The A to Z of Fashion Week

FIONA HAWTIN provides the definitive guide to our biggest fashion event

ANTICIPATION. It's practically fever pitch as the third New Zealand Fashion Week gets ready for take-off, with the first model due to sashay down the catwalk on Monday at the Auckland Town Hall in front of assembled buyers and media in the L'Oreal-sponsored event. All up, 45 labels (at last count) will be showing their autumn/winter '04 offerings to delegates in the hopes of new accounts and some exposure over four days, finishing with a consumer day.

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BACKSTAGE. It's all systems go out back. To pull off four days of fashion shows, there are 36 makeup artists, 97 hairdressers, 15 stylists, 40 dressers and 70 people involved in production teams.

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CHRISTCHURCH is the new Dunedin. Last year, seven designers showing were from Dunedin, a city renowned for fostering fashion greats. This time, only Nom D is making the great trek, much to the delight of the delegates after last year's impressive show at a recording studio. Christchurch is fielding five designers. They include Barbara Lee, who has been around for more than 50 seasons but is making her first appearance at Fashion Week. As is Japanese designer Takaaki Sakaguchi, based in Christchurch, who works both Japanese kimono influences and Western design into his work. Back for another year is Sharon Ng's label Ng. The range took the audience by surprise last year with much collective oohing and aahing going on. Tango and leather clothing label Caroline Moore are also making repeat appearances. And lest we forget, Pieter Stewart, founder and managing director of Fashion Week, is from Canterbury.

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DIARY THIS. Fashion Week is one thing after another. This year there is plenty for the public to do. First, the Qantas Catwalk Club is, in rugby terms, the equivalent to a corporate box at Eden Park. For $120 you get to go to one of the on-site shows. Tickets are limited. For instance, there are just 40 tickets to Nicholas Blanchet's show, so you'll need to be quick. You also get a goodie bag, a glass of champagne, canapes and entry to the Fashion Week exhibition. For tickets ph Michaela on 021 500 796. Style on Stage happens at the Town Hall on Thursday at 6.30pm and is repeated at 8pm. It's a chance to see the best of the week from all the designers involved. Tickets are $25 from Ticketek. Fashion Week is all about winter clothes. That's all very well and good, but we've still got a whole summer to get through first. Which is what makes Newmarket Fashion Friday in the Exhibition Marquee in Aotea Square so timely. After the four days of trade-only shows, Friday is not only open to all, there will be catwalk shows from 14 Newmarket retailers. And what you see down the runway, will be what you can wear this summer. Retailers include: Bendon, Country Road, Cue, Ecco, Jigsaw, Kudos, Modes, Orca, Politix, Polly Pratt, Rosemary Smith, Unity, Veronika Maine and Saks, with its flash international labels Versace and Paul Smith. See it, want it, wear it now. Tickets are $15 from Ticketek.

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EXHAUSTION. Especially after the two big Fashion Week parties of wall-to-wall beautiful people. First there is the Fashion Finale Party at Coast on Thursday. Fat Freddies Drop are playing, as well as other DJs. For those who have been fashioned out, there will be quiet spaces. Tickets, which include drinks and supper, are $80 from Ticketek. Party number two is the Wrap Party at St Matthew-in-the-City on Friday. Models, crew and designers will be out in force in this all-nighter that starts at 10pm and goes till 7am. Tickets are $35 from Ticketek on the day.

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FROCKS. The actual point of the week. There will be lots of fashion; just what it will be like is a secret closely guarded by many of the designers, who prefer to keep things on a need-to-know-basis. This much we know: Zambesi's show is called Wild at Heart, Liz Mitchell has dubbed hers the Kiss of the Dragon, Tango's theme is Odyssey, Claire Kingan-Jones' three labels, RJC, Robin Jones and Edge, will be mixed up in the one Off the Rails show and Nicholas Blanchet has called his Shelter. (By the by, he's just sent one of his beaded black dresses to Rachel Hunter's stylist, so it could well be seen in the British version of Sex and the City that she's about to star in.) Catch's Jason Barrow found inspiration for his East-meets-West range when he went to a wedding in Japan. Trelise Cooper's Powerful Women of Ancient Myths and Legends will have Charlotte Dawson and rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell making guest appearances on the catwalk. And E! TV's Cindy Taylor's modelling experience will help when she does a star turn in IPG's Urban Wolf show. Some tickets for IPG's show are available through Ticketek for $35. State of Grace is doing its own version of Waterworld and Splash with a homage to the mythical sirens of the deep. Fashionable mermaids wear turquoise, briny green. Stay tuned. All will be revealed next week and it won't be on pain of death.

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GOODIE BAGS. On the seats of the favoured are goodie bags. Some have water (always appreciated) and others have treats. Just like a lucky dip. An Elle Macpherson Intimates X-Sheers G-string will be waiting inside Trelise Cooper's bag. Goody.

