The final day of Fashion Week is a little quieter than the others. There are fewer shows scheduled, greater hangovers suffered, and the large crowd of sartorially-inclined guests and delegates have dispersed like free Mentos in the media room. On Day Five we caught the MBFWA return of avant garde New Zealand label Zambesi and the New Generation showcase, taking pics on the Sony Xperia Z smartphone.
I arrived at Carriageworks early to get a quick pic of the big branding under a beautiful blue sky.
The most empty Carriageworks has been all week:
I rolled up to the media room early on Friday morning to edit some photos. This is what it looks like when no one is in there. #Glamour
Shout out to the chic carpets hanging on the media room wall. This is my favourite one, featuring a print I would happily wear in blouse or skirt form. Note: At this time I was slightly high on caffeine and too alert to operate the Adobe Suite properly.
The New Generation showcase can be exciting because it’s populated by young up and comers, so creativity is expected. I have to admit that on a whole I wasn’t impressed by what was presented. Most of the collections were derivative of the inexpensive high street stuff we’ve already seen a lot of from retailers who mass-produce trendy cheap stuff; however Desert Designs provided a winning selection of gorgeous Aboriginal-inspired prints across super cool leggings, jumpsuits, cropped jackets and jumpers with editorial appeal (meaning, magazines would feature them) as well as great commercial potential (meaning, I want to buy it).
Desert Designs’ opening look
More Desert Designs looks
New Generation showcase looks from different designers
Zambesi
Later that afternoon we headed backstage to sample the catering at Zambesi. And when I say ‘sample the catering’ I mean get a pre-show preview of the collection and an ogle of the models who’ll be wearing it (because all the food was gone), including some of our favourite dudes Claes (below, left) from Priscillas and Angus Low from Chic (below, middle), an ascendent face of Lanvin. There was an eery sense of calm backstage at Zambesi, which made for a refreshing change stemming either from exhaustion in the models or just the pervading sense of ease that filtered down into Zambesi’s welcome return collection.
Two of our favourite ladies Ruby Jean Wilson and Nicole Pollard also obliged us with some quick pre-show portraits showcasing their manga makeup. Total pro Ruby Jean is pictured at left literally minutes before opening the show in a crisp white jumpsuit illuminated by a glaring spotlight. Nicole, pictured right and in action below, is just being her usual adorable self.
Elisabeth Findlay’s clean, clinical minimalism with nary a mirrored digital print in sight cut in interesting shapes like jumpsuits or collard playsuits, or the show’s B&W separates and diaphanous monochrome layers played off nicely against the heavier denim, wool and leather looks of Dayne Johnston’s menswear. Some of the latter’s woollen tailored looks appeared crinkled and crushed in odd places, perhaps in need of a quick steam; though then again perhaps that was the point – a kind of linen suit for the farthest reaches of the southern hemisphere. Raw hems, trailing trains, open robes and socks styled with heels and sandals reinforced the show’s languid vibe, a collection that felt at once pulled tightly together and yet was still a little jagged; a little artfully askew and ‘edgy’, like the show’s hair.
Standout pieces included the dramatic column dresses and above-the-knee skirts punctuated with fringed tassels that forecast the flapping, Roaring 20s spirit that we’ll start seeing a lot of soon. Some of the strongest looks for both sexes were realised in a sheer silk organza and cotton voile plaid that were immediately wearable. Flannels, tartans, plaids, Braveheart rags, whatever you want to call them, are really “having a moment” in the wake of Dries Van Noten’s SS13 collection last year; the grunge luxe styling of which was evinced everywhere on the street this week in sheer and opaque waist-tied plaid shirts and trousers paired with a low heel. Back in the show, the greatest hits of INXS provided moody audio fuel for a show that at times felt quite long but ultimately made for a solid bookend to a whirlwind week of FASHANS.
Until next year!
