NZ Fashion Week: An insider's diary

I spoke to TV presenter and mum Petra Bagust about what she was adding to her shopping list after the Trelise Cooper show and found she's all about leggings for next winter.

- - - posted at 11.59pm by Megan |

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Trelise Cooper featured 25 budding models in her show tonight, the littlies all between the ages of two and six.

I spoke to one of them after the show and was surprised to hear that despite all the fun she had, she actually has no aspirations of becoming a model!

- - - posted at 11.55pm by Kelly |

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Wow, where to start about Trelise Cooper's show. If you ignore the fashion it was a full on theatrical presentation, but how could we ignore the clothes when they were so fabulous!

You always know Trelise is going to do something special but this was truly a spectacle to behold - from the angel suspended on wires above the stage, to the fire torch-wielding monks who traipsed the runway in between collections.

Trelise showed outfits from her four clothing ranges, Cooper by Trelise, Kids, Lingerie and her Trelise Cooper label.

From head-to-toe, every detail was well thought out. The models' hair was worn in beautiful flowing extensions, the makeup flawless. Every single pair of shoes were killer and had us lusting after them.

Renowned for her flowing, draping style, everything tonight was sexier, edgier and more form-fitting.

Kelly found herself literally perching on the very edge of her seat, such was the anticipation for what was coming out next.

Megan especially loved a slim pencil skirt with layered panels, paired with a sheer lemon blouse from the Cooper by Trelise Cooper range.

Up until now, we've not been a fan of the leggings look, but after seeing leggings Trelise-style (woollen, cut off at the foot and worn with a stunning Cooper by Trelise dress) we want to wear nothing

but

leggings. Apparently,

Petra Bagust had a similar thought

.

The lingerie was made for boudoir-lounging. Details such as the black satin bows on mesh panties with suspenders and heart shaped cut-outs were so romantic they sent one of us - and we're not saying who - into a rather nice daydream of a French fling (and in it my hair looked just as fabulous as the models).

Stylist Brian Long also enjoyed the show and told us he loved the children's line. "I thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen," he enthused.

He said that as for the rest of the show, it was really different from the "usual Trelise - not that it wasn't Trelise - this was just a new direction for her."

We left with big smiles on our faces, fabulous goodie bags and a new-found appreciation for leggings.

It's going to be a hard show to top that's for sure.

After the show Megan spoke to designer Trelise Cooper about how the show went.

- - - posted at 11.55pm by Megan and Kelly |

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Little Brother finished late but thankfully there were coaches waiting to whisk us from the Viaduct to the St James Theatre in Queen Street, the venue of Trelise Cooper's off-site show.

Kudos to the person who had the foresight to leave sandwiches and bottles of water on each of the coach seats, rightly thinking we wouldn’t have had time to eat. It's a myth that fashion people don’t eat!

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Murray Crane's Little Brother label showed their winter collection earlier this evening. Little Brother must be the label designers love to love, as spotted in the crowd were Kate Sylvester, Margi Robertson (Nom*D), Neville Findlay (Zambesi) and Mala Brajkovic.

Also on hand to view the labels' monochromatic menswear were musician Tim Finn, actor Karl Urban and newsreading couple Alison Mau and Simon Dallow.

The label showed a collection of blazers and fitted wool pants in variations of dark and light greys. Our seat neighbour mentions she thought the collection had overtones of the 19th century, and a slightly

Dandy

look. Nice touch then, that the soundtrack happened to be the Dandy Warhols'

Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth

.

If the male models were handsome, I certainly couldn’t tell. They were made up to look like the walking dead, with greyish faces and blue-grey lips. They sullenly slouched down the runway. One of the guests was heard loudly commenting after the show that "the models were crap and they looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!" Ummm, I think that was the idea?

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Designer Deborah Sweeney showed a collection almost entirely of dresses this year, except for a couple of outfits featuring - yep, you guessed it - skinny jeans. The dresses mainly stuck to a simple colour scheme of red, black deep purple and mustard yellow and all ended above the knee. Sweeney apparently used to design for UK high street stores Top Shop and H&M and it shows, these outfits look so wearable, I can imagine they will be snapped up by stylish shoppers.

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After the Verge Breakthrough Group show, we dashed backstage to see if we could nab model-of-the-moment

Samantha Harris

, the striking Aboriginal beauty with Angelina Jolie lips, for a quick chat.

Although she was in a hurry to head over to the St James to get ready for the Trelise Cooper show(s) this evening, the 16-year-old schoolgirl tipped for international stardom was gracious enough to answer our questions.

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EJAY STRICKSON

L'Oreal hair team

How many shows are you working at?

[looks at tag around neck and counts shows] Thirteen… I think.

Favourite part of Fashion Week?

I love being backstage… it's crazy, insane.

Worst part?

The heat

Favourite show?

I liked working on the Verge show - we had to do really big hair… it was three different looks in one.