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HANDBAG. The official Fashion Week delegate bag is a Saben design. Accessories designer Roanne Jacobson has allowed Max to recreate it specially. You can buy the generously proportioned shopper from Max stores for $69. Likewise with the officially sanctioned T-shirt, which will be worn by those in their official Fashion Week duties. Max ran a competition for fashion students nationwide, the winner of which gets the kudos of having their design as the T-shirt to be seen in. This year's winner, a fern-printed number, is by Leia Rawnsley-Mason. They're $39 from Max.

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IMPULSE BUY. Like bees to honey, the designer sale is sure to attract a big crowd at the marquee in Aotea Square. The Fashion Friday ticket entitles you to entry to a sale the organisers promise is of massive proportions. Labels include Hailwood, Nicholas Blanchet, IPG, Federation, Rosa bags and more.

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JOBS. It is the job of models to pout a bit, look gorgeous and make the clothes look as good as they possibly can for the designers. While they look blankly ahead on the catwalk, you know that's not the case as soon as they leave the catwalk. They've got a matter of minutes to get out of one outfit and into another. Speed-dressing is no mean feat. This year around 140 models making 380 appearances were chosen from eight agencies.

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KISS-KISS. Yes, air-kissing is still the accepted fashion-set greeting. For those who actually connect, remember this is strictly a sound thing only. Make the noise of a big smackeroo without daring to damage the recipient's perfect-finish foundation or your combination lipstick and gloss mouth.

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LIPSTICK. A must. French cosmetics and haircare giant L'Oreal is back for a third year as major Fashion Week sponsor. Its product du jour? Invincible Platinum lipstick. Because we're worth it.

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MISSING IN ACTION. It's been a year of "yes we will, no we won't" from many of the designers who first signed up to show. Two big-name designers have pulled out and will be sadly missed. First it was Kate Sylvester, who decided the show couldn't go on without the ample talents of her PR and sales manager Rebecca Wadey, whose delayed radiation therapy for breast cancer made it impossible. And the latest casualty is Carlson. Dunedin designer Tanya Carlson says increased production orders and deadlines have meant she just didn't have the time. "I couldn't give it my full commitment at present and I'm not prepared to make a half-hearted effort." Leslie Herbert/Ritual, Mild Red and Untouched World will also be no-shows after initially being included in the lineup.

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NEW GENERATION. Keen young designers eager to make a name for themselves can be part of the two New Generation shows. They are Cybele, who favours strong yet feminine clothing, former barrister Helen Talbot, who has lately been reinventing herself as a fashion designer, ink'd by Duncan Korsten, who is fond of using traditional Polynesian tattoos on his garments, and IDXU (say it Zu) designed by Jeanmakers' co-founder Wayne Goldsmith (that's she, not he). There is also Kristen Walker's Kristen label for style-conscious women who like a little bit of frou-frou, but not too much. Ngati Babe is another (see U), as is the street-couture label Sidewalk with the trinity of designers Valeria and Campbell Bevan and Austin Moncrieff, and lastly, Nadine Freundlich's ZYA label aimed at women who want their gear understated and elegant. Commercially successful label Verge is sponsoring the New Generation shows and has kindly taken them under its wing and specially put together a Survival Kit. Aside from the kit containing practical information, the Panadol are certain to be a hit.

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ON-SITE VERSUS OFF-SITE SHOWS. Sometimes it is necessary for delegates to leave the cosy confines of the on-site venue, aka the Auckland Town Hall, to see a show being held off-site. While there is no restriction on where they show, they are encouraged to use a site that's no more than a short walk in kitten heels. All very well, but hoofing it anywhere is a drag, especially as the fashion crowd tend to favour killer shoes. Sensible nana shoes don't really get much of a look in. This year there are six shows and the Deutz Fashion Ambassador Awards happening off-site. Zambesi's Wild at Heart collection is being held at the old Chief Post Office (not to be confused with Britomart), Sabatini is taking over the Auckland Museum and World is having its couture show I Don't Like Sport, But I Can High Jump! at the Northern Club. "It's very exclusive, just 200 important people. It's a show in the manner of the salon shows of the 50s," says World designer Francis Hooper. Unlike previous years, when large crowds flocked to see World's highly entertaining shows, this time Hooper is adamant there will be no rock'n'roll. Nom D, Doris de Pont (formerly DNA) and Karen Walker are all keeping their locations secret-squirrel. We can, however, reveal Walker's collection is called Queenie was a Dog and now that de Pont is without her long-term DNA partner Adrienne Foote, who did the screen-printed fabrics, the range features a piece of artist and writer John Pule's work as the signature print.

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POWDER ROOM. Keeping up appearances is about so much more than a quick dab of lipgloss in the ladies'. L'Oreal, realising that looking good is practically a full-time job, has again set up the Powder Room - a place where VIPs, celebrities, and many more for that matter, can get away from the hustle and bustle to grab a moment's repose, a manicure, makeup and have their hair flossied by trained professionals. There is a team of six makeup artists, 10 manicurists and four hairstylists. Last year they managed 930 makeovers and 1200 manicures. This year Miss New Zealand 2003, manicurist Amber Peebles, is back, painting nails for a third time, as is Nathan Kake, hairdresser and makeup artist to the stars. Naturally, champagne is on hand to prevent dehydration. Indeed, some fashion lovelies get so comfortable, it seems they never leave.

