Luxury leather crafting, spring and summer rumination and a highly anticipated debut.
Fashion archives from all around Aotearoa were taken for a walk during Monday’s opening show, setting the stage for a week-long celebration of the industry right now.
The Day 2 schedule captured an exciting
It was kicked off by stylist Lou Heller at Hotel Indigo, who walked an audience through tips to transform runway looks into everyday wear.
Luxury leather handbag label Yu Mei hosted Architect Dahlia Ghani and curator Isaac Te Awa in a conversation about material provenance. Down at Shed 10, Juliette Hogan showcased a sheer and sublime summer collection, centring simplicity. A spring/summer salon show at The Shelter in Ponsonby also embraced lighter days, with an exhibition showing that immersed models in dramatic light displays.
The much anticipated NZFW debut from Harris Tapper closed the day just down the road, with an intimate show at Ponsonby’s Blue cafe and restaurant.
Trend: Everyday elevated. Bringing a sense of occasion to all aspects of daily dressing. From Lou Heller’s styling advice for runway ready pieces to the simple yet sophisticated silhouettes Juliette Hogan loyalists treasure season after season. The events on Tuesday’s schedule act as a reminder that high fashion doesn’t need to be complicated and should maintain excellence off the runway.
The biggest moment of the day: The sun sets on day two and with it the lightness of daylight gives way to the dramatic and twisting mystery of the night. Contrasting Juliette’s uplifting show filled with breezy garments fit for lighter days (think flowing sets and bikini tops), Harris Tapper’s debut started with a gothic gauntlet delivered in Leonard Cohen’s weighty baritone, “You want it darker? We kill the flame.” Models ambled through the intimate venue in soft layers of satin, tulle and embellished accessories that delivered heavy poignancy.
Runway playlist: Juliette Hogan – the week’s first indoor show in the new Shed 10 venue – opened to I Dream of Neon by Dirty Beaches and closed out to Mica Levi’s Slob Air. In between, an unsettling, pulsating beat. Fashion with a very present heart.
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Advertise with NZME.For reference: The Kowtow Designer Clothes Swap is now taking drop offs at Shed 10. Donate up to five gently worn garments from any New Zealand designer and receive a token for each accepted piece and you can swap them for up to five new-to-you treasures at the event on Friday.
Overheard: “Do you want a lozenge?” – said in a hushed (if hoarse) tone mid-panel talk.
“You don’t meet a 9-5 Fashion Designer, especially not this week.” – Yu Mei founder Jessie Wong on the obsessions fuel and the drive that produces our creative endeavours.
“They said I was wearing Levi’s – but I was also wearing Zambesi.” – stylist Sammy Salsa on the perils of posing for a vox pop.
“You should have had a cry cam!” – fashion creative and PR woman Yawynne Yem congratulating Dan Ahwa, creative director and stylist of the opening night tear-jerker Into the Archives.
Unexpected moment: The Juliette Hogan curtain call runway reveal of metres and metres of full champagne flutes (and a lush and leafy centrepiece) was one of those moments that rewarded you for being there. The opportunity to mingle on the actual runway post-show was, for dedicated followers, a bit like being let onto Eden Park after a game.
Someone in the crowd: The odds of getting a front seat at Juliette Hogan were drastically reduced by the decision to seat guests down one side of the runway only. Viva’s Row B journalists sat in the same section as Kathryn Wilson, Kate Sylvester and the event’s founder Dame Pieter Stewart.
Backstage: At Juliette Hogan, a coterie of the country’s top makeup talent. Josie Wignall, Liz Hyun, Sarika Patel and Kath Gould primed models’ skin with a spritz of the new Raaie Tranquility Water Activating Mist (which served a dual purpose to scent the space with its subtle fragrance notes).
Beauty highlight: From the imagination of award-winning hairstylist Danny Pato, gravity-defying hairstyles at Taylor’s Shadowplay exhibition saw sculptural plaits twisted and bent like something out of Greek mythology. The co-founder of D&M Hair Design allowed the team just 90 minutes to transform models’ tresses with towering hair pieces sitting high on the crown or XXL plaits that trailed over shoulders. Surprisingly, Danny mentioned the model stationed at the entrance had a pixie cut, not that you’d believe it from the knotted headpiece and hip-length braid. Tonight’s hair look acted as a vital part of Taylor’s storytelling, pointing to a collection which acts as an exploration of light and flux, with hairstyles shapeshifting in the shadows or when illuminated under bright lights.
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On the menu: Libations with a twist. Champagne Jello at Yu Mei. Gibson cocktails at Harris Tapper.
At Juliette Hogan, palate met palette with loaded baguettes that appeared to reference the runway prints and textures – goat cheese with radish and pink peppercorns and a verdant green pea puree draped in layers of dill and mint. This was alongside the aforementioned flutes (which also made an appearance at The Shelter).
Takeaway: At Harris Tapper, the familiar orange hue of Penguin classic book covers surprised attendees. The titles were selected for each guest by co-founders Sarah Gould Harris and Lauren Tapper – the Viva team were gifted copies of Summer Crossing by Truman Capote and Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer by Patrick Süskind.
More from New Zealand Fashion Week
From street style to the biggest moments on the runway.
All The Best Street Style From New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria 2025. Our daily dispatch of the most stylist NZFW ensembles spotted outside the shows.
Taika Waititi Walks The Runway At New Zealand Fashion Week’s Opening Show. New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria kicks off at Shed 10, with sparkling NZ stars dressed in treasures from the archives.
How Harris Tapper Will Debut At New Zealand Fashion Week. A big deal, marked intimately.
