NZ Fashion Week: An insider's diary

If 'Chill Out' was the message they wanted to get across (a slogan seen

emblazoned across the front of a t-shirt

) it came across loud and clear as the Huffer boys put on their first show at Fashion Week.

VIPs reclined on antique lounges in the front row all the while listening to North Shore lads

The Electric Confectionaires

belt out a few tunes from (almost) up in the rafters before the show began.

Huffer's Dan and Steve casually lurked in the audience during the show before climbing onto the runway (more on that in a minute) at the end to take in the applause.

But for all the casualness, the show was tight, clever and well put-together.

Huffer's central city workroom was transformed into, well, a workroom, with industrial sewing machines at the top of the runway. Models meandered their way down the workroom tables-slash-runway, which had rolls of fabric bundled underneath and even a pair of scissors left lying around.

'Lumberjack chic' was what sprung to mind when I was thinking of how best to summarise a styley streetwear collection full of plaid prints, dark denim dungarees, woollen beanies, chunky knit scarves and skinny jeans tucked into socks.

Stripes and a zig-zag print were seen everywhere - from girls' unitards and leggings to the boys' loose-fitting tees (Oliver Driver was seen in the audience wearing a long-sleeved version).

I actually liked the tapered jeans-tucked-into-socks look on the guys, with just a few stripes peeking out above their high tops, but it remains to be seen if I'd feel the same way if I saw it walking down the street.

The multi-coloured striped knit scarves looked extremely cosy and we know berets are going to be big news - the cream woollen one shown here was very, very cute.

- - - posted at 11.58pm by Kelly |

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After the Huffer show, I track down one of the VIP guests, Leeyong Soo from

Vogue

Nippon. This is her second time at New Zealand Fashion Week and I'm interested to know what it is about New Zealand fashion that has brought her back again.

- - - posted at 11.32pm by Kelly |

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After 40 minutes of waiting to get inside Britomart's Old Sofrana House, the venue for tonight's Kate Sylvester show, I was wondering if the blisters I'd just persevered through walking to the venue were worth it. I didn’t have to wait long to find out. Sylvester's 'Wolf' collection was hot. It made me lean forward in my chair to try and take it all in.

I wrote two pages of notes where usually I'd write a few lines. The notes on my pad look like this:

* Grey + black wool capes + trenches w/ wool covered buttons

* Thigh high boots - hot!

* Clean beautiful skin, extreme charcoal smoky eyes

* Black turtlenecks pulled up to cover head like a hood

* Models walk a circuit on the second floor of gutted historic building. Lovely wood floors (oops got carried away)

* Hooded tops feature strongly

* Hooded fur capes - looks like faux wolf fur - love them!

* Moss/Mustard (that colour again!) pleated chiffon dress pulled in with belt

* More capes - black, grey…bright red! Cream fur!

* Deep dark tones textures of wool and velvet dresses under coats

* Thigh high wool socks….or are they tights?

* Bright red wool rompers. Sexy and cute.

* Floor length 'wolf' fur scarf

* Dark and dressy

* White crochet wool fitting dress

* Cropped caramel colour jacket

* Charcoal velvet, midnight blue satin deep earthy colours

* Floaty tunic dress over turtleneck that comes up into a hood

* Show pulled together fantastically. Fast + furious soundtrack

...and the list goes on.

In the show notes Kate Sylvester says the winter collection is a modern interpretation on the little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. But this Red Riding Hood is less likely to be eaten by the wolf and more likely to stride off into the sunset with her exotic, mysterious stranger.

- - - posted at 9.00pm by Megan |

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What was predicted by me to be a fairly standard presentation of the three collections under the Hart label (VSSP, Vamp and V Luxe) was given a kick in the pants via the runway appearance of Jordan Luck singing his song

'Why does love do this to me'

with great gusto!

Back up a few minutes and we saw the VSSP range head out first, lots of bold strong colours in the outfits. I liked a black wool crossover top (worn over a crisp white shirt) which looked like it could be worn several ways, and the cute blue stripy socks worn with knee length skirts and red velvet platform heels.