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QUIRKY INVITES. State of Grace sent its invitation as a message in a bottle. Not so much an SOS to the world, but a lovely invitation to watch the clothes inspired by the sea drift by.

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REFRESHMENTS. The fashion animal firmly believes the right hand is really a drinks holder, and it goes without saying champagne is the drink of choice. However, in a bid to make the diet more balanced, eight fashion designers and hair whizz Paul Serville devised their own bubbly replacements in a cocktail showdown. Nicholas Blanchet's Tongue & Groove won the judges over. During what is commonly becoming known as Frocktober, the Hilton's Bellini bar will have the cocktails on offer, proving fashion is about much more than clothes. Or, if you'd prefer a DIY job, Blanchet's goes like this: take 5ml gin, 15ml feijoa vodka, dash of vermouth, a lemon twist, and stir the first three ingredients together, then pour into a small martini glass, before garnishing with the lemon twist. Bottoms up.

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STYLE PASIFIKA. Kicking off the week, the Westfield-sponsored show features three designers. Hip-hop star and part-time fashion designer King Kapisi's label Overstayer is urban gear for the hip-hopper in the 21st century. If designing is good enough for P. Diddy (or whatever his latest moniker is), then it's certainly good enough for the King. Also in the show is Selector designer Sera Mitchinson, whose motto is "choose your own identity", and Leiana Rei Perawiti's label Leina Rei - high fashion daywear for women tired of boring suits.

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TV. For big-screen fashion, Aotea Square will be equipped with an enormous LED screen showing delayed coverage of all the on-site shows, proving there is more than one way to see the fashion if you can't wrangle an invite to a show.

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UNDERAGE. At 13, Ngati Babe's Te Kaihou Ngarotata is Fashion Week's baby. The Hawkes Bay girl launched her streetwear label for men and women last November for New Zealanders, whether they live in rural Aoteaora or the very metropolitan New York.

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VIPS. As much as the week is about getting new orders, there is much kudos in being noticed by the assembled media. It's a gold star if you attract the attention of the international delegates. This year's crowd includes Cozmo Jenks, London It girl and milliner to Kylie Minogue, and Jamiroquai's whacky hatter Jay Kay. "I'm not very conservative. Outlandishness is more my thing," she says. Bags not sit behind her at the shows. There's also Wall St Journal columnist Tatiana Concompagni, Elle USA's fashion market editor Nicole Phelps, Australian Vogue's Kirstie Clements, Fiona Lane and Natasha Inchley and Jane Roarty from Harper's Bazaar Australia. Also confirmed is expat Louise Chunn, editor of InStyle UK and sister of the Split Enz members Mike and Geoff Chunn. Sky Television's Cindy Taylor, the host of saucy travel show Wild On, which screens on Sky's E! channel, will be shooting footage of the week. On the subject of Sky, fashion shows from the week can be seen from 11.30am Monday to Thursday nationwide on Sky Digital channel 9. Francesca Rudkin presides.

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WALL OF FASHION. Two photographers - one focusing on taking candid paparazzi shots and the other the catwalk stuff - will be building four walls of fashion consisting entirely of photographs. Day by day, the walls will develop as more lovely fashion shots get pride of place at the Auckland Town Hall. Although it may well sound like Robin Williams' walls in One Hour Photo it will certainly be a visual memento of the week. They'll be given away in a competition at Coast's Fashion Finale Party.

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XPENSE. The 10 minutes of glory on the catwalk come at a price. To be part of the New Generation shows costs $3000, a group show is $6500 and an individual show is between $11,000 and $13,000. For that, designers get the venue, photographs and film, hair and makeup people, a producer, lighting and technician, dressers, a sound system and technician, a registered buyer list and other promotional opportunities thrown in. It's a bargain really.

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YOUTH. Remember these wise words from World designer Denise L'Estrange-Corbet if you're considering heading down to Fashion Central for a look at the fashion intelligentsia in your low-rise cargos: "I think clothing's for everyone. Fashion's for the youth. You've got to know your limitations and know what suits you. When you're older it's about finding your own style, finding what you like and what you're comfortable in."

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ZAMBESI PROJECT. In a New Zealand first, M.A.C has created an eye colour specially for Zambesi's show. The hip makeup company has been known to do this for other designers at other fashion weeks. The brief designer Elisabeth Findlay gave M.A.C's executive director of makeup artistry Gordon Espinet back in May was for something "moody and dark". He came up with a blackened iridescent blue. Think oil-slick or the feathers of a bird caught in the rain. Called Kokako after New Zealand's endangered native bird, the colour will not only be on the eyes of the models during the show, it'll be on-counter from Tuesday (October 21) for $40. So while you have to wait a while for the clothes, the Zambesi eye is instant gratification.

Herald Feature: New Zealand Fashion Week

L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week official site