The glitz and glamour of New Zealand Fashion Week hits the catwalk on Tuesday. It is the culmination of weeks of frantic preparation - on stage and off. Emma Dunlop talks to a model, a reporter, a buyer, a designer and a stylist.
The model
Tia Woods walked her first show at New Zealand Fashion Week in 2006, aged 16. Now she's an old pro, at least in modelling terms.
"When I first started there were castings for the shows and fittings too, so for me it felt busy. Now, having done the shows for so long and having worked with most of the designers, I'm happy to say there are more fittings than castings."
Being genetically blessed is part and parcel of her profession, so she doesn't worry too much about preparation.
"I do try to get some good rest and keep hydrated. Nothing beats a big breakfast in the morning - you never know if you'll get time to eat between shows."
Woods works hard to keep a level head during the glitz of the week. "I try to surround myself with my normal friends who aren't in the fashion and model industries. It's refreshing for me to be able to talk about something other than clothes and shoes," she says.
This year, after it's all died down, if she doesn't have to jump on a plane to another overseas modelling job, she plans on heading home to the "peace, quiet and home cooking" of her parents' South Island farm.
That, and a foot massage - a week in killer heels is hell on the feet.
The front row
While news reporter Samantha Hayes pieces together stories for 3News on the designers, their shows, history and roots, she's also a front-row fan.
"In previous years, presenting Nightline prevented me from seeing many of the shows. This time around I'll have my evenings free so I'll be seeing collections from the likes of Stolen Girlfriends Club and Karen Walker - if I get invited - for the first time," says Hayes.
"Huffer always puts on a fun show and if the stars align, I'll get to see twenty-seven names, Juliette Hogan, Zambesi, Cybele, Trelise Cooper, Sera Lilly, and World."
"I spend the lead-up to the week reading all I can about New Zealand fashion and talking to people in the industry. It's amazing what you can find out by picking up the phone or meeting someone for coffee or, better yet, a glass of wine.
"I've never been very good at getting an early night, but I do try to schedule in a Chinese massage so I can at least start the week relaxed. It's also the perfect excuse for a manicure and pedicure, and I will definitely see my hairdresser, Mobeen Bhikoo from Stephen Marr, for a fresh cut and colour. The 'morange' needs to be at its brightest."
Hayes is lucky enough to have new season clothes sent to her to wear during the week.
"If I have time I'll pop in to see Murray Bevan at Showroom 22 to pick out some bits and pieces. Chris Lorimer from Mint Condition described his fashion PR office as my extended wardrobe, so I'll certainly try and make it in there too. I don't have the patience or inclination really to change my outfit during the day so I just have to plan ahead and hope I don't arrive and be struck down with immediate wardrobe regret."
Hayes, a vegan, carries a bag of roasted salted nuts, "to safeguard me from being the tipsy person talking too loudly after one glass of wine at the end of the day".
Her wind down? "It's all about winding up at the end of the week. Do I have the right pass for the after-party? Probably not. Let's hope security is lax enough to let my off-duty camera op and me in anyway ..."
The buyer
Ruben Bryant is the self-proclaimed "boss of Good as Gold", a boutique store in Wellington and online, which stocks a selection of up-to-the-minute New Zealand and Australian brands. Each season he travels to Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland to buy the pieces that catch his eye. Six months later or thereabouts, they'll hit the racks.
"The majority of my time is spent viewing ranges, buying stock, managing the staff, hunting for new brands, general trend and style research," he explains. This will be his seventh fashion week, and as for any buyer, he finds it's a great opportunity to see a lot of ranges in a short period of time.
The lead-up to any trip or fashion week is a very busy time for Bryant. "It takes quite a while to sort out all of our shows, meetings and parties," he says. The week is about business (tempered with a little bit of fun, of course) so Bryant packs his lap-top, phone, pen and paper, business cards, Good As Gold stickers, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, vitamins, Panadol, soap, sunglasses, caps, hats, shirts, jeans, socks, boxers, shoes and wallet.
