Fashion Week 2005 blog

So Fashion Week is over for 2005. We came, we saw, we drank a lot of Redbull...and left with an extensive shopping list.

Megan's picks

Favourite show

Nom*D

Favourite pieces

I loved the pinafore shaped

tunic dresses at Nom*D

, the

polka-dot Trelise Cooper underwear

, Hailwood's

black satin trenchcoat

and any of his

Bambi-print chiffon

.

Favourite model

Melisa Jones

. Her international background really shows on the catwalk, the photographers cannot take a bad picture of her and we keep hearing about how nice she is to work with.

Favourite VIP guest

Cameron Silver, he looked incredibly polished every day.

Favourite goody bag

There were a few! Miss Crabb's bag contained a heavy metal CD from her show's soundtrack, although I don’t know how many delegates will actually listen to it. Hailwood's loaded bag had a mini bottle of Deutz, M.A.C. make-up, mens underwear and a women's singlet. The Nom*D scarves really did top the lot though.

Favourite celebrity catwalk turn

Miriama Smith, so stunning she should give up acting and return to the catwalk full-time.

Favourite soundtrack

Miss Crabb, she opened with Metallica, a welcome jolt from the rest of the weeks sometimes-boring beat-heavy tunes.

 

Favourite show

It's impossible to choose just one...so I'd have to say Trelise, Workshop / Helen Cherry, Kate Sylvester and Hailwood.

Favourite pieces

Another tricky one - I loved Helen Cherry's

striped 50s-style dress

, all the

cashmere at Yvonne Bennetti

, the rust-coloured Karen Walker dress with black bow, Zambesi's gold/red

puffball dress

and

everything at Hailwood

.

Favourite model

Akuol

- she makes every outfit look amazing.

Favourite VIP guest

Brian Long (New York fashion publicist and stylist to famous names such as the Hilton sisters) is a character…a walking bundle of energy. And the girls from Japanese magazine

commons&sense

were very sweet and loved what our kiwi designers had on offer.

Favourite goody bag

Trelise. Her lingerie collection was to-die-for…so naturally, a pair of lacy knickers were a welcome surprise (as was the pottle of Creme de la Mer).

Favourite celebrity catwalk turn

Norm Hewitt's haka in Charmaine Love's show.

Favourite soundtrack

Workshop / Helen Cherry

Today's line up:

2Belles, Deutz Fashion Design Ambassador, AUT "Rookie" Graduate Show, CONTEMPORARY SALON SHOW (Miss Crabb), Hailwood, VERTICE/VAMP, Air New Zealand Best of Fashion Week, Karen Walker, Air New Zealand Best of Fashion Week

9.00pm:

Karen Walker closed the week with a varied collection that included dresses, jeans, shorts, skirts, scarves and hats. Her poppy-print pieces are sure to become as popular with shoppers as her previous signature prints.

6.00pm:

He’s been called the "hot new kid on the fashion block" and today Adrian Hailwood reminded us why he’s one designer we’ll want to keep an eye on.

Singer Bic Runga, designer Liz Mitchell, television personality Jacqui Brown and Cameron Silver were among the 1000-odd guests who packed out The Tent.

A quirky deer print featured on skirts, dresses and blouses and were shown in various colours (lavender, periwinkle blue, pale aqua and white). Bambi also found his way onto outfits as neck scarves or belts. The same print turned up later on a sweatshirt and a nice touch was the silver deer brooch on the lapel of a black jacket.

Makeup was bold, with slate grey eyeshadow and mulberry lips. Hair was shiny and straight but worn slightly tousled.

We loved everything but if we had to select favourites, they’d be:

*

Everything deer-printed

*

Black satin trenchcoat

* Striped knit sweaterdress

*

White stovepipe jeans

*

Ivory pleated skirt with wide waist-band

4.00pm:

The next two shows in the line up push promising new fashion designers - the

Deutz Fashion Design Ambassador

and the AUT "Rookie" Graduate show.

The Fashion Design Ambassador is a competition to identify a designer to be an ambassador for the New Zealand fashion industry. This person is often a student, a recent graduate or an entrepreneur who is new to the industry or recently launched their own label. The show included winner Danielle Rollo's designs as well as other entries. Designer Kate Sylvester presented Danielle with a bunch of flowers at the end of the show and remarked that such awards were "essential to our industry".

