After the opening function we headed to the launch party for Karen Walker's new eyewear range. By the time we arrived it seemed the stylish bunch in the Chandelier Room at the Viaduct venue had already downed a few of Walker's special signature
Dough & Dynamite and Wonderland cocktails
.
The guests were enthusiastically embracing a photo op where they could don sunnies from the new range and stand on a podium set up to mirror the
. Three photographers were on hand to capture the guests' best political stances, exaggerated gesticulations and
Zoolander
poses.
Of course we were quick to grab a pair and strike a pose. The resulting pics were then zipped out on a nifty HP photo printer for guests to take home.
We hear the guests loved the glasses so much some discreetly disappeared.
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We caught up with designer Karen Walker at her launch party for a few quick words. She told us about the inspiration for her new eyewear range, her recent show at New York Fashion Week and her must have item for summer.
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We ask
Urbis
editor Melinda Williams about her must-have buy for summer, her desert island beauty product and her Marc Jacobs Stam bag!
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Architect Jean-Yves caught our eye with his bold street style and the feathers in his hair. He told us where he got his gear.
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Air New Zealand Fashion Week has kicked off with a bang, being officially opened this evening by Helen Clark.
Although it was the Prime Minister on stage, all eyes were on her opposition, National Party leader Don Brash, who arrived with his wife Je Lan. Amusing that their first public outing together after the recent media onslaught was to an event populated by the most gossipy types in New Zealand! Broad smiles stayed plastered across their faces all night as they joined hundreds of people in the Viaduct venue that hosts Fashion Week for the opening function.
Don and Je Lan told us they are big fans of New Zealand fashion. Dapper Don was wearing a navy Murray Crane suit and Je Lan wore a black spaghetti strap dress by Wellington designer Alison Blaine.
"We are so blessed to have such wonderful designers in NZ," Je Lan told us, naming Liz Mitchell, Yvonne Benetti and Karen Walker as those she respected. She told us she will be going to the Liz Mitchell and Caroline Church shows and how she loves shoes and bags but is "trying not to indulge too much" this week.
Murray Crane must have been a busy man in the past few days, he also dressed Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe "at very short notice today". Mr Fyfe was there to introduce the Air New Zealand Fashion Export Awards presented each year to designers to help extend their export potential.
The $16,000 Developing Exporter Award went to Wellington's Deborah Sweeney, and the major prize of the night - the $32,000 Export Growth Award - went to Auckland streetwear label Huffer.
Huffer lads Steve Dunstan and co-founder Dan Buckley strolled past us on their way to the stage, obviously in no hurry, typical of their laid-back style.
Accepting the award they said they were excited (despite a deadpan delivery that got a few laughs) and thankful for the "generous" award.
"This will hopefully propel us to the next level."
Later on, Steve told us the prize would help the pair "continue the dream".
"Our dream is to have an international identity and it is such a generous prize," he said. "It's going to help us get to the places we want to go."
When asked if he expected to win the award, especially as this is their first year showing at Fashion Week, Steve said not at all.
"No, we just submitted our application like everyone else. We work hard but so do a lot of other people who also deserve to win it. So we're just so thankful for this.
"It will give us a chance to hopefully put New Zealand on the map."
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We're heading off to the official opening function this evening, as well as the launch party for Karen Walker's new range of sunglasses.
Karen is too busy to do a full show this year, having just landed from New York where she showed her
at New York Fashion Week. And by all accounts it went down a treat with the media such as the New York Times,
(the online home of Vogue and W magazines), and
.
And for a sneak peek here's an image from Karen Walker's new range of sunglasses:
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After attending last year's Fashion Week for the first time, we've learnt a lot about etiquette, survival and what not to do. We've witnessed (and committed!) our fair share of Fashion Week faux pas.
Some key things to remember:
She never told them the five-course meal was vegan. So a cousin decided to act.