Photos from the Hailwood showKEY POINTS:
Stuck in a room with Rachel Hunter and eight top models, it's hard for a girl to stand out.
But one did. Ten-year-old Petra Kotrotsos of Wellington stole the show on Air New Zealand's Catwalk at 30,000ft flight yesterday - billed as the world's first fashion show in the sky.
The special flight from Sydney to Auckland carried journalists, models and buyers to Air New Zealand Fashion Week, which was launched by Prime Minister Helen Clark in Auckland last night.
It also carried Petra, a cancer sufferer, who dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
Dressed in a Trelise Cooper leopard-print stole, the fashion-forward 10-year-old joined the jetset crowd after the Make a Wish Foundation contacted Air New Zealand last week.
After watching the two 15-minute in-flight shows, she strutted the runway aisle herself, handing out arrival cards and lollies.
She also met New Zealand's supermodel, Rachel Hunter.
The pair discussed their favourite fashion designers - Petra is a Trelise girl; Rach prefers Zambesi. Both designers featured in the show, and their winter collections will be on display this week.
Thirty-two designers took part in the sky-high show, which tested models' balancing abilities as they paraded down the aisle.
In their first turn, some staggered and stumbled in turbulence, but the second show on the Airbus A330 was smooth and seamless.
Hunter said she was most impressed by the efforts of the models, particularly those wearing high heels.
"It's definitely the most unusual fashion show I've been involved in," she said.
Hunter is a VIP guest at Fashion Week, at which she will also show her new line of swimwear, Lola.
She recently launched the range in Sydney, where she told reporters she - like many women - was self-conscious about her bottom.
"I know the area that is really insecure is my butt," Hunter said, "so I completely want to pull [my togs] down and cover it."
-additional reporting: NZPA
