Everybody's talking about ... NZ Fashion Week

MORE THAN JUST FASHION ...

This year, more NZ designers than ever are wearing their big hearts on their sleeve. Sera Lilly is currently training for the "Fight For Life" charity boxing event - who'd have guessed that this creator of ultra-feminine frocks would be squaring up to Anika Moa? And because she's clearly not busy enough organising the Zambesi show, Marissa Findlay is working on a charity ball at the Hilton on September 18 for Sustainable Coastlines, a Rangitoto Island clean-up operation. Meanwhile, Starfish designer Laurie Foon has teamed up with Project Crimson. Foon has designed a special Bloomer T-shirt and all proceeds go to helping Project Crimson Trust with its work planting and protecting pohutukawa and rata throughout the country. Plus, as a bonus, if you buy one before September 19, you'll go in the draw to win tickets to Starfish's opening show at Fashion Week. Buy the tees at Starfish's Wellington store or go to projectcrimson.org.nz. And some people think fashion is just about frocks...

SHOE OF THE WEEK?

Talking of Starfish, a label which takes its eco-friendly values seriously, we're thrilled to be able to give you the first look at these gorgeous clogs (see main image) which will be worn on the runway by the Starfish models. They're made by shoe designer Laura Bolton of Moki Aotearoa and are cleverly crafted from recycled rimu found in a building in Lyttleton. Not only that, all the buckles, tacks and leather straps are sourced in New Zealand.

Getting the shoes finished in time for next week's show has been a challenge in light of the recent earthquakes near her Le Bons Bay studio, but it has inspired her even more, she says.

"It has been a surreal time, but it has woken me up to our amazing communities and how lucky we all are to live here in what I call my paradise.

"At Moki Aotearoa we work to create footwear that is made in an ethical way. We do not use excessive machine processes, and work to reduce waste."

Here at Viva we love that these clogs have such meaning and haven't been churned out in a factory somewhere in Asia. We can't wait to see the new range of summer sandals, high heel court shoes and ankle boots planned for the next few seasons. For more info, go to mokiaotearoa.com.

MOET DOES FASHION

Champagne and fashion go hand in hand, so we think that Moet & Chandon as the official champagne of NZFW is the perfect match. This year the exclusive and glam Moet & Chandon lounge will showcase a very special hand-crafted gold-leaf jeroboam of Moet & Chandon Imperial - the first one in NZ. The large format bottle will be signed by VIP celebrities attending the Moet & Chandon Launch Party on Monday night, and later auctioned off in support of Oxfam New Zealand. Scarlett Johansson was the first celebrity to sign a gold jeroboam for charity, and other stars who have lent their name for the cause include Kirsten Dunst and Juliette Binoche. Who will sign our golden bottle? We'll find out on Monday night.

NEXT TOP MODELS

It's all about the clothes, but we'll also be taking note of who's wearing them: this year Vogue Australia cover models Samantha Harris and Alice Burdeu are coming across to walk in shows and we hear that both are in hot demand. The stunning Harris has walked the NZFW runways before, back in 2006 - that was before she hit the big time and became only the second Aboriginal model to grace the cover of Vogue. Flame-haired beauty Burdeu may be familiar to some readers: she was the third season winner of Australia's Next Top Model. And speaking of top model: Krista White, the American winner of the recent cycle that was filmed in New Zealand, is making her way down under as a VIP guest, and will possibly make an appearance on the runway at the Nicole Miller show.

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Huffer has warned us that its show is outdoors, so dress for warmth, Stolen Girlfriends Club's presentation will be held in the oldest surviving theatre in Auckland, and Ruby will be having bubbles and breakfast before their 9am show next Wednesday. And we're excited about Nom.d's off-site show, dubbed "Danse Macabre", which will feature three acts and has been described to us as being something very special and unique.

BEAUTY QUEENS

In a Fashion Week first, this year there will be a dedicated cosmetics show as well as the artistry on display throughout the week.

