A model wears a pair of Kathryn Wilson shoes. Photo / Supplied
Choosing to end her show with Beyonce's Girls (who run the world) seemed like an appropriate way to solidify local footwear designer Kathryn Wilson's girl power credentials when it comes to her brand and business.
As designer and director of Kathryn Wilson Shoes and Miss Wilson Footwear (a younger diffusion
line introduced earlier this year), the rapid progression she has made since the former label's inception back in 2003 is astonishing.
Fast track to 2011 NZFW, closing the official Fashion Week show schedule with a much-hyped off site show that was free to the public, her ability to pull a crowd and win over her numerous sponsors only highlights the kind of media savvy and clever business acumen the designer has managed to discover over the years.
Last night's show highlighted a much bigger collection, and opened with a 20-minute video documenting Wilson's day-to-day running of the Kathryn Wilson brand, from shooting product look books and campaigns with local fashion photographer Stephen Tilley; to an inside look at one of her manufacturing facilities in China.
In a time where Chinese offshore manufacturing is giving local manufacturers a run for their money, it's admirable to see Wilson's willingness to be as transparent and up front about all aspects of her business to her customers as possible.
