Dan Ahwa wraps up Gore’s annual Hokonui Fashion Awards, a two-day fashion extravaganza now in its 36th year. An ongoing success, these awards demonstrate that smaller towns can have a substantial impact on the arts and fashion industries.
When New Zealand’s premier fashion event New Zealand Fashion Week announced it
While the digital space has afforded designers alternative and budget-friendly ways to present their collections directly to their target customers, there’s no denying the power a real-life runway presentation has when a designer can showcase their work in its purest form; their vision enhanced by the support of well-balanced ingredients: model casting, music, lighting, styling, hair and makeup.
It’s a formula that made an impact once again this past weekend in a town synonymous with country music and fly fishing — Gore. Its 37th Hokonui Fashion Awards was a reminder of how the two-day fashion extravaganza punches above its weight, this year selling over 1500 tickets and counting a committee of 11 people, a wardrobe team of 26, a model co-ordinator and a choreographer.
It’s an event the New Zealand Fashion industry takes seriously too, the awards’ past judges including some of New Zealand’ leading names in fashion — Elisabeth Findlay of Zambesi, Anjali Burnett and Rachel Easting of Twenty-seven Names, James Dobson of Jimmy D, designer and founder of the New Zealand Fashion Museum Doris de Pont, Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester and Margi Robertson of Dunedin-based fashion stalwart NOM*d, a brand that celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025.
This year’s judges include fashion designers Vicki Taylor of Taylor Boutique and Queenstown-based Natalie Newlands, along with stylist and costume designer Sammy Salsa. Huffer co-founder Steve Dunstan served as a friend of the awards this year, an ambassadorial role that has come organically after Dunstan fell in love with the awards when judging in 2023. His highlights not only included judging the diverse design entries but also connecting with the locals — whether it was sharing pints at the local RSA or discovering the best cheese rolls in the deep South.
For the awards’ convenor and marketing co-ordinator Jacqui McKinney, the opportunity to engage with the wider fashion industry is a chance for the event and Gore to be considered a serious contender when it comes to its commitment to putting on a fashion event New Zealanders can be proud of.
“Our greatest challenge is spreading the word about the incredible MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards,” McKinney explains. “Both past and present judges emphasise the importance of promoting what we do. Despite being located in the southernmost part of the South Island, our awards serve as a vital springboard into the fashion industry.”
Having come on board four years ago, McKinney says the two-day event is something locals can be proud of. Given the South Island’s natural inclination for the avant-garde — from Steampunk enthusiasts in Oamaru to the story of Eden Hore, the Central Otago sheep and cattle farmer who amassed a collection of 276 pieces of flamboyant fashion during the 1970s and 80s - the success of the Hokonui Fashion Awards comes as no surprise to McKinney. She works with a tight-knit team to deliver a unique fashion event that has become a major platform for amateur fashion designers to showcase their designs. This year’s showcase displayed a unique medley of categories and designs from designers at varying levels, including design techniques that ranged from upcycling to tailoring.
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Advertise with NZME.“On a personal level, this event means a great deal to me,” says McKinney.
“It’s a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the power of design to communicate who we are and what we stand for. Seeing emerging designers showcase their talent and gain recognition is incredibly inspiring. It’s rewarding to witness their journey. I know that the awards can be a significant stepping stone in their careers. This event is not just about fashion; it’s about fostering a community, celebrating diversity, and supporting the dreams of talented individuals.”
To help realise the dreams of the event itself, an alliance of sponsors are relied upon, from naming rights sponsor Mataura Licensing Trust to gold sponsors including Gore District Council and Gore RSA, and more than 40 silver and bronze sponsors including Bernina, Ford and a local real estate agency.
“Over the years, the town of Gore has wholeheartedly embraced and supported the awards,” says McKinney. “The local community, businesses, and organisations come together to ensure the event’s success, providing sponsorship, volunteering, and enthusiastic participation. It also significantly elevates Gore’s status as a fashion destination in New Zealand. It attracts designers, judges, and fashion enthusiasts from across the country, bringing national attention to our town. The ongoing success of the awards demonstrates that even smaller towns can have a substantial impact on the arts and fashion industries.”
Some of this year’s key winners include the overall prize — the Mataura Licensing Trust Award and New World Open Daywear award, awarded to Tegan Rose Vickery of Otago Polytechnic School of Fashion. The three-piece voluminous linen suit and shirt set wowed the judging panel for its vibrant use of colour and innovative sewing techniques, but also came with a highly personal backstory; the design was a response to her own struggles as a recovering bulimic, the outfit a way for her to deal with protecting her body.
“Tegan’s garment had a big presence on the stage and was very striking in person” says Taylor. “You must look beyond the coat to see the amazing pant design – very innovative. Fabrication and construction were amazing – this garment had all three of us judges out of our seats when we first saw it. We all had to touch and look closey – this outfit has a true strength to it. Tegan’s narrative strength followed her personal journey battling an eating disorder for 10 years and the outfit fulfilled this story elevating this outfit from a category winner to an overall contender. A unanimous decision between us.”
