Fashion Week done and dusted

The champagne flutes are packed away, the air-kissing is over and 200 models are back in trainers and jeans for the weekend.

That's Fashion Week done and dusted for another year, with 45 exhausted designers anxiously waiting for interest to turn into orders.

For some there has been immediate success: Adrian Hailwood won the eye of Australian department store David Jones, which already sells other top New Zealand designers; Trelise Cooper attracted more interest from the United States; and commercial label Catalyst picked up extra outlets.

For others the news may not be so good, for this was a year marked by mixed offerings at the Air New Zealand-sponsored trade shows.

The return to the runway of Dunedin's Tanya Carlson, whose collection had a 1970s rock-chick glam, and of Kate Sylvester with her 1930s styles inspired by the Mitford sisters, were highlights.

Sabatini White, with new young designer Emma Grogan, followed a strong show in 2003 with a lovely collection of saleable featherweight knits.

RJC, which opened the week with a refreshing show setting the scene by signalling a colourful winter ahead, has reaped the rewards in buyer interest. Karen Walker closed the week in style on Thursday night with a punchy 1930s-meets-80s safari-themed show which was totally modern. The colour mix of turquoise, cream, brown and chrome yellow cut through.

In between those shows was the inspiring, the ordinary and the awful.

Trelise Cooper showed a refinement of line in a truly beautiful range in which nip-waisted jackets and Deco-style beaded eveningwear shone. For those who sometimes find her confections a little sugary, this year there was agreement that she had spun the decoration deliciously.

Big-name labels like World, Zambesi and Nom*D built on a theme. The World show lacked a little of its usual high theatre - or perhaps it's just that we've seen it before. Zambesi was assured and elegant and Nom*D revved up the usual grungy sweats with flashes of fluoro colour.

Their shows won acclaim, as did other less-worthy efforts, perhaps convincing television audiences that everything was fab. It wasn't, and applause from fans, friends and family isn't as indicative as buyers and critics scribbling notes when something, rather than someone, catches the eye.

"The personalities are more important than the fashion," a cynical Hugh Sundae was heard to say, as yet another name was ushered into a seat.

But the real business is selling clothes. Fashion Week has shown us that next winter these will be wearable and colourful.

But the true verdict is in the hands of the shopper.


What's hot

MENSWEAR

* Has an urban street edge.

* Casual sweats and screen-printed shirts and T-shirts mix with suiting.

* Top the look with a well-cut coat in tweed and check.

* Knits are merino fine to layer under Ts or chunky and cabled.

WOMENSWEAR

* Is fitted, with neat jackets, lean skirts eased by goring and kick pleats and higher-waisted pants.

* If you buy anything next winter make it a coat. Look for delicate tweed checks, shaped backs and detailing in velvet.

* Knits are delicate, with finely woven lace-like texture or stripey and bold.

* It's full-on glamour for evening in fluid beaded and sequin shifts, worn with velvet capelets.

COLOUR

* You can't escape the colour revolution and won't want to with shades ranging from subtle to sharp.

* Black does not figure, but will always be a building block in many wardrobes so if you must, make it modern, with accent colours such as turquoise, light lime and yellow.

* Use charcoal or chocolate, tan and creams as your new wardrobe basics, but avoid dowdiness by mixing in teals, red and yellow.