Day 3 was all about the details.
It was runway after runway at Shed 10 today, as NZFW: Kahuria kicked into a higher gear. Offsite, Pip Edwards, Karen Walker and Marc Moore discussed the bold moves that made their notable labels. Rebe also invited a crowd up to a
There was also an important announcement from NZFW: Kahuria owner Feroz Ali today: the event will move to a dual host format, bringing a focus to fashion in Ōtautahi with the Christchurch Spring Fashion Festival debuting in November.
Trend: Embellishment as an affirmation of self and expression of joy (dopamine detailing).
Claudia Li’s garments were adorned with 3D bow appliques, clusters of crystals and sequins so fine they rippled like liquid.
Lush textures abounded at Adrion Atelier: think peacock feathers, furs and swinging tassles.
At the Kāhui Collective show, Kaistorst St opened with a glittering gold bodice, Mitchell Vincent paired woven purses with breezy dresses, Temesia Co found punctuation in shining ties, Katherine Anne contrasted solid textile with sheer lace, Czarina Wilson created geometric wonders and J’ake showcased elegant menswear with kete and poi.
Kathryn Wilson celebrated in the smaller details for her summer collection, like the intricacy of woven metallics and horse bit details. Animal prints made loud declarations of joy, too.
This was also showcased in the styling of attendees. Author and model Kaarina Parker’s blazer was adorned with pins, while Jess Molina donned rosy rosettes on a cheery Claudia Li hat.
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Biggest moment: After nearly 10 years of showing at New York Fashion Week, and a subsequent three-year hiatus, Claudia Li returned to the runway today.
It was the designer’s first show in Aotearoa, since launching the label in 2015.
The show notes expanded on the name of the collection, A Different Place and Time. Claudia says the silhouettes of her latest work are in conversation with one of her favourite collections from more than a decade ago. The designer revisited powerful silhouettes and looked to reintroduce them “with more strength, more intention, and more space to breathe.”
The final three looks embodied this intention. Sheer dresses had full skirts, exaggerated structure and appliques with impact. Claudia’s aesthetic is unique within New Zealand’s fashion landscape – this runway asserted her inarguable excellence.
Runway playlist: Curated by Frank Keys and Chaii, the detailed show notes for Claudia Li referenced three musical phases – grounded and emotional, light and childlike and free and expressive. Shazam picked up two versions of Rosalia’s A Palé - a song that is about being strong and doing it big, but also literally references wooden shipping pallets – fitting given Fashion Week’s new home was built in 1910 as a storage space for overseas-bound cargo.
For reference: Adrian Williams of Adrion Atelier knows how to take a final bow (full runway strut in a sparkling sheer shirt).
NZFW, explained: What is a trunk show? A glittering highlight in this week’s show schedule, The Diamond Shop transformed David Nash’s The Wine Room into a shimmering display of lab-grown and earth-mined diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, with limited 30-minute appointments offered on Wednesday afternoon.
Hosted by owner and jewellery designer Sera Cruickshank, the invite-only trunk show gave select media, content creators and VIPs first access to a broad range of pieces and TDS exclusives before being released to the public. This included pieces designed by Sera herself, including interchangeable white gold huggies (which saw 0.5ct diamond weight suspended from each ear), a 10ct ruby with petal-like diamond surrounds, and weighty tennis bracelets worth stacking. Traditionally, trunk shows help to highlight the creative vision and offerings of a single designer, of which The Diamond Shop’s presentation did in spades.
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Beauty highlight: A heavy dose of blush blindness reigned at Kathryn Wilson (but in the best way). Poppy pink blush appeared in heavy swathes over cheekbones, lending a flush of healthy colour using products by Lancôme. For hair, Danny Pato and the team from D&M used clip-in curtain bangs, plaited headpieces and beehive-style wigs to channel a pseudo-Malibu Barbie energy which felt wholly appropriate for a summer collection showing. Hair was piled high onto the tops of heads with plenty of loosely curled tendrils which bounced wildly as models walked. At the risk of sounding cheesy, the best beauty accessory, however, was the wide smiles, ultra-sassy winks and kisses blown from the models to the audience – reinforcing that fashion should be both approachable and fun.
Comment of the day: “We need to support our machinists and industry as much as we can, the last few years have been really tough with multiple brand closures affecting our makers,” says designer Jojo Ross.
“There’s such a strong community of designers and we all chat and share our contacts and recommendations. Sharing is caring!”
Shoe of the day: Day three was always going to be foot forward (hello, Kathryn Wilson) but Claudia Li stamped an early mark, sending a froth of labelled laces and monikered mid-calf socks onto the 11am Shed 10 runway. The crowd was equally well-heeled – think super-pointy sequined toes, boots with a Bowie’esque zig-zag and this little piece of Club Exx outrageousness from the Dolls Kill online store, as worn by Inessa in Claudia Li’s front row.
A gaggle of excited guests were eager to snap a pair of calf-height zebra-printed boots at Kathryn Wilson, donned by a model who wasted little time kicking up her heels as she moved down the raised runway.
Someone in the crowd: The U-shaped runway at Claudia Li meant the front row largely sat back-to-back with each other, making spotting notable faces a neck-breaking task.
Singer Stan Walker and his wife, Lou Walker, were spotted alongside his You Know Clothing pals, Taran Maiava-Paris and content creator and Celebrity Treasure Island alum Elvis Lopeti.
Australian P.E. Nation creative director Pip Edwards also graced the front row in full utilitarian fashion, wearing Ksubi.
Josh and Helen Emett beamed from the front row at Kathryn Wilson, as did Lorraine Downes who was seated in the second row.
Bugbear of the day: Being seated behind someone who held their iPhone high above their head and snapped every single look on the runway at Kathryn Wilson. I came to watch the show in real life, not through your iPhone screen.
Takeaway: Everything at Rebe. Set in a private penthouse high above Albert Street, Rebe reimagined the fashion show format to present something quietly luxurious but buzzing with innovative activity. An editorial shoot by Emma Boyd took place as guests mingled around the room. Working in partnership with the fully styled, immersive space was part showroom, part salon, part private residence, and all contemporary New Zealand luxury. Every detail inside the space, from Rebe’s refined designs to heirloom jewellery by Partridge, collectable works of art, Aleph makeup and even the jaw-dropping penthouse itself could be purchased.
Also, goodie bags. Claudia Li’s contained a multiplicity of samples (including Miller Road Fragrances’ cucumber, sea salt and leather-leaning “Devonport”) and a solid Tim Tam and crackers-centric snack game.
More from New Zealand Fashion Week
From street style to the biggest moments on the runway.
On Day 2, Juliette Hogan’s Summer Collection, Harris Tapper’s Debut, & Much More. Luxury leather crafting, spring and summer rumination and a highly anticipated debut.
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.
What The Viva Team Is Wearing To New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria 2025. Treasured vintage, considered new purchases and borrowed garments we’d rather not return.
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.