Local celebrities will feature in the public weekend event from Phoenix House of Makeup, with models including Shortland Street cast members Kimberly Crossman, who plays Sophie McKay, Faye Smith (Nurse Tania Jeffries), Sally Martin (Nurse Nicole Miller) and Frankie Adams (troubled teen Ula Levi). Phoenix show attendees will see the newest makeup colours and looks and we're told the celebs will be adorned with Swarovski crystals. The show is in Shed 1, on Saturday at 4.15pm.

Other firsts this year are Kathryn Wilson's shoe show, which isn't just about the shoes. (They'll be topped by St Tropezed legs for a natural look tan and a glam makeup look). A bridal parade is also included for the first time and will be repeated at the public weekend, as a source of hair and makeup ideas as well as inspiration for what dress to wear on the big day. For the third year in a row, the plus-size crowd is catered for by The Carpenter's Daughter.

Look out for sensational nails at Sera Lilly.

RETROSPECTIVE SHOW

One of the highlights is set to be the retrospective show next Friday, which will look back at 10 years of NZ Fashion Week. Some of our favourite moments? Witnessing strong NZFW debuts from emerging designers, the growing sophistication of show production, and seeing trends from 10 years ago appear again on the NZFW runway.

MAC ATTACK

M.A.C dominates makeup again this year, doing 21 shows with a team of 70 makeup artists, including 10 flown in from Australia and one from China. Senior makeup artist Amber Dreadon, who has been on the show circuit in Milan and Paris, will help realise key international trends - look out for her work at the likes of Zambesi and Trelise Cooper.

Nicole Miller uses M.A.C for her New York shows and has kept the allegiance for her Downunder debut, with Kristen Stewart, daughter of Fashion Week managing director Pieter Stewart, running that show. After she dealt with the spray tan and glossy pouts at Pammy Anderson last year, this will doubtless be more haute than hot.

Off the runway, Fashion Week is also a launching pad for businesses, and one new to this country is Inika, an "eco-glam" mineral makeup brand from Australia, which boasts the purity of its ingredients. TVNZ's head of makeup Paula Taylor has been testing the product with good results and says the colours are sensational. The brand's founder Miranda Bond will speak about the products and their certified purity at 3pm on Saturday - get along early for giveaways.

RISE OF THE BLOGGER

There isn't much room at the busy media centre for the proliferation of bloggers, so this year a few of them will find a home (and no doubt a free drink or two) in a corner of the M.A.C/ghd hospitality lounge, where Front Row Diary will be playing host to a few friends. Lounge invites are much sought after: M.A.C issues just over 500 for the week and inside guests can refresh themselves while getting hair and makeup touch-ups and now mini manis from Orly.

WHO'S WHO OF HAIR

Fudge is flying over top Australian stylist Luana Coscia for the Jimmy D show. She's worked with a host of big names in fashion and music, plus on Australian Fashion Week shows for Dion Lee, Romance was Born, Ksubi and many more. To keep her hand in on the cutting room floor, Coscia works one day a week at the star salon of expat Kiwi Brad Ngata. Her speciality is "beautiful, but with a twist".

Stylists from Stephen Marr will be among the busiest in town next week, responsible for hair at a dozen big name shows. Servilles is repeating its public day shows which give a trend overview and the team is also working on a number of other shows throughout the week.

For Stolen Girlfriends Club and Huffer expect hair with attitude from Greg Murrell at Ryder. Grant Bettjeman's long-standing collaboration with Trelise Cooper continues. D&M's Danny Pato is working with Kathryn Wilson and fellow award winners Iain Smith of Me and Mana Dave of Blaze will also be toiling backstage.

One stylist whose work you won't get to see is Richard Kavanagh. He's in Milan next week after a stint in New York and then he travels to Paris at the end of the month to work the international runways for Redken.

MUSIC WORKS

Their show is one of the most highly anticipated, for the clothes as much as the music. Twenty-seven names have quickly become known for their great selection of show tunes, which has in the past included old school favourites including Warren G, Notorious B.I.G and Black Sabbath. Next week the Wellington-based designers Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart will showcase a new collection inspired by the late 1990s, cutely called The Fearsome Five (we have seen it and it is even better than their last). The fearsome twosome won't let slip what songs to expect on the runway next Thursday morning, but they did put together an exclusive mixtape for us - 90s tunes included. Go forth and download and pretend you're at the show.