"I am always on the lookout for something fresh and fun, well-styled get-ups, good models, good music and it's always good checking out the people in the front row."
The designer
James Dobson's label Jimmy D has been on a sort of hiatus for the past few years, while he opened Children of Vision, a boutique he co-owns with best friend Vicky Chan on Auckland's Karangahape Rd.
His show on Wednesday will be his first solo presentation since 2006 and it's an appearance that is highly anticipated in the industry - Dobson has a reputation as a bit of a wunderkind.
"It's a chaotic time, and the madness only intensifies as it gets closer. There is the physical creation of the collection, pattern-making, sample-cutting, sampling, fit-checking garments," explains Dobson.
"Then there are the creative collaborations which involve emailing and Skyping inspirations backwards and forwards with the team at Fudge, who are creating our hair look, meeting with M.A.C to lock down our makeup, Claire and Greg from Meadowlark who are working on jewellery, Chris Lorimer our stylist, as well as organising music and shoes.
"Added to that, there's the nuts and bolts stuff - casting the models, production meetings, PR planning, invitations and seating plans - and this is all running alongside the production of our spring/summer collection that's currently going into store."
So how does he cope? "My only guidelines are to try not to work past midnight, endeavour to eat light, carb-free meals, try to drink more water and work in the studio only until 9pm on Wednesdays so I can get home in time for True Blood.
"Putting on a fashion show is a pretty emotional rollercoaster. You're really putting yourself out there for all to see and judge. That can make you question yourself at the best of times. Add sleep deprivation and stress and it can be pretty intense. I just remind myself that I've been through all this before and it's symptomatic of the situation. I'm pretty lucky to have a very level-headed bunch of people around me. And, yeah, try to drink more water."
Next Sunday, Dobson will be on a plane to London and Paris for their respective fashion weeks. He's looking forward to seeing his family and being whisked off to a little village called Datchworth.
"We'll sit down for a big roast dinner with Yorkshire puddings and a few nice bottles of wine. At the moment that seems like a very distant thought, but it's a little beacon that'll get me through the next few weeks."
The stylist
Around town, Zara Mirkin is touted as the best young stylist in the country. Splitting her time between her role as fashion editor at cult indie magazine No and freelance styling, Mirkin works as a consultant to Stolen Girlfriends Club, Adrian Hailwood and a new designer called Riddle Me This for Fashion Week. Six years ago she was working as a dresser backstage, but now she's calling the stylistic shots.
"The lead-up means not one day off for about six weeks. There is stress, bad sleeping, bad eating and breakdowns. It also involves working with the designers to understand their ranges and get a feel for their look. I do concepts of styling ideas, source accessories, leg-wear and shoes. I work with designers on casting and picking the right models for the show, finding a hair and makeup look that is right and trying them out until it's perfect. Then, I'll be putting between 25 and 45 outfits together, with manic days of fittings the weekend before, making showcards, running orders, timing walks to music and so on."
During the week itself, Mirkin will try to balance working on the three shows while troubleshooting any "disasters". She'll try to make it to a few shows, and source clothing from her favourites for a fashion shoot next weekend. If that isn't enough, she'll set up her yearly sale as part of the Designer Garage Sale for Fashion Weekend.
Mirkin tries to deal with the stress in a healthy way, but it isn't always easy.
"My assistant and I have promised each other we are going to make the effort, no matter what, to go for a walk three times a week and eat lots of salads and fruit. I sadly know neither of those things will happen. I can't get up in the morning if I haven't had enough sleep, so I will be getting my eight hours every night apart from Fashion Week itself. I wear the same outfit everyday and that will also apply during Fashion Week. One day in the week I will make an effort and put a dress on."
And to recover? A week in Raglan at a "cute cottage" will mean sleeping, walking, good food and company are in abundance.
