Just like that, the week I’d been counting down the days to has flown by faster than I ever could have imagined. I’d always seen fashion weeks happen around the world (New York, London etc), but there seemed to be something special about my first fashion week being in New Zealand. It had been put on hold for a few years due to the Covid pandemic so this year was the first year back, determined to make up for lost time. 

What amazed me the most was the amount of talent homegrown here in NZ across all levels, from fully established labels through to recent start ups. Everyone was included and each show brought its own unique energy. My first show was the Graduates Show, showcasing selected students from universities across New Zealand. This included my friend’s label Atiera, which I had been honoured to photograph only a few years prior. I was so excited for her my hands were shaking whilst I tried to take some shots & absorb the experience. I really appreciated that despite Covid causing the cancellation of previous fashion weeks, they were still given the opportunity to showcase their designs this year. In a way, this gave a positive message that sometimes things can happen out of our control but it doesn’t mean it has to stop our dreams and ambitions. I can’t wait to see their next creations and watch these labels grow. 

After the Graduates Show a group of us who had come together to support Taylor went out for brunch at Williams Eatery. It was so wholesome collectively discussing the show and meeting other creatives too, one of which I discovered lives near me down south so we’re planning to collaborate together & shoot some of her designs. 

The next day I made it to the Viva Next Gen show, which featured Viva magazine’s fashion designers to watch. This was a highly anticipated show, as it provided a first look at the designers to watch out for. One of my favourite labels from this show was Oosterom, and I know I wasn’t alone in this new-found love. Since the show there has been a lot of coverage of this label, and I truely think it’s one to watch. Another favourite was Flying Fox clothing, who just had a certain feel to the runway, unlike any other. The designs were unique and a number of them had focussed on sustainability, reusing items of clothing and creating something completely different. 

The shows were held in the Viaduct Centre, so this area by the harbour became a hang out for NZFW attendees and of course a hub for street fashion. Whether attendees were dressed to the nines or pulling off the city street vibes, there was a fresh feeling of fashion appreciation in the air, along with a buzz of excitement for the weeks events. There were a number of shows on throughout the week, with at least five to choose from each day so there was no shortage of choice. 

The last show I attended, was the I Love Ponsonby show, which I had been lucky enough to win tickets to. It was really interesting to see how this compared to the Graduate & Next Gen shows, as the Ponsonby brands were already established, based in Ponsonby (hence the name!). I found the clothing was more everyday wearable items as opposed to eccentric runway designs, but the show was well choreographed, with my favourite being Storm. The models walked the full length of the runway and then remained there one by one until the whole collection was out, then collectively walked in unison the full runway at the end of the show, joined by the designers themselves.

The week really did provide me with exactly what I was hoping for – a fresh dose of inspiration, labels to watch out for and a new appreciation for all things fashion. It’s also given me the push I needed to get my sewing machine back out and finish off the projects i’ve started.
The one thing I hope for next year, is more opportunity to network and bring creatives together, there really is so much talent in Aotearoa we need to encourage it as much as possible.

Did you go? What did you think?

Harriet 📷