NZ designers gearing up for Australian Fashion Week

Co-founders and directors of fashion label Stolen Girlfriends Club: Marc Moore, Luke Harwood and Dan Gosling. Photo / Babiche Martens

The New Zealand contingent will be strong at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week next month, with five New Zealand labels set to showcase their newest collections.

Zambesi will be the first label to fly the New Zealand flag, with their Monday afternoon show on May 3, followed by Stolen Girlfriends Club, who have confirmed that they will be showing on Monday night - their first official RAFW show.

The collection is called 'Life's a Beach...Watch out for Crabs', a title that the SGC team love because "most people will automatically think of STDs, even though there is a deeper meaning involved," explains Creative Director Marc Moore in an email.

"Sometimes life is going according to plan, everything is perfect and then out of nowhere something happens and you're knocked off your perch."

The collection finds some inspiration in the beach, a reference to the label's surfer roots - the founders are all surfers from way back.

Moore explains that there is a relaxed surf vibe contrasted with a modern futuristic feel - and a touch of the tribal, which references the surf gangs that spend most of their life on the beach. The show will also act as a 5th birthday celebration for the brand.

Their winter collection - which is in store now - is really very good, so I'm excited to see what they do next.

I'm also excited to see Kate Sylvester's new collection, called This Charming Man after The Smiths' iconic track.

Sylvester isn't saying anything but has sent the front of her show invitation which depicts her with a dream tea party that includes Morrissey, Coco Chanel, John Keats and Marcel Proust, among others.

My take on the range? It will feature lots of menswear as womenswear - but all I know for sure is that it features a flower bouquet print, and that Sylvester's runway presentations are always well thought out affairs. She will show the full range on the morning of Wednesday, May 5.

Rounding out the New Zealand group are Sabatini White and Annah Stretton, who will be showing a range "dedicated to creating awareness and putting an end to the cruel and inhumane farming practice that is prevalent in the pork and poultry industries globally", with a muse found in icon and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.

I'm intrigued to see how this rather confronting inspiration will translate into clothes - and whether the front row will take notice of the serious undertones.

I'll be heading over to Sydney to cover the shows and other RAFW happenings.

Whose new collection are you most excited about seeing?