Herald Feature: New Zealand Fashion Week

L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week official site