New Zealand Fashion Week - Kahuria: Meet The Designers Set To Forecast The Future Of Fashion

At New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria these rising designers will showcase their vivid visions.

New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria is preparing for its refreshed return on August 25. Shed 10 is set to welcome eight rising designers to show a collection of their choice in the Future of Fashion Showcase Delivered by DHL.

The designers have been selected by an expert panel, comprised of NZFW board member and creative director and Viva‘s former fashion editor and creative director Dan Ahwa, photographer Holly Sarah Burgess (Ngāpuhi, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi), designer James Bush and creative Thistle Brown.

This show is a development of New Zealand Fashion Week’s Next Generation runway, with a greater focus on longevity – the judges look to highlight designers with at least three years in business, who are creatively and commercially driven.

Bronwyn

Curated, elevated and conscious. Those are the values that Sarah Street holds close for Bronwyn, the footwear brand she founded in 2021. There’s another that she highlights too: “heart”.

This is realised through her designs, which tend to adopt minimalist silhouettes and little embellishments. The idea is to create pieces that will endure phases in a consumer’s wardrobe.

“A key focus of that is designing for longevity and keeping customers at the core of everything we do. When designing, I like to nod to trends, but not be trend driven, which I think is a key to creating footwear wardrobe staples.”

“I think brands have a responsibility to the community for representation and inclusivity, so that’s something we’re focused on as well.”

Bronwyn is named for Sarah’s late mother, who also centres in one of her earliest fashion memories.

“When we were young my late mother, who this brand is named after, had a small home-based bridal boutique selling wedding dresses. My three sisters and I used to love sneaking down to the fitting area to play dress up. I remember being really fascinated by the incredible beading work on some of the gowns.”

On the runway, Sarah will deliver a selection of her upcoming resort collection and is also considering a sneak peek of Bronwyn’s autumn/winter ‘26 range.

Daf Nimkovsky

Dafna Nimkovsky launched this (abbreviated) eponymous label in 2020, following a public debut at the AUT Rookie Fashion Show in 2018.

Her range is all made in NZ, in small batches with deadstock fabrics. In the process of production, Dafna prioritises handcrafting – she points to the precise twists and gatherings created with spandex for her Wabi dress as an example of opportunity in the revival of handcraft.

“I’m drawn to the way fabric drapes and holds the body, and always find myself returning to the traditions of clothing, to consider and then manipulate or distort.”

This distortion, and Dafna’s interest in both masculine and feminine coded design cues, exists in one of her earliest fashion memories, too.

“[I pulled] pieces from my mum’s wardrobe which inspired an early obsession to play with my style. I’d remove the ‘80s shoulder pads and loved wearing clothes no one else had around me.”

Daf Nimkovsky sells directly to consumers online, but is also stocked at Pōneke fashion destination Bizarre Bazaar – suited to shop owner Jess Scott’s curation of all things interesting and subversive.

For the showcase at Shed 20, Dafna is looking forward to sharing an embellished and adorned “visual extravaganza”.

Depth of Scye

Rebecca Tannant and Caleb Mahurangi William Barnett (Ngāpuhi) are the designer-artist duo behind Depth of Scye. The slow fashion label launched in 2021, with a distinct aesthetic that merges Victorian-inspired couture with punkish elements. Think romantic blouses, basque skirts and decorated leather.

“We love to play with contrasting elements in our work, softness and structure, luxury and grunge, romance and rebellion,” they say.

“We are often inspired by historical and costume pieces where the more detail the better.”

Caleb, who has also worked as a graphic designer, came to fashion design through the handpainting of leather jackets. This led to collaborations with Stolen Girlfriends Club and Superette. Rebecca also worked in the local industry after graduating from NZ Fashion Tech, honing skills for pattern-making and construction.

“Quality is everything to us, we follow the process right from design through to pattern-making and sewing, allowing for a level of intimacy and control that you can feel in the final garment.”

Depth of Scye is the result of a years-long collaboration between Rebecca and Caleb, who forged a friendship at high school and built their working relationship through university. The label emerged after they showcased clothing for a runway at the Wellington Festival of Fashion.

Since then, working from Ōtautahi Christchurch, they’ve also had their pieces worn on the global stage. Australian musician Montaigne wore a frilled collar on the carpet at the 2024 Grammy Awards, while Benee donned a more vampiric version for her Beach Boy music video. Last year, they also showcased garments at the buzzy Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa. It’s been an intense few years but they’re leaning on each other to move forward.

“The most rewarding part is seeing people connect with our brand and actively choosing to spend their hard-earned money on our garments. The challenging part has been learning to operate a business while juggling our personal lives no matter what is happening.”

Tartan, leather and silks are to be expected for their showing at New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria. Rebecca and Caleb call this “Scye trifecta”.

Gemma Lee

Growing up, Gemma Wagstaff spent most of her time in the water. Across surf life saving, surfing and swimming, togs and wetsuits became a staple of her everyday wardrobe.

This experience has made her deeply familiar about how that swimwear, notorious for its fussy fabrications, is supposed to feel in the waves. Merged with a life-long ambition to become a fashion designer – she recalls sketching out garments from the age of 10 after watching Project Runway – Gemma has honed intimate knowledge of her craft.

For her designs, Gemma prioritises fit, performance and vibrant colour (to challenge plainer industry standards).

