Everything Jesse Mulligan Wore To Present The Aotearoa Music Awards 2025

Viva’s dining out editor Jesse Mulligan had the honour of presenting this year’s Aotearoa Music Awards, a role that requires a coterie of beautiful outfits. He teamed up with stylist Sarah Stuart for a parade of New Zealand-designed looks for the evening.

I’m better known for food than fashion, but the music awards is the one chance I get each year to push the boat out. I called stylist Sarah Stuart (who dressed me for seven years on The Project) and gave her the brief: make it special, and make it memorable.

That might sound simple, but of course, I was giving her a number of problems to solve.

“Dressing a presenter for a live event requires careful thought,” she explains. “How the fabric moves under stage lights, how it feels on the body, and how it captures the tone of the evening. At last year’s Aotearoa Music Awards, I dressed Jesse in some of Aotearoa’s most iconic designers, including Zambesi, Wynn Hamlyn, Beach Brains and WORLD. This year, I wanted to shift focus and highlight emerging New Zealand talent, designers who are shaping the future of New Zealand fashion.”

That suited me. Our music industry is a mix of legends and rising stars, so it felt good to have a night celebrating some of our newest talent. After weeks of fittings and planning, here’s what Sarah and I went with.

Black tux by T. Begg, a made-to-measure menswear brand, with a statement bow shirt by Trelise Cooper called the ‘On a Sheer’ blouse.

Sarah says this was “a refined mix of masculine tailoring and soft femininity. A play on texture and black on black”. Shoes by Bared Footwear.

Finn is a 23-year-old designer based in Tāmaki Makaurau who says, “The outfit for Jesse was made from cotton canvas, adorned with a repeating screenprinted texture that is taken from broken tiles of an old car park in Newmarket. I often find textures from neglected infrastructure tell an authentic story of our daily rituals, as they are silent observers of our lives”. Shoes by Dr Martens.

Custom graphic suit by Vandal & Hound, designed by Caden Larsen

“A vibrant statement piece full of personality,” says Sarah. Caden adds, “The garments created for Jesse at the Aotearoa Music Awards explore themes of ngahere and wairua. Elevating existing knowledge, and sharing the beauty of my home, this series of garments aims to amplify existing images of flora and fauna with graphic oversaturated colours and patterns”, an approach he calls “razzle camouflage”. Shoes by Dr Martens.

Oversized neutral suit by Adrion Atelier, designed by Adrian Williams

Sarah describes this look as “relaxed but intentional. It leans into the evolution of suiting, where comfort meets elegance, experimenting with proportions”. Part of Adrian’s Opaque Boundaries collection, this outfit is a great example of his kaupapa.

“We have small production runs to ensure our garments are unique,” says Adrian, “and crafted with the highest attention to detail. Our clothes are designed to be worn, played with, dressed up and dressed down. Our garments are gender-free, because we believe anyone can wear what they want, however they want to wear it.” Shirt by Wynn Hamlyn. Shoes by Bared Footwear.

Sarah calls this “an ode to quiet luxury. This coat speaks for itself, layered over a crisp shirt and trousers. Subtle texture and clean lines allow the outerwear to be the hero without overpowering the look”.

With a background in professional photography and creative direction, Jakob’s work blends bold storytelling with timeless sophistication.

He tells me “the jacket is a custom-designed, tailored piece with a sharp shoulder silhouette and clean lines. It features a deep midnight navy fabric with and minimalist detailing, made to elevate any formal look with understated elegance.” Zambesi shirt and Wynn Hamlyn pants.

All sunglasses by Elhem glasses, rings by Stolen Girlfriends Club.

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