Hogan sets first day with flirty salon feel

Hogan's show was one of the most cohesive collections of the day. Picture / Martin Sykes

Assured design won day one at Fashion Week, from up-and-comers with a clear vision, to established names with coherent collections.

In between were some shows that we'd rather the event's international guests didn't have to sit through - either not accomplished or original enough.

Young Auckland designer Juliette Hogan was an early surprise at the Air New Zealand-sponsored event with her show Your Catwalk or Mine? Other rising designers such as Cybele and Hailwood also impressed before the day ended with crowd pleasers of a very different ilk in glamorous Liz Mitchell and grungy Nom*D.

Hogan's show had a mannered salon feel with songs about wanting to be a butterfly and was one of the most cohesive collections of the day.

Every piece was eminently wearable, from the first cute grey flannel minidress through to the stunning dark blue and charcoal print dress, the fun-loving, flannel shorts-suit and the beautiful navy dress with pale blue military-feel coat left open but caught with a skinny belt.

Kingan Jones was a more established designer who also sent out an accomplished collection, inventive, ladylike and youthful all at once. The dresses - mostly minis - were stunners from the violet zigzag print versions through to the belted dress with lace detailing at the sleeve. The liberal use of skinny leggings, printed scarves, the odd military-feel coat, paper bag pleated skirt and easy, wearable thin gauge knits made the show a stunner to watch.

For her Blue Blood collection, fellow young designer Cybele Wiren had a multitude of references. These included Joan of Arc, Warhol, the Middle Ages with knights and dragons, the Memphis group, and artist MC Escher.

The main motif was the graphic use of a chain print. The cute grey denim pinafore mini with crossover back got chains in grey denim relief, so did the chiffon tunics, the simple T-shirts and the red strapless dress, which had chains around the bodice. Other eye-catching effects were dramatic use of strong blues, greens, yellows and reds, often on black, and the fabulous metallic 24-carat gold and black print dresses and its silver counterpart.

Before Adrian Hailwood's show no one quite knew whether the hand of designer Annah Stretton and her mass-market touch would be felt. The successful businesswoman has become his business partner and adviser. But the creative decisions were clearly Hailwood's and loyal fans got the 80s-feel collection that has become his signature. Minor hiccup though: two of the heels of the label's shoes snapped clean off.

This season's T-shirts featured the cutesy dog with a bone and wide-eyed boy images many of us will remember from the bedroom walls in the 70s.

Boys got hot orange pants and emerald green was another strong colour, this in a chunky striped vest for boys and, with black floral print, looked well in a strapless dress worn over a grey T-shirt for girls.

Liz Mitchell's couture expertise was very much on show in her Undercurrent collection. She set the scene early with sandcastles dotted along the runway. Minimalist daywear, morphed into frilled cocktail hour dressing, before the appearance of no-expense-spared evening gowns, such as the strapless sequined bodice sea-foam green puffed bell skirt and sheer mesh tops with strategically-placed Swarovski crystals.

But her assured, pure and refined aesthetic shone through with her black pieces all the better to show the skilful tailoring with. There were beautifully cut black coats and stunning jackets with grand flourishes of detailing, such as the sleeve that becomes a puffball from the elbow and the exaggerated collars. Accessorised by wooden crosses, the effect wandered into a nun's habit territory, although goodness knows what they'd be strolling along the beach for.

Doris De Pont sounded good on paper. Known for printing the art of various artists on to her designs, winter's Sampler offerings included a tile pattern similar to Split Enz suits.

She certainly mixed things up, pairing cropped jackets, blue velveteen jackets with yellow butterfly on the pocket, subtle camo print jackets with belted dresses, brightly coloured tights, stovepipe pants, chunky leggings and fingerless gloves for a no-holds-barred effect.

IPG's Turet Knuefermann has a reputation for sexy, body-conscious dresses, which would explain her love of all things Latin. She obviously has her mind on other things at the moment, styling the contestants of NZ Idol, as she sent out pretty much the same frocks she's been doing for years.

There was the regulation slinky white, column dress with cutaway sides and the ultra-tight black numbers that rule out eating for the day, but that was really it.

Wellington designer Andrea Moore had fun with her Saint collection. To the strains of the theme tune from the 60s telly show The Saint, Moore sent out a few good maxis fitted through the waist - one in a black and white zebra print, another a brown version with a huge leaf print - as well as some very nice striped knits in combinations such as teal and black.

As established designers go, it was Kingan Jones who sent out the most accomplished collection, managing to be inventive, ladylike and youthful all at once. The dresses - mostly minis - were stunners from the violet zigzag print versions through to the belted dress with lace detailing at the sleeve. The liberal use of skinny leggings, printed scarves, the odd military-feel coat, paper bag pleated skirt and easy, wearable thin gauge knits made the show a stunner to watch.