Familiar faces Hilary Timmins and Jayne Kieley were among the models. An awesome grey denim double breasted trench coat lead the Vamp collection, followed by more coats and two wool shift dresses in teal and the aforementioned mustard yellow/moss colour, which I still have not found an adequate name for.

As the lights went up for the third part of the show Jordan Luck strode out on the runway belting out a near perfect performance of the Exponents hit song, sending the packed crowd into applause. Luck kept singing as the models strutted past him, some leaning in to lip sync along as the chorus hit. I'm sorry I can't remember too much about the clothes, I was too busy watching the runway spectacle.

- - - posted at 6.10pm by Megan |

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Jane Rhodes' collection saw its inspiration in nature which was reflected in the colour palette of the fabrics the outfits were made in.

Models walked the runway under a canopy of twinkling fairy lights.

An avacado-green colour featured in several pieces including the show opener, a fitted silk shift dress with a bird print.

Another favourite outfit was a clingy silk chiffon knee-length dress, again in the avacado colour but this time paired with bronze platform heels.

A common silhouette was a slim pencil skirt paired with a wide brown leather belt, worn over fitted stretchy tops and cardigans in browns, greens and a deep raspberry colour.

- - - posted at 4.51pm by Megan |

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Earlier today Tanya Carlson was seen to be bucking the trend for minis with many flowing, floor-length dresses. The show picked up pace with a small range from Cherry Cotton Candy.

Cherry Cotton Candy was launched in 2004 by young designers Cara Cotton and Ceri Austin-Spivey, who work for Carlson.

The cutesy, peppy models personified the ranges youthful exuberance.

Next came the Verge-sponsored show featuring former Westfield Style Pasifika winner Charmaine Love along with Serdoun, Docherty Wilkins and Firefly.

Love opened with a greeting by six fearsome Maori warriors.

The scene was set for her small collection of dresses and shirts featuring beautifully printed koru patterns.

A stronger colour palette was seen in the bright orange printed wrap dresses.

The fire of Love contrasted with the prim and sophisticated suits from Docherty Wilkins that hit the runway immediately after.

- - - posted at 4.43pm by Megan |

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While getting a spot of fresh air outside by the wharf, I see some young models gathered outside the luxury port-a-loos (luxury indeed - these trailers are carpeted affairs with gold hand taps).

As I walk past on my way back inside, I overhear them discussing where they can go to watch TV soap

Home & Away

this afternoon, with one suggesting the pub down the road might be kind enough to flick the channel over for them. Perhaps not the first place that springs to mind when you think of top model hangouts.

- - - posted at 2.49pm by Kelly |

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Federation showed a collection dominated by hooded streetwear sure to appeal to the label's hip streetwise target market (as indicated by the smiles of the blokes drinking beer in the front row).

Although it was streetwear, it wasn't short on style, the long hooded sweater dresses in black or pale pink a standout.

The styling of the show was polished, outfits given an extra edge with the addition of wool sleeves, bandannas tied round wrists and arms, scarfs tied in all different formations over the body and white canvas Vans shoes.

A white backdrop was transformed with spraypaint by a concealed artist during the show, to reveal the labels logo and a large swallow (bird).

- - - posted at 2.25pm by Megan |

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Today's line up:

Miranda Brown, Carlson, Federation, Charmaine Love / Serdoun / Docherty Wilkins / Firefly, Jane Rhodes, Petrena Miller, HART, Arabesque, Kate Sylvester, Huffer.

Must admit it was a bit of a struggle getting out of bed this morning...

Despite most people thinking it's all air-kissing and champagne-swilling (and we're not going to pretend that's not true), Fashion Week is also long,

long

hours and a lot of hard work, so we're after all the beauty sleep we can get!

If you've only just discovered our coverage and would like to read what we've said about Fashion Week so far, here's some links to our coverage from the past few days (including plenty of pics):