"It allows young designers to extend their limits, push creativity and develop a serious career."

Of Rollo's entry she said she liked the "strength of her own signature" that came through in the designs. Danielle Rollo works for designer Adrian Hailwood, and has previously worked as pattern-cutter for World. Rollo's winning looks included skinny-leg lilac pants and satin-edged capelets.

The AUT "Rookie" Graduate show saw the hard work of this year's 30 AUT fashion graduates hit the runway. Favourite outfits were the pink plaid men's coat and velvet pants by Rachele Sloane, ruffled 50's style polka-dot prom dresses by Gemma Walker and stiff-collar jacket by Kelly Tansey.

12.15pm

: The final day of Fashion Week opened with a show featuring accessories from 2belles. Sticking to a black and white colour scheme, models in nylon coats displayed lucite rings, crochet thigh-high legwarmers with gumboots and skinny mohair scarves which trailed behind them as they walked. (Not sure how they'd fare in a rain-soaked Auckland winter!)

* For more Fashion Week coverage, check out the print edition of The New Zealand Herald daily.

Today's line up: WESTFIELD STYLE PASIFIKA (Charmaine Love, TAV), Yvonne Bennetti, Fashion Luncheon at the Hilton, Air New Zealand Best of Fashion Week, Liz Mitchell, Angela Lewis, Kate Sylvester, Air New Zealand Best of Fashion Week, Modus Operandi

10.00pm:

It was a day of star turns on the catwalk. Early in the day Stacey Daniels, April Ieremia, Shane Cortese,

Fear Factor

champ Mark Hewlett and twinkle-toed former All Black Norm Hewitt all appeared in the Westfield Style Pasifika show. Keisha Castle-Hughes walked for Liz Mitchell (the designer who made her

2004 pink Oscars dress

) and actress Miriama Smith opened the Modus Operandi show.

Late in the evening Modus Operandi were forced to host their show inside their High Street shop as the rain washed out their plans to run the catwalk down the street outside. Fashion Week delegates, slightly dishevelled from having to dash though the rain, squashed inside the store for the show. The range included bias-cut satin dresses in gunmetal and peacock colours, simple clingy cotton minidresses and lots of dark raw denim for the guys. The 50-minute show left those standing in heels muttering about seats, perhaps it wasn't really necessary to see many of the same outfits in several different colourways.

Kate Sylvester's Stop Your Sobbing collection lived up to expectations, presenting a range full of cuffed shorts in blacks and tweeds, velvet dresses and jackets and dark lace and cotton tops cinched with black belts at the waist.

4.00pm:

At this afternoon's Catwalk Club Fashion Luncheon, Fashion Week VIP guest Cameron Silver provided some insight into the beginnings of his LA vintage clothing store

'Decades'

, his tips on how to dip your toes into the vintage dressing trend and provided a look at four couture gowns flown in especially from his store.

Silver started his Melrose Ave store in 1997 working on his philosophy that "every woman (and man) deserves a red carpet moment."  The store stocks high-end vintage clothing sourced from his worldwide travels to stores, estate sales, vintage fairs and even personal invitations into the homes of the A-list, such as French film legend Catherine Deneuve and Nancy Sinatra.

Silver tosses out the names of celebrity clients with ease, mentioning his favourite vintage fashion moments such as providing a

white Loris Azzaro dress

for Nicole Kidman's New York premiere of

Moulin Rouge

.

Silver developed a close relationship with Azzaro's people after they were thrilled with the attention it received in the press and gained access to their archives as a result.

However he says 'Decades' exists for another reason.

"We get the Lindsay Lohans, the Nicole Richies and the Paris Hiltons coming into our store but our main customers are 45-65 years in age. Everyone deserves to have something amazing, vintage and sexy."

His tips for those new to sourcing and wearing quality vintage:

* Start with accessories. "They don't have to be expensive. Some vintage costume jewellery is great and is usually quite cheap."

* Try looking beyond second-hand clothing stores. Silver uses the aforementioned estate sales and vintage fairs but also recommends flea markets as a place where quality pieces can be found. He did go on to say that his top pieces (worth tens of thousands of dollars) are usually sourced from the original owners.

