Prime Ministers at Art Deco Festivals over the years, including Christopher Luxon (centre), who attended on Sunday. Photos / NZME and Supplied
Prime Ministers at Art Deco Festivals over the years, including Christopher Luxon (centre), who attended on Sunday. Photos / NZME and Supplied
The Art Deco Festival in Napier is not just a lot of fun, it’s also one of New Zealand’s best fashion extravaganzas.
As such, it’s been a playground for Prime Ministers since its inception, who typically dress in 1930s attire on arrival.
PM Christopher Luxon continued the attendance tradition onSunday, but experts aren’t sure his blue polo, sneakers and a vintage hat quite met the historical standard.
“Poor Christopher.”
That’s how John “Bertie” Cocking, Mr Art Deco Napier himself, reacted when he looked at photos of Luxon’s appearance at the Art Deco Festival on Sunday.
Cocking says compared with the outfits of other prominent Prime Ministers who have attended the festival over the years – such as John Key and Jacinda Ardern – Luxon “missed the boat”.
Christopher Luxon enjoying the festival in Napier on Sunday. Napier MP Katie Nimon is also pictured (left). Photo / Facebook
Key and Ardern received good marks from Cocking for their outfits.
“Jacinda’s outfit is colourful and in the Art Deco style, so a nice nod to the style but not overdone,” he said of her 2019 attire.
He said John Key’s outfit, when he attended as Prime Minister, managed three of the four “Bs” for 1930s gentlemen’s casual wear – boater hat, blazer and bow tie.
John "Bertie" Cocking steering his way through the throngs at the Art Deco Festival. Photo / Paul Taylor
It only missed “bags”, meaning wide-bottomed, pale trousers.
“But all in all a great effort.”
As for Luxon’s outfit, he remarked “poor Christopher”.
“Modern casual clothes topped by a hat, yes, but the hat is 50s style not 1930s.
“Even with the addition of the gorgeous Born to Move dance troupe he’s missed the boat."
Festival-goers watching on from a balcony on Napier's Emerson St. Photo / Paul Taylor
He declared Key the winner, followed by Ardern, with Luxon a “distant third”.
Hawke’s Bay stylist and image consultant Maria Ward said when considering an outfit for a party or event, people had two main options – to underdress or overdress.
“If you’re hesitating, leaning toward slightly overdressed is usually the safer, more respectful choice.”
She said overdressing was a compliment to the host, who had put in effort to organise the party or occasion, and it built a relationship and respect.
“In this case, it is like you are invited to a party and the party is Art Deco.”
Stuart Nash with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Napier's Art Deco Festival in 2020. Photo / Supplied
However, she said Luxon’s outfit was likely chosen from the perspective of being in the community for the day and being approachable, as opposed to attending a party.
“It is also his image. He is like that. He wants to be able to reach out, and people come to him and have access to him.”
She said that from the photos she’d seen of him during the day, he did achieve that goal, and was often chatting to people and seemed approachable.
“If he went all out, he would look a bit celebrity‑ish, and that’s not what he would have wanted."
She said as far as advice went, he could have perhaps “met in the middle” in terms of an outfit.
The Prime Minister’s office was asked for comment on the outfit choice but had not responded at time of publication.
Art Deco Trust general manager Jeremy Smith said the four-day festival, which concluded on Sunday, had been amazing.
The weather was “perfect” and, anecdotally, speaking with fellow organisers, he said crowd sizes were similar to pre-Covid levels or perhaps even higher. He said “a great deal” of events sold out.
The festival also injected millions of dollars into the local economy, with retail, hospitality and accommodation providers all being kept busy, he said.
There was also an army of motorhomes that occupied the large grass area off Marine Parade, south of the aquarium, for the festival.