* * *

RICKY GALLAGHER

Sound guy

How many shows are you working at?

About ten or 12 shows… I'm just working on the ones in here [Shed 2].

Any faves?

I think Little Brother might be and that's coming up tonight. Liz Mitchell was good, it has been the most interesting from my point of view. It had 'pizzazz'.

Are you into fashion then?

[laughs] Yeah, I'm probably a bit more casual… I like Little Brother and Huffer.

Any sound problems?

No, not me!

Do you have a backup plan if anything goes wrong?

Yeah I have a couple of backups - the designers give me two CD's and I also put the music on a hard drive and they all run together simultaneously.

* * *

KIM MILLER

Usher

Are you here for every show?

I am… well, I feel like I am! Everyone else is on two shifts a day.

Do you get to see many shows?

The bonus of being an usher is getting to slip in and see the show standing at the back.

Any standout shows so far?

From yesterday, Cybele and Hailwood.

Looking forward to anything else?

Deborah Sweeney this afternoon. And the AUT Rookie show because I'm in it! I'm a fashion student at AUT.

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I managed to catch up with Lotto's Hilary Timmins in the Inkroom to get her impressions of Fashion Week so far.

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One person who caught our eye last year for putting together stylish outfits each day was designer Olivia Corbett. When we

chatted to her last time

, she mentioned she was at the event to scope it out in case she decided to show her lingerie line sometime in the future. We didn't know the future meant the following year! But here she was today, showing her label Toushe in a Verge-mentored group show with Ooby Ryn, Keucke and Charmaine Reveley.

It was obvious a lot of thought had been put into the both the lingerie and accessories - a model holding candyfloss and sporting kitten heels for the cutesy baby pink sheer bra and panties set, an elaborate Rio Carnival feather headdress for a red singlet/knicker set

and a peace sign-giving hippie model with flatironed hair wearing psychedelic print undies. Think of a Victoria's Secret show with angel wings and headdresses but on a much,

much

smaller scale.

- - - posted at 4.50pm by Kelly |

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Ironically as Kelly and I are looking for the editor of Japan

Vogue

to interview her about what she is wearing, I am stopped by some lovely ladies from

Fashion Quarterly

magazine who want to take some photos of my fabulous Michael Kors platform wedges. This is hilarious, seeing as I swiped them from my flatmate's closet this morning. I guess she'll know now... sorry mate!

- - - posted at 4.40pm by Megan |

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On the way out of the Jimmy D show I see a woman hobbling along on crutches, but still insisting on wearing skyscraper patent red stilettos. I guess she subscribes to the theory 'fashion is pain'. I hear her telling a sympathetic friend: "it's almost easier to walk in the shoes without crutches!"

- - - posted at 3.50pm by Megan |

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Phew, I'm knackered and its only 3pm! Auckland's wonderful downtown traffic means we accidentally missed Annah Stretton's midday show today. Not to worry, it gave me time to catch up with some friends relaxing in the Herald's exclusive hospitality suite, the Inkroom. Bubbles flowing and the DJ's tunes pumping, there were hairdressers from Servilles, manicurists from OPI and Napoleon makeup artists on hand to beautify the crowd - not that this lot needed much help!

Next up it was designer James Dobson's label Jimmy D. He sent out a monochromatic collection with t-shirt dresses with a broken heart print, billowing black and white sheer shirts and belted high waisted skirts.

A spiderweb printed hoodie caught my eye... the spiderweb was also seen on a sheer flowing white dress. I thought the clothes were really wearable and steetwise. The models makeup was minimal but they had a beautiful deep burgundy lipstick. Mental note: find out what colour that lipstick was! Must have been a MAC colour, they sponsored this show.

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Today's line up:

Annah Stretton, Jimmy D, Ooby Ryn / Charmaine Reveley / Toushe / Keucke, Catalyst, TAV, Deborah Sweeney, Little Brother, Trelise Cooper.

Day Two and one thing we've noticed so far is the lack of celebrity turns on the catwalk - although it's still early days...!

Another thing that we're pondering is the predominance of male celebs seen around the tents. Triathlete Hamish Carter (and wife) seem to be fashion week regulars,

NZ Idol

host Dominic Bowden looked a touch out of place front row at (women's clothing label) Obi and C4's Joel Defries is a face that keeps cropping up everywhere.

Last night at Nom*D, hip hop/R&B stars Te Awanui Reeder and Donald McNulty of Nesian Mystik were seen grooving along to the music while former

NZ Idol

runner-up Michael Murphy (not so easy to recognise without his hair!) was seen in the huge queue outside The Tent.

All Black Ali Williams, whose girlfriend (

Miss Popularity

's Casey Green) is rumoured to be walking in a show this week, was looking suave all suited up when we saw him leaving the sheds.

- - - posted at 11.53am by Kelly |

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