* Condition is paramount.  Put the garment to the light to check fabric quality.  Don’t bother with damaged clothes that are too far gone, such as anything damaged by moths or mothballs. "It sometimes takes weeks and weeks to restore a dress".

* Get a great tailor. "I cannot stress enough how important it is to tailor your clothing.  A great tailor can revolutionise the way your body looks.  Forget your hairdresser, your colourist or plastic surgeon. Your tailor is your best friend."

* Mix vintage with new designs for an original look.  "A complete mix will ensure you don't look 'cookie-cutter'."

1.30pm:

It’s been a rapid rise to success for Yvonne Bennetti. Although she's been in the business of fashion for many years, her Yvonne Bennetti label has only been in existence since 2003 and this year she made her debut appearance at New Zealand Fashion Week with her collection ‘Velvet Goldmine’.

The Hong Kong-based designer has gathered a loyal following over this short time frame. Some of the more well-known faces in the crowd were Kelly Swanson-Roe and partner John Aiken, Jayne Kiely, Charlotte Dawson, Trelise Cooper (for whom Bennetti once worked), Sally Ridge, Kerre Woodham (and daughter), former Miss New Zealand Amber Peebles and Theresa Healey along with a small army of dedicated clientele.

Obviously luxe velvets were always going to be the focal point of the collection with a name like 'Velvet Goldmine'… but Bennetti, a former textile designer with an eye for beautiful fabrics, also sent out soft chiffon in gorgeous floral prints, silk sateen, baby pink and black cashmere and black lace.

Bennetti herself described the collection as being about "luxury and femininity…it’s glamourous but it’s not ostentatious."

Military-style coats and jackets that evoked images of Sergeant Pepper were done in cherry red, royal purple, vivid fuschia and electric blue velvets.

Particular highlights included:

*

Pink cashmere cross-over cardigan with sequin detailing and frilly lace knickers

* Black puff-sleeve blouses with back panel done in black lace

*

Silk trench dresses

with fantastic floral and bird designs (NZ Fashion Week founder / organiser Pieter Stewart was seen wearing a blue one front-row during the show and to the Hilton Fashion Luncheon afterwards).

* Black cashmere hoody with silver sequinned hood

* Show-stopping burgundy

stretch velvet evening dress with rooster feathers

reminiscent of Balenciaga.

11.00am:

The public will get their first taste of actually

being

part of the action today, with two events - the Fashion Luncheon at the Hilton and the Air New Zealand Best of Fashion Week show - due to take place this afternoon.

VIP guest Cameron Silver will be a guest speaker at the Catwalk Club Fashion Luncheon held in the Hilton's Aquamarine Rooms at 12.30pm.  Mr Silver, a Hollywood stylist, is guaranteed to have some interesting tales to tell... he dresses A-list Hollywood starlets and his vintage clothing store in Los Angeles is often frequented by the fashion elite - celebrities, designers and stylists.

The Best of Fashion Week shows (today at 3pm and 8pm and tomorrow at 6.30pm and 8.30pm) will showcase key outfits from all of the designer's shows and will be a chance for the public to sit front-row, get a firsthand view of the garments and soak up the Fashion Week atmosphere.  Tickets are available through

Ticketek

.

* For more Fashion Week coverage, check out the print edition of The New Zealand Herald daily.

Today's line up:

Pearl, Annah Stretton,  BOMBAY SAPPHIRE GROUP TWO (Petrena Miller, Madcat, Lois Phin), Contemporary Salon Show (Deborah Sweeney), BOMBAY SAPPHIRE GROUP THREE (Virginia Poppe Silk Attraction, James & August), High Society, Workshop / Workshop Denim / Helen Cherry, Little Brother, NOM*D

10.30pm:

With a host of bright lights and a lineup of the latest Mercedes (a key sponsor) at the entrance to the St James Theatre, it felt like arriving at a Hollywood premiere, not a NOM*D fashion show. Through the doors and it was a different story. You would be forgiven for thinking you had walked into the NZ Music Awards. Bic and Boh Runga, the Misfits of Science, Dei Hamo and various other NZ hip hoppers and rock n' rollers were seen enjoying a drink before the show and Dunedin indie rock band Die Die Die played the after show party.

