Hailwood's comeback makes a splash

A model wears a creation by Adrian Hailwood. Photo / Babiche Martens

Adrian Hailwood's show last night was one of the most anticipated of the week and he didn't fail with a show inspired by the 1974 Jack Hazan film about artist David Hockney named after his painting A Bigger Splash. The result: an elegant collection with an air of grown-up glamour.

His two-tone Wave dress in black and blue worked to accentuate the feminine form with subtlety and grace, as did the slinky full-length dress with a keyhole back and fringing cap sleeves.

Stolen Girlfriends Club's collection looked to gypsies and wanderers for inspiration.

Think shaggy knits, faux fur jackets, mountaineering prints and even lace pants and dresses. The show, at the Winchester Bar in Newton, saw the label - which took the $30,000 Air NZ Export award money this week - grow up and evolve.

As Moore explained: "We want the Stolen Girlfriends Club girl to grow up and be a bit more aspirational."

The day had started with a sense of anticipation - Pammy was in town.

The celebrity guest brought some much needed excitement to yesterday's schedule with an afternoon press conference before hanging out in the M.A.C makeup lounge with her partner in crime Richie Rich.

On the runway the day started with the Miromoda Awards Showcase, which presented the winning designs from eight Maori labels.

The show was dedicated to Sir Howard Morrison, and opened with a dramatic performance of Tarakihi by Zane Te Wiremu Jarvis and Mere Boynton.

Designer Samara Vercoe's capsule collection of pieces inspired by "the grieving process through fashionable mourning etiquette of the 1920s" was up first; it was one of the standouts.

Mother and son team Tutina Pasene and Rerehau Pasene-Grennell were second with menswear that aimed to redefine traditional concepts in a modern way; pieces featured paua and koru prints, long coats and cummerbunds.

An earthy palette inspired by the landscape of the Whanganui River and Tongariro National Park influenced the collection by Junette Ward and Liz Andrews, which featured pieces made from linen, hemp, silk and cotton, with some smart suiting, linen dresses and raw edges.

Keri Wanoa was next with a range under the Whiri label - she also showed the range as part of the ghd New Generation Show later in the day.

The range was another highlight of the show, merging traditional and contemporary, with a feathered skirt, knitted and netted arm details and a koru patterned bodysuit.

Indigenous-inspired T-shirt prints were next from Shane Hansen and young designer Bianca Walford-Collier, featuring Tiki and Maori culture inspired designs.

Kiri Nathan's gowns went down well with the crowd, combining traditional techniques with modern colour and details - think pleating, draping and feathers.

Closing the show was Wiremu Barriball, with sportswear inspired pieces, koru printed jeans, printed tees and shoes.

It's great to see fashion week supporting our local Maori designers.

Group shows are an interesting beast at Fashion Week, often they go far longer than they need to with each designer hoping to showcase as much of their collection as they can.

The second group show of the day was a perfect example. Featuring collections from Barbara Lee, Starfish, Mild Red and United Constructions, the show was full of all things wearable but felt just a little bit flat and incohesive.

Barbara Lee's opening collection was grown up and 80s-inspired, but not in a modern way; Mild Red featured knits, asymmetrical dress and sweatshirting, and United Constructions' very long collection called Mute literally put the soundtrack on silent throughout their show; it was somewhat awkward.

Starfish's collection was a highlight of the show, providing ANZFW's first complete show of environmentally-friendly garments.

The collection was called Brave New World, and featured uniform-inspired pieces, striped merinos, double-breasted coat and more, all in eco-friendly fabrics.

The ghd New Generation Show ran almost an hour late - apparently due to a tipsy model having a small accident backstage on some of the garments - but it was a group show highlight featuring several young designers set to make a splash in the industry.

Highlights included Emma Ford, with stretch wear and bold and unique trippy prints; Tara Cunniffe, with her architectural inspired forms; Serena Fagence, with performance from Bionic Pixie and quirky 3D shapes.