Fashion Week show report: Zambesi

Zambesi at NZ Fashion Week. Picture / Getty Images

Who
Zambesi, celebrating its 35th year in business with a collection aptly entitled 'XXXV' for Autumn/Winter 2015.

We liked
The fact that the label still manages after 35 years in business to inspire a way of dress that's thoughtful and proudly made in New Zealand.

The jolt of blue separates was an inspired colour choice as designer Liz Findlay explained backstage "Fabric has always been our starting point when it comes to designing. The blue was an instinctive flash of inspiration and we were inspired by several key fabrics in the collection from the wool boucle coats to the possum silk merino blankets capes."

The menswear has always been a particular highlight with designer Dayne Johnston celebrating 11 years this year with Zambesi. Johnston's slick tailoring was evident as did the oversized coats that riff on that Raf Simons agenda setting formula of tailoring, sportswear and youth-subculture.

The music
Compiled by Sophie Findlay. Highlights include Flash by Queen as was the pre and post show soundtrack from the late R&B chanteuse Aaliyah.

Beauty note
Asymmetric fringes sported on male models (another Raf-Ref) and the textural pony tails by Jason Chong Li from Stephen Marr salon re-enforced that going against the grain spirit.

M.A.C. make-up artist Kiekie Stanners keyed the make-up look for the show, focusing on a stony lip and a sculpted face. "I wanted the make up to reflect the quintessential Zambesi woman, to almost reference classic Zambesi since its 35th anniversary. The colour palette was inspired by the secondary tones in the collection, but not to conflict with the bold blues. It is all about sculpted, shadowy defining makeup. Lip tone is a stone pencil with styled in Sepia lipstick by M.A.C."

Trends spotted
Zambesi don't do trends but for the sake of dissecting stories for next season think blanket dressing, sporty parkas, fringing, culottes and oversized knitwear.

See highlights from the show here:

Image 1 of 10: Zambesi. Picture / Fiona Goodall/Getty Images.

- VIVA