KEY POINTS:
Tribal politics
Viva has a surprising high-level friend, with the Prime Minister telling the opening of Air New Zealand Fashion Week that she'd been swotting up on the Auckland fashion scene thanks to the cover story of last week's issue on the Seven Tribes of Fashion. Helen
Clark, dressed in dark no-nonsense jacket and trousers, quickly identified herself as the Invited Guest Tribe, but in reading that this lot were marked by high heels and frou frou frocks she said: "At that point I thought I'd better find an 8th tribe." Still, the PM was clearly among friends at opening night with her endorsement of this seventh Fashion Week as helping to brand New Zealand internationally as a sophisticated and creative nation.
On their way
Kate Sylvester (pictured) and Adrian Hailwood are this year's recipients of the Air New Zealand export awards to enable designers to expand overseas. Sylvester picks up $30,000 and plans to check out opportunities in Japan, after concentrating her business, run with partner Wayne Conway, in Australasia. She is also moving to a more sustainable business model, introducing organic fabrics and recycling, but thanks to the travel award she may need to watch her carbon footprint. Hailwood gets $16,000 and thanked his mentor, fellow designer Annah Stretton, with helping get the business side of his enterprise on track in recent years. Last year's winner Huffer recently signed a deal with a US apparel company.
Hanging on
Fashion Week director Pieter Stewart took a call from a woman called Helen the other day. Her "Helen who"? inquiry, got a short sharp reply: The Prime Minister. Was it a hoax, or for real, Stewart wondered for a moment. But let's not forget how hands-on our leader is.
Family affair
When a model for Adrian Hailwood suffered a broken leg, who you gonna call. A Stewart, of course, and to prove the week is more than a mother and daughter act of Pieter and brand manager Myken, this time it was little sister Anneke who stepped into the rescue. The photographer has done a bit of modelling in the past and easily slotted into the show, complete with feather false lashes. Backstage at many of the show's there's makeup artist sister Kirsten and Pieter's husband joins her frontrow.
Fashion Week 4U
To find out more about how you can participate in the public days on Friday and Saturday, and for information on the Designer Garage Sale on the same days, go to www.designergaragesale.co.nz