“This year I also had the honour of sponsoring an award, The Shelter by Taylor Garment with the Most Commercial Potential. We wanted to bring light to a designer who crafted a garment that could be worn right off the catwalk” says Taylor. “The attention to detail by winner Oscar Darling was incredible. While it looked simple, up close the pants were actually made out of a re-engineered blazer, the shirt is from the blazer lining and the jacket is part of a pair of jeans. I could see it fitting right into our concept store The Shelter.”
Other highlights featured the focus on sustainable design, including the Country Living Upcycled Award won by Mima Lewis Gourdie of Ara Te Pūkenga in Christchurch and her entry of a puffer coat fashioned from the discarded packaging of rice bags, and packets of sweets and ramen. A celebration of wool made an impact too from Gore’s Viv Tamblyn with her joyous wool creation winning the Wools of New Zealand Best Use of Wool Award. The awards have provided a platform for designers looking to carve a serious career in fashion, including last year’s standout from AUT graduate Sheetol Chawla, whose whimsical designs featured in Viva in 2022 worn by New Zealand model Georgia Pratt Holiber in her adopted home of New York.
“Her success is a testament to the impact and importance of our awards in launching talented designers onto the global stage,” says Mckinney.
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Last Friday’s “Strictly Design” evening and Saturday’s Gala Awards night were sellout events, a lesson for design-led event organisers and sponsors around the country to consider the highly engaged buying power of our smaller towns.
“These awards play a crucial role in contributing to the wider goal of connecting all New Zealanders to quality fashion design,” says McKinney. “They provide a platform for emerging designers to showcase their talent, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity within the fashion industry.
“They also help to build a network of support and collaboration among designers, industry professionals, and fashion enthusiasts, which strengthens the overall fashion ecosystem in New Zealand. These events encourage regional engagement, drawing attention to diverse fashion perspectives from different parts of the country. By doing so, they promote a deeper appreciation for the creativity and craftsmanship that define New Zealand fashion.”
But it’s the future of fashion that relies on these showcases to continue, and with New Zealand Fashion Week planning to return in 2025, the Hokonui Fashion Awards’ almost 40-year history is an example of how fashion can connect New Zealanders from all walks of life, particularly the faces and names shaping the future of our local fashion industry.
It’s a vision McKinney says is vital to the event being able to continue through to its 40th anniversary in 2027.
“Ultimately, events are vital in nurturing the next generation of designers and ensuring that quality fashion design is celebrated and appreciated by all New Zealanders, contributing significantly to the future of the country’s fashion industry,” says McKinney, who also notes that the Hokonui Fashion Awards’ inclusion on the official New Zealand Fashion week schedule will still continue when it is ready to return.
“We find it important to showcase our winners there, providing them with the recognition and exposure they deserve on a national stage,” says McKinney. “Our goal is to continue providing a platform for as many emerging designers as possible.”
The future of fashion shows in New Zealand
Over the years, the fashion show has manifested in a variety of ways, supporting the work of designers at varying degrees in their design journeys.
These included city council-driven shows such as Cult Couture in South Auckland and the commercial appeal of shows such as Westfield Style Pasifika’s perfectly timed launch during the Polynesian pride of the early 90s. There was the Deutz Fashion Design Ambassador Awards, which peaked during the mid-2000s, an opportunity for fresh design graduates to compete on a bigger scale. And of course there was the cigarette-sponsored Benson & Hedges fashion competition that ran from 1964 to 1998, offering a particular beacon of hope for regional designers looking to win one of its several coveted categories.
While these now-defunct fashion showcases are no longer, smaller, niche events are still trying to make it work in a tough climate.
In Auckland this Saturday, local model and talent agency Bintang Models has taken it upon itself to present an “International Fashion Runway New Zealand 2024″, billed as an “international extravaganza that will leave you inspired and fashion-forward”. The show will feature a brand from Te Awamutu called Sparkly Couture and Zanzibar, a Zanzibarian brand founded in Avondale. The show will take place at Victory Convention Centre, owned by the Victory Christian Church Property Trust.
In November, Viva is partnering with Mindful Fashion New Zealand for the second year of its Circular Fashion Design Awards, with design criteria heavily focused on textile waste solutions and design innovation, ideas that will help contribute to a circular fashion economy.
In December, the annual Pacific Fusion Fashion Show returns to spotlight a diverse range of Pacific fashion designers and brands locally and internationally. Earlier this year, Dunedin’s popular iD Dunedin Fashion Week took place in April on a much smaller scale.
In September, one of our more successful fashion shows returns — Wellington’s popular World of Wearable Arts - celebrates almost four decades as one of New Zealand’s leading events, combining technology, art and fashion into a three-week programme. In 2023 the show contributed more than $30 million to the Wellington region, according to an economic evaluation commissioned by the city’s economic development agency WellingtonNZ.
As events across various industries reassess their possibilities for the future, fashion showcases like the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards provide at least some hope for burgeoning fashion design talent across Aotearoa.
Dan Ahwa is Viva’s fashion and creative director and a senior premium lifestyle journalist for the New Zealand Herald, specialising in fashion, luxury, arts and culture. He is also an award-winning stylist with more than 17 years of experience, and is a co-author and co-curator of The New Zealand Fashion Museum’s Moana Currents: Dressing Aotearoa Now.
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