Inside the St James a huge projection screen with distorted road markings and red flames provided the backdrop for the 18 outfits modelled in the collection.

Models trudged the stage in layered outfits. The men wore tailcoats or vests and ripped t-shirts with hoodies and jeans...the women pinafore-shaped black tunics over black long sleeved tops and jeans paired with heavy soled boots, sometimes with sleeveless ankle length cardigans in black or deep blood red.

Again a dark and intense colour palette dominated - the first six outfits were completely black. Splashes of colour were only seen in the red cardigans, cream skivvies, a red 'cowboy shirt' check used on the backs of some of the men's coats and a printed blue denim.

A screen-printed denim jacket with sleeves hacked off at the shoulders got the crowd whistling and clapping as did the final outfit, a huge NZ flag poncho.

A tough, intense look with lots of dark, hard-wearing fabrics, flaps and straps will be keeping many street-hip New Zealanders warm come next autumn.

8.30pm:

Workshop, Workshop Denim and Helen Cherry are listed by many a fashionista as a perennial wardrobe favourite.

Although last year was the first Fashion Week outing for designers Chris and Helen Cherry, judging from the queue of beautiful people snaking down the length of the hallway outside The Tent, the admirers were back again this year in full force.

And the crowd definitely got the stunning show they came for.

Workshop Denim and Workshop displayed striped leggings and skivvies worn underneath cuffed shorts and waistcoats and set off with matching

striped super-long scarves

.

Both guys and gals were sent down the runway wearing buttoned-up country-style checked shirts with ties - the menswear contrasting the uptight preppy shirt-and-tie look with grungy hoodies and the girls keeping it modern wearing skinny jeans and a waistcoat or jacket.

Trenchcoats, blazers and wide-collared jackets in denim and wool were paired with cuffed shorts worn over opaque tights.

Pieces from Helen Cherry's collection drew audible gasps from the crowd, with one show-goer next to us deciding the show was so good it was actually a problem - "awww there's so much I want to buy!" she was heard to exclaim woefully.

Dusky pinks, powder blues and soft greys were the key colours of the collection, with a few bold floral pieces thrown in for good measure.

Models, including New Zealand's "supermodels"

Penny Pickard

and Melisa Jones, wore their hair in low messy side ponytails tied with ribbon and strutted out to a number of great tracks such as the Smashing Pumpkins'

1979

.

Standout pieces:

* The

striped 50s-style Helen Cherry dress

sent out first

* Loose blouse tucked into a long pencil skirt with front pleats

*

Blue/brown floral skirt worn with white long-sleeved top underneath a striped puff sleeve blouse

* Oriental cheongsam-style collars on floral blouses

Those seen going in to the show and/or sitting front row were Kelly Swanson-Roe and her partner, psychologist John Aiken; Nicky Watson; Carly Kirkwood; Petra Bagust with mum and husband Hamish Wilson in tow; VIP Cameron Silver and super-stylist Brian Long.

A peek inside the Workshop / Workshop Denim / Helen Cherry goody bag:

* Puma tin filled with mints, each stamped with Puma logo

* Puma shoe keyring

* More mints

* A pair of lace-patterned tights (appropriate after the prevalence of tights in the show)

* MAC shimmer powder

5.00pm:

While much of the focus at Fashion Week is on designer day and eveningwear, it was nice to see sleepwear, underwear and leisurewear get a look-in at the third Bombay Sapphire Group show comprising of Virginia Poppe Silk Attraction and james&august.

Gutsy models floated down the runway in wisps of silk and chiffon for Virginia Poppe Silk Attraction. Wearing next to nothing they posed gallantly for photographers in black lace-trimmed slips and knickers, chiffon baby doll tops, g-strings and plunging silk nightgowns.

Sally Ridge and Nikki Blackley's james&august show was plenty of fun with high energy pop tunes from Gwen Stefani, Bodyrockers and Pussycat Dolls an enjoyable backdrop to a show that included afro wigs, disco lighting, relaxed models and dancing interludes in between the catwalk action.

All the staple pieces you'd expect from Sally and Nikki were there - boy-leg underpants, basic V-neck and scoop-neck t-shirts, casual sweatpants, drawstring shorts and racer-back singlets - in easy-to-wear fabrics and fun colours. Red and polka dots were prominent but all the candy colours and trusty black and white from last season also made an appearance.