Infinite - Eminem
Shutterbug - Big Boi
H. - Tool
What a Job - Devin the Dude Feat. Snoop Dogg & Andre 3000
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Cowgirl in the Sand - Neil Young
Who Dat - J. Cole
Don't Let Go - En Vogue

'VIP' GUESTS

Last year it was blogger Rumi Neely, and this year it's ... er, blogger Rumi Neely. The style blogger will return to NZFW for a second time to cover the event with Front Row Diary. Another blogger that we'll be keeping our eye on is Gala Gonzalez, the London-based girl behind the blog Inside Am-Lul's Closet. She hung out with the Stolen Girlfriends Club team a couple of weeks back, so expect her to be wearing lots from them.

Representatives from international publications like UK Vogue, Women's Wear Daily, Russh, Harper's Bazaar Australia, and Flaunt will be attending shows next week too.

Other VIPs? Derek Warburton, dubbed a "lifestyle guru", and "it boy". He's actually a stylist, having co-styled Sean Paul for Interview magazine and Beyonce for a House of Dereon campaign. He's also worked as a fashion trend reporter for Fox News, and runs a lifestyle website called DerekLovesShopping.com.

THE FASHION WEEKEND

During the week it's all serious business; journalists meeting deadlines, fashion buyers allocating their annual spend and industry people networking and discussing future business ideas. The NZ Fashion Weekend, on the other hand, is when the fun begins. The doors open to the public on the afternoon of Friday September 24 and there's a whole host of hip and happening fashionable experiences not to miss. Top of the list is the NZ Herald Garage Sale where you can shop to your heart's content picking up great bargains from top designers and beauty companies. There is a whole host of workshops and seminars from the likes of Paul Serville and his creative team sharing salon secrets through to runway shows showing current season looks and highlights from the autumn/winter 2011 collections. Big events include the Designer Selection Show, the Bridal Collection Show - the first of its kind - and the New Generation Show featuring up-and-coming talent. Entry to the Fashion Weekend costs $20. Tickets for the Designer Collection Show are $65-$100. To book, go to iticket.co.nz.

THIRSTY BUSINESS

The most fashionable drink this year has to be anything with Absolut Vodka in it. Not only is the brand a key sponsor of Fashion Week it also has a impressively long relationship with the world of fashion - dating back to 1988 when legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel shot an Absolut Vodka advertising campaign. Since then it's been involved in fashion projects with the likes of Tom Ford, Stella McCartney and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Here in New Zealand, Absolut is collaborating with local designers Adrian Hailwood, Federation and Lonely Hearts (and you can win a bespoke custom-made garment made by one of these designers and pieces from their current collections by going to absolut.com/nz). In the chicest bars across town you can also order cocktails created by the designers using Absolut, while at the Fashion Weekend there will be the Absolut Studio with a host of top bands and DJs.

STAUNCH SUPPORTERS

A round of applause, please, for Zambesi, Nom.d and Trelise Cooper, who have shown at every single NZ Fashion Week since it launched 10 years ago. That's commitment and dedication, and each year they never fail to amaze with innovative and moody - (Zambesi and Nom.d) and colourful, uplifting (Trelise) shows.

LAUGH OUT LOUD

Despite the pofaced stereotype, designers and fashion insiders actually tend to have quite a wicked sense of humour. Will this humour translate into the NZFW comedy show that is being held next Wednesday night? We're intrigued. A Fashionable Laugh will feature comedians Ewen Gilmour, Jimmy the Dwarf, Clayton Carrick-Leslie, Millen Baird and Gish, and tickets are $39.50 from iTicket.

STREET GLAMOUR

Look out next Wednesday September 22, when Viva goes glam with a special glossy exterior to showcase the best in New Zealand fashion. You'll also notice around Auckland's CBD on Wednesday morning that our Herald paper sellers will be aptly dressed in the latest Moochi spring collection and looking catwalk-ready in the latest in makeup trends from M.A.C. Don't miss your NZ Fashion Week collector's edition of Viva on sale next Wednesday.