Fashion Week 2009: All the gossip from opening night

The air kisses and the "sweetie, darhling" greetings are back.

So too are the up-and-down glances/stares observing sartorial ensembles. It's Fashion Week and as any social anthropologist will tell you: observing the animals and their territorial behaviour in their natural environment is the most fun.

While the esteemed editor of Fashion Quarterly dashed off early and straight to the supermarket (how unglamorous), All Blacks Richie McCaw, Jimmy Cowan and Dan Carter, with his very pretty girlfriend Honor Dillon, remained at last night's official party opening Fashion Week.

Their celebrity agent Sara Tetro stuck like glue, never leaving their side, like a guard dog, protecting her warrants from any media deemed untrustworthy... and any shenanigans on their part. Pity.

Designers Kate Sylvester, Adrian Hailwood, Steve Dunstan, Liz Findlay, Marc Moore, Annah Stretton and Trelise Cooper were all there wearing quintessentially fashionable black.

Liz Mitchell was a pleasant surprise because she isn't showing her collection at Fashion Week this year, bar a small presence at Westpac's Red Collection dinner on Thursday night. She's well liked amongst the designers.

Denise L'Estrange-Corbet says she's banned from Fashion Week, so then it was no surprise the flamboyant designer and her equally creative husband, Francis Hooper, were no-shows last night. Their daughter Pebbles is a registered member of the media and working for local magazine Ponsonby News. Denise is worried Pebbles may encounter some barbed comments from a couple of fashionistas as a result of her relationship with the event.

John Banks was in a cheeky mood; Jack Cooper (Trelise's hubby) was in a charitable mood. The former textile businessman is now working for Habitat for Humanity and he encouraged Gilda Kirkpatrick and myself to join the all-female team of celebrities and friends who are building a house - well, the master builders employed will be doing the real work - for charity. You can check it out this week down at Fashion Week HQ.

Neil Finn was a surprising presence last night. The very private musician is very rarely seen at social events, though it wasn't all about him for a change. His very talented wife Sharon has constructed all the jewellery for the plus-sized label The Carpenter's Daughter based on her chandelier designs. I suspect they will be at the show tomorrow.

All in all it was a great start to a long week of fun, fashion and gossip. Stay tuned for the shenanigans as the shows kick off this morning. The highlight today is undoubtedly the Zambesi show at SkyCity Theatre later tonight. Watch this space.

- Rachel Glucina

Pictured above: All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and publicist Sara Tetro at the opening of Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2009. Photo / Herald on Sunday