New this year too, was the introduction of hooded sweatshirts and t-shirts. One that caught our eye had a zipper pocket on the back with '0240' embroided across (a nod to Sally Ridge's lucky number we're guessing).

Model (and former best friend of james&august designer Sally Ridge if you believe the goss) Nicky Watson is a fan of the cotton designs, telling an adjacent front row pal the range is "so comfortable".

Jaime Ridge - Sally's daughter with former partner and league star Matthew Ridge - was

a natural on the runway

(a sign of a future career perhaps?) and her appearances earned her rapturous applause from Sally's current beau, Adam Parore.

4.30pm:

After Annah Stretton it was time to scoot straight into the Bombay Sapphire Group Two show held in The Tent, the largest of Fashion Week's three on-site venues. Maybe it should have been situated in one of the smaller rooms as the 1000 seat capacity meant there were lots of empty spaces (and lots of scrambling from back-rowers to fill a coveted seat at the front).

The group show opened with a champagne Eskimo faux fur cape, one of Petrena Miller's designs. A police presence outside the venue was due to protester's from Auckland Animal Action. They were there to target Miller as her show featured rabbit pelts, but the show was undisturbed. Long jackets made from a range of coloured leathers were the main focus of early outfits. Miller's section of the show closed with a dramatic tango

performed by former Miss Universe Lorraine Downes

in a fitted red beaded and fringed number and suave suited partner.

Madcat's African-influenced section saw knits in vivid reds, gold and avocado, hip length jackets and brocade corset tops paired with uneven hemmed organza skirts. Colourful beaded necklaces and silk-wrapped headdresses rounded out the African theme.

3.00pm

: This morning's Annah Stretton show was full of Pacific flavour, opening with polynesian drummers and keeping the drumming beat in the music throughout the show. Lots of flowing ankle length skirts and long tuxedo-shaped jackets were seen. And - as always - plenty of tulle. A tapa cloth print featured in panels on the back of some jackets. A favourite were the cropped argyle cardigans in baby pink and grey.

Hillary Timmins, Kay Gregory and Kerre Woodham joined the rest of a packed Shed 2 in applauding the

fabulous fa'afafine

who opened the second half of the show with a flamboyant lip-synched performance of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive".

* For more Fashion Week coverage, check out the print edition of The New Zealand Herald daily.

Today's line up: Insidious Fix, RJC, VERGE Breakthrough Show (Lonely Hearts Club, Michael Pattison, Widdess, RAYMA), Contemporary Salon Show (Cybele), Bombay Sapphire Group One (Barbara Lee & Caroline Moore), Trelise Cooper, Caroline Church, Zambesi and IPG.

8.00pm:

Although the number of outfits had dropped back to 70 this year (from 120 last year), Trelise Cooper still managed to pull off a supersized show - showcasing her various labels (cooper by Trelise, her lingerie line and Trelise Cooper) in front of 1000 guests at 5pm and then another 1000 guests later in the evening.

As per usual, the front row was packed to the brim with familiar faces - attendees included Charlotte Dawson, Nicky Watson, Petra Bagust and her mother, Olympic triathlete Hamish Carter and his wife Marisa, former Miss World New Zealand Rachel Huljich, TV One news reporter Pippa Wetzell, Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, Mary Lambie and a glowing Wendy Petrie.

VIP guests including the fabulous Cameron Silver and Paris-based

fashion writer Diane Pernet

, who was wearing top-to-toe black, complete with her mantilla (elaborate headdress and veil... too bad if you were the person sitting behind her!) were also present.

Prior to Trelise Cooper's show, Mr Silver and fellow American, noted fashion publicist / stylist Brian Long (who has worked with former

Sex and the City

stylist Rebecca Weinberg), were overheard raving about how great our Kiwi designers are. They also briefly touched on the

possum fur debate

, with Mr Silver mentioning that Fendi also use possum fur and "it's actually very warm."

