New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria kicks off at Shed 10, with sparkling NZ stars dressed in treasures from the archives.
Filmmaker and director Taika Waititi was among a cohort of Aotearoa fashion’s most revered, walking the opening show of New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria 2025 tonight.
Taika, 50, joined
Appearing as look 44, Taika made his way down the outdoor runway staged in front of Shed 10 on the Auckland Waterfront in an archival outfit by Zambesi.
The week-long event began in style, with an official opening ceremony inside Auckland’s Shed 10. Welcome formalities began with tāngata whenua, Ngāti Whatua Ōrakei, followed by short speeches from NZ Fashion Week owner and chairman Feroz Ali, and Judith Collins MP, who declared the event officially open.
She noted New Zealand’s fashion and textile industry was last year worth $7.55b – representing almost 2% of the country’s economy.
“That is an amazing effort for a tough year - and I know I’m responsible for some of that,” said Judith, who was wearing a Trelise Cooper coat and a scarf purchased in Arrowtown.
“Looking through my wardrobes, it is clear the economic driver is myself - and quite a few of you here tonight. And we have to keep doing that. We have to keep the economy going and make us all rich and stuff.”
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Advertise with NZME.Earlier, Feroz foreshadowed two important announcements.
“Doing it once a year is not sustainable,” he said. “So, we are venturing into a new chapter where we will be announcing a second event.”
Ali said NZFW was also working towards taking a contingent of three to four designers to New Delhi in October for Lakmé Fashion Week.
The opening runway was curated by NZFW board member and creative director Dan Ahwa. Dan, the former Viva fashion editor and creative director, pulled garments from the New Zealand fashion archives and from contemporaries, providing thorough context for the current landscape of fashion in Aotearoa.
Honouring what has come before, ensembles mixed pieces from heritage designers with others from rising stars.
Stand-out looks included a glittering Swarovski suit by World dating back to 2008, a slouchy Crochet Bae poraka from 2024 paired with a Shona Tawhiao skirt from 2019, a biscuit-coloured floral applique gown worn by Bic Runga from Kate Sylvester’s 2017 archive, an untamed woollen Liz Mitchell fleece, and a painterly Stolen Girlfriend’s Club x Karl Maughan dress from 2011 toughened up with the brand’s most recent drop of leather jackets.
The oldest garment, a Marilyn Sainty skirt suit from 1986, was paired with a woven pōtae made by Shona Tawhiao this year.
Ahead of the opening, designer Kiri Nathan offered a whakataukī to the showcase: Ka mua, ka muri, walking backwards into the future. This was most clearly conveyed by the final look of the show.
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Advertise with NZME.Jordan Daniels wore a gown by Carlson and gloves by Gloria – two labels that closed their Ponsonby Rd stores earlier this year – with pieces from emerging designer Anti that read ‘Here Now’ and ‘Hopeful’, from a 2025 collection born from creative burnout.
In show notes given to the audience of invited guests, Dan outlined themes that emerged as the team – which included stylists Courtney Joe, Natasha Ovely and Levi Tan – were curating the show’s 63 looks.
They include (but aren’t limited to): The gothic, dark poetics of the South, a playful irreverence and unapologetic embrace of colour, print and embellishment, surfy coastal communities, metropolitan streetwear and of course, the craft techniques and traditions of our cottage industries.
“Tonight, pounding the pavement of Tāmaki Makaurau, the city lights up to honour a rich and evolving history of fashion design that is uniquely ours.
“This is a love letter to the designs, stories and people who make up our unique fashion DNA – past, present and future.”
Music director Geneva Alexander-Masters (Geneva AM), who also walked in the show, lent her song Pikipiki as the closing track. The playlist also included Pōkarekare Ana, Blouson Noir by Aaron, System Virtue by Emma Paki, Red Sunset by Bic Runga and Pressure Man by The Feelers.
Shows will continue all week from designers including Zambesi, Juliette Hogan, Kathryn Wilson, Claudia Li, Augustine, Harris Tapper, and many more.
Karen Walker returns to the runway for the first time in 15 years on Thursday evening, collaborating with Adidas.
Unlike previous years, public tickets are available for many of the shows - including the week’s closing show on Saturday night, Viva Presents Greatest Hits Vol 2: The Best Shoppable Looks From NZFW 2025.
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