High energy on Fashion Week catwalks

An outfit from label Pearl on the catwalk. Picture / NZ Fashion Week

Pacific Island divas stole the show at New Zealand Fashion Week today, when they strutted down the catwalk bejewelled in pearls and designer Annah Stretton's glamourous creations.

Stretton's winter collection 2006 "Jewel in the Crown" fused pacific tapa cloth prints with tailored tuxedo jackets dripping in jewels and bursting with bold colours, as well as soft feminine pastels.

The four glamorous fa'afafine - Pacific Island transvestites named Buckwheat, Cindy, Barbara and Venus - lapped up the applause and sashayed to the beat of pacific drums.

Buckwheat said she had a lot of fun, but took her role seriously too.

"You're a canvas out there."

Annah Stretton assistant designer Ciane Lawrey said this year's collection had already sold "obscenely well" in Australia, and the Stretton team was eagerly awaiting the response from the domestic and international buyers in the audience.

Lawrey said their collection reflected the multi-cultural mix in New Zealand.

"We live in a melting pot. We have to have stuff that represents us as a culture, it's not 'us and them' it's an 'us' collection."

Thirty police were at the Fashion Week venue at Auckland's Viaduct Marine Village in anticipation of an anti-fur protest scheduled to coincide with Stretton's show.

Stretton has used possum fur in previous collections but, according to a statement released by the designer yesterday, there was no fur on the catwalk today.

The paddy wagon and number of officers turned out to be overkill as only ten protesters turned up with placards and passively chanted "Fur trade -- death trade".

Models for Sally Ridge and Nikki Blackley's underwear label James and August also entertained the audience with their high-energy dance show in cotton singlets, spotted knickers and afro wigs.


This evening's shows brought edgy streetwear back to the catwalks with Nom*D and triple label Workshop, Helen Cherry, and Workshop Denim parading their 2006 winter collections to full houses.


And the men were looked after by the evening's designers after a day full of femininity.


Workshop husband-and-wife team Chris and Helen Cherry from Auckland, revealed sharp, steel-coloured urban streetwear, with a sophisticated edge.


Nom*D, staged at Auckland's Saint James theatre, was a visual experience with Dunedin designer Margarita Robertson's dark oversized ensembles dwarfed behind abstract images playing on a giant screen.

Other labels on show today included; Pearl, Petrena Miller, Madcat, Lois Phin, Deborah Sweeney, Virginia Poppe Silk Attraction, High Society and Little Brother.

- NZPA