Expert Eye: Kathryn Wilson 2010

A model wears shoes by Kathryn Wilson on day one of New Zealand Fashion Week. Photo / Getty Images

It was, of course, all about the accessories at the hotly anticipated Kathryn Wilson show. This, the first shoe show to be held at Fashion Week, was one of the most impactfully styled.

It needed to be, to both focus on and the footwear and create enough other visual interest to sustain the long walk down the Big Tent's runway. Robert Palmer-style glamazons in black leotards with long, long legs carried this off confidently. Their conical ponytails and vinyl red lips added high-wattage appeal, but the neon-edged runway drew eyes back to the main attraction.

Wilson has won plenty of fans with her work over the last few years and drew a supportive 1000-strong crowd in the first show of the day that felt like an "event".

There was even a group of friends sitting in the front row dressed model-style including Shortland St star Kimberly Crossman and Cleo editor, Shelley Hill.

From the clever idea of showing the audience's footwear on overhead screens as they entered the arena, to the close ups of the shoes on parade this was a smart show.

And so to the colourful - and wearable - shoes and boots. Mostly with platforms, they came with medium wooden soles or as suede wedges, as soaring black leather stiletto booties with laces threaded through silver rings, and as over-the-knee cuffed boots.

Toes were often enclosed, but there were plenty of slingbacks and although styles were repeated, variations kept up the interest.

The suedes were particularly appealing in red, purple, olive, tan, and black, some tassled and with tie backs or cut-out sides. A few were in animal print, not the obvious leopard, but a more subtle black and grey combination.

A brogue-style was refashioned into a high platform boot and a thick-heeled pump with a tasseled tongue stood out in mustard leather, with the final shoe on having a fluorescent floral fabric print.