One of the coveted

silk velvet handbags

, a collaboration between Trelise Cooper and Moet & Chandon, found it's way into the hands of Mr Silver thanks to Trelise's marketing manager who, while handing over the delicate purse, added apologetically "I'm sorry, I know you're not a chick…"

The upbeat soundtrack, compiled by Trelise's son Jasper, included a James Bond theme / Basement Jaxx mix and a snippet from the classic Madonna track

Vogue

which felt quite appropriate for a fashion show really.

This year's collection was made up of beautifully constructed coats, cropped jackets and pencil skirts along with the soft, flowing skirts and bright, flamboyant colours that Trelise is renowned for.

4.30pm:

Christchurch duo Barbara Lee and Caroline Moore teamed up to present the first of the Bombay Sapphire Group shows.  Barbara Lee stayed true to her trademark black/white colour palette and sent smart, sassy numbers down the runway to the tune of

Uptown Girl

.  Models, wearing beautiful tailored jackets cinched at the waist, black gloves and super-high chignons, certainly lived up to the Billy Joel song.

Identical twin male models made for a bit of fun at Caroline Moore's show (I

swear

that guy just came down the runway... must be a quick-change artist!) but it was finally made clear at the end of the show when the twosome accompanied Caroline to take her bow.

2.30pm:

It's only 2.30pm and already it feels like a long day. Heat seems to be a common factor mentioned by those who attend all the big shows in London, New York Milan etc but its true...watching fashion shows is hot, thirsty work. Good thing there's lots of Deutz and Redbull - sugar-free of course - on hand. Show attendees also spend a lot of time standing around, waiting to get into the tents and that, combined with the heat, may be responsible for some of the sniping already overheard.

The first show on our agenda was RJC, designed by Claire Kingan-Jones, as the Insidious Fix show was off site.

Velvet, florals, paisley and floaty chiffon in rich jewel tones featured prominently. Neck scarves, loose ponytails, vibrant red nail varnish and berets added a  Parisian flavour. Models also wore socks with heels, a look often seen on runways, but one which never quite translates to the street.

Kate Hawkesby, Silver Fern Anna Rowberry, Carly Kirkwood, Mary Lambie (who was wearing a fabulous pair of boots, we must say) and expectant mothers Wendy Petrie and Fashion Quarterly editor Leonie Barlow were faces spotted in the crowd.

The VERGE Breakthrough Show featuring Lonely Hearts Club, Michael Pattison, Widdess, RAYMA showcased these emerging designers. Small collections and developing ideas were seen. Lonely Hearts Club opened the collection, their hooded tube dresses with leggings, and models walking to a Blondie soundtrack were a highlight. Designer Michael Pattison got lots of applause for walking the runway as a model in his own show.

Note to those attending: singing along to the soundtrack while watching the show is not a good look - neither is texting (or worse, talking) on your cellphone.

In the New Zealand Herald Inkroom, a haven for a select few away from the bustle of downstairs, invited guests were enjoying the primping services of hairdressers from Servilles Ponsonby and make-up artists from Napoleon. Nail technicians from OPI report that it's all about bold colour for those who've had manicures in the Inkroom today. Bright fuschia and red lipstick were being applied to two lucky guests as we passed through. No pale pinks or nude colours in sight.

We caught up with TV3's Carly Kirkwood

who was there taking a break from filming spots for

Nightline

.

Megan's picks

NOM*D

- I'm a fan of the dark palette for clothing (black is always the new black for me) and this label never fails to disappoint, though I'll be keeping my eye out for any surprises, like last year's vivid yellow and turquoise cable knit sweaters.

Zambesi

- They've had a busy time this year, launching the new Air NZ uniforms they designed...I wonder how they had time to fit in a whole Autumn/Winter 2006 range.

Lonely Hearts Club

in the group show - I like their girlie but tough style, it will be great to see these fashion-week first timers getting a profile boost.

Most missed label:

WORLD are not showing at NZFW this year, their colourful catwalk shows are always visually spectacular with showy make-up, and of course great designs.

Kelly's picks

Yvonne Bennetti -

always feminine, girly and pretty and therefore a "must-see" show on my itinerary.

Hailwood -

this "hot new kid on the fashion block" as he has been called, has gone from strength-to-strength. One of New Zealand's most promising designers, Hailwood is a muse of sorts to Karen Walker, who has taken him under her wing

and

along with her to London Fashion Week.

Trelise