“Swimwear and wetsuit materials can be tricky – they’re stretchy, technical, and have to hold up in some pretty harsh conditions: saltwater, sun, sand, and everything in between. Getting the fit right is crucial, especially across different body types. The fabric has to hug in the right places, stay put in the surf, and still feel comfortable."

At iD Dunedin Fashion Week in 2018, Gemma won the award for Most Commercial Collection. Shortly after, the designer launched Gemma Lee, a label full of colourful and ’70s-inspired swimwear and wetsuits.

Gemma is looking at “bringing the beach to the runway” with this collection, filled with colour, hand-drawn prints and practical silhouettes.

“For our most recent collection, I spent 22 hours drawing the artwork, and I’m so proud of how it turned out. You’ll see a big influence from the ’70s in my designs. Groovy shapes, bold colour, and that carefree retro energy I love bringing into the water.”

Riel

Joelle Rueckert’s thesis for Riel, launched in 2021, is clear at first glance. The designer repurposes secondhand garments – primarily menswear – to create pieces with fresh silhouettes. In texture and pattern, you might recognise a button-up shirt, but Joelle’s touch transforms the discarded garment into something wearable and new.

“My designs are often influenced by the pieces I’m reworking, and also by that sweet balance of combining masculine and feminine silhouettes,” she explains. “I love asymmetry and also variability in clothes, so there are often small elements where you can change and choose how to style or wear pieces.”

After graduating from AUT, Joelle spent time as a machinist at Paris Georgia and Ruby. In launching Riel, Joelle was focused on ethical and sustainably-minded production – she utilises vintage and secondhand clothing, recycled and deadstock materials to make her garments.

“The most rewarding part definitely has been building a community of people who really enjoy my ethos and brand, just as much as I do.”

Riel has collaborated with local labels Hej Hej (now closed) and Wixii, and is a staple of Karangahape Rd boutique Crushes. Joelle is excited for the influence these production methods can have on the wider industry.

At New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria, Joelle is looking forward to delivering a twist on audience expectations.

“[It] might be a little different than what you’re used to seeing, with a few more masculine and conceptual elements incorporated.”

OHN

Designer John Tanuvasa is drawn to bold and empowering design. After studying fashion at AUT, he developed OHN to realise the transformative power of clothing.

“At the heart of my design philosophy is the idea of encouraging others to feel confident.”

Part of this means recognising the reality of what it means to wear clothing. This means dropping restrictive labels, designing an inclusive size range and understanding how clothing can accommodate ever-changing bodies.

“Our bodies aren’t static, so why should clothing be? A key principle is to create garments that adapt.”

His earliest fashion memory was formed through the familial. John’s mother was a machinist for workwear brand Line 7.

“I’d fall asleep to the sound of her sewing machine and wake up to it still going. Even now, if I’m with her while she sews, it makes me feel calm and sometimes I drift off.”

John feels the runway is a special place for OHN’s storytelling. He’s made this clear with showings at the 2023 Pacific Fusion Fashion, a solo show at Te Oro Music and Arts Centre and Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa earlier this year.

“The runway is where OHN’s message comes alive — it’s a space to celebrate confidence, individuality, and the power of clothing to transform how we see ourselves.“

Too Cruel To Be Kind

Rhys Muru King’s explorations for Too Cruel To Be Kind are intensely textural – tough leather is paired with unspooling knits and reclaimed lace to create a strong sensory experience. This approach goes beyond clothing too, with barbed silver rings and necklaces a part of the collections.

The label, launched in 2020, sees Rhys expressing themes of nostalgia and queerness through design, while also drawing on mementos of lived experience.

“I’m inspired by real life. The memories, the people, the stories that stick with me.”

There’s another pillar of the label that encourages an inventive approach.

“Sustainability is a big part of what I do. I don’t just recycle, I rethink waste as something that can keep going. I take a holistic, multidisciplinary approach; designing not just garments, but wearable expressions of identity.”

Rhys brings this approach to other spaces too, working as a costume designer (ensembles have been featured on Drag Race Down Under) and as a lecturer at Whitecliffe.

Rhys has also worked closely alongside designer Nicole Van Vuuren, for their joint project Nvvr World. The duo have organised multiple runway shows with the aim of platforming forward-thinking, eco-conscious designers. For Rhys’ moment at NZFW, the designer is looking to deliver a show full of fun.

“Something unserious in the most serious way. I love creating work specifically for a runway; it gives me space to be a bit more experimental.”

Zheyi Ruan

Zheyi Ruan, who is also known as Jenny, tailors intricate patterns and creates inventive silhouettes for her eponymous label, established in 2021.

The label developed after her studies at Massey University, as she began dressing various independent musicians, custom-making striking pieces with a strong sense of character. Her designs champions the dramatic, playing with the impact of scale and silhouette.

Re-purposing materials to create interesting and enduring pieces is a priority in the design process. She loves the thought process this method of making draws out involved.

“Each piece of material has its own story, and [it’s about] finding out how it was made and what is the best design to maximise its potential.”

Over the last year, the designer has been prolific, showing across Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa, the Redress Design Awards, the Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards and iD Dunedin Fashion Week.

She’s looking to advance the presence of custom-made garments for Zheyi Ruan: this project-based model allows the designer deeper exploration of her creative vision. On the runway, she’ll be considering the setting carefully. Garments will be “slightly more suitable for the context”. She tells Viva that audiences will need to wait and see.

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