KEY POINTS:
Stolen Girlfriends Club has a cult following among Auckland's young urban hipster set, with their take on low-fi "take the piss" cool.
Many have already compared them to Ksubi, the Australian brand which describes itself as a "collective" rather than a label. I can see the similarity.
I could also see plenty of similarities to other labels in the collection they debuted last night at the DHL dispatch warehouse.
Ripped stockings: Rodarte. Wool beanies: Burberry. Grungy oversized shirts and a general sense of post punk: Alexander Wang. Tight dresses and animal print: Balmain.
But will their fans, who are almost as cultish as Trelise Cooper's band of followers (just at the other end of the fashion scale), care? Definitely not. Because regardless of some of the similarities to other international labels, SGC's blend of sexy and street has filled a niche in the local fashion market, especially in Auckland where nearly every person under the age of 20 owns something from the brand (they're usually mates with the team too).
The addition of womenswear designer Zara Mirkin has helped the label greatly - she's also the fashion editor at No magazine, and her style draws heavily from socialite Alice Dellal's.
Dellal's influence could be seen in this new collection as well: denim short shorts, grungy plaid shirts worn over cropped tops, ripped jeans. Pretty much anything that teenagers wore in the 80s or early 90s.
But despite this, I do think this range is a huge positive step forward for the brand - the quality is far better than past ranges, the range is bigger, and the show was a lot more polished.
