What The Viva Team Wore To New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria 2025

Treasured vintage, considered new purchases and borrowed garments we’d rather not return – the Viva team considers the stories and surrounding economies of our wardrobes at New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria.

The Viva team is looking to spotlight two key aspects in our approach to dressing this week.

First, we want to survey the various ways clothing makes its way into our wardrobes – what are the structures and economies that allow us to access our ensembles?

And second, we want to articulate how and why we bring these outfits together. What do they mean to us? Are we telling a story? Or is it just a pretty dress? (If you’re talking to a fashion writer, it’s very rarely just a pretty dress!)

Day 1

To open NZFW: Kahuria, board member and creative director Dan Ahwa took a dive into the archives of fashion in Aotearoa. Significant styles from the past 20 years (some older!) were paired with fresh contemporary pieces. We unpack the show’s influence on our ensembles.

Flower Power On The Double

One of my goals for the week, garment-wise, is to wear as many things as possible from my existing wardrobe. NZFW opened with a show curating some of the most significant NZ fashion designs from the past two decades, so I figured it’d be apt to pair old and new from one of my favourite brands: Twenty-seven Names.

In Which I Justify A Dress From Australia

Not long after I started working for the New Zealand Herald, I wore a Very Loud Frock to work. Dark blue bamboo leaves and large orange blobs. Moons? Clementines? Who knows. But when then Viva fashion editor Dan Ahwa said “great dress”, I felt like a million bucks. It’s an Australian label (Upstream by Megan Salmon) but what else could I possibly have worn to Into the Archives, the show that Dan directed and styled for an opening night to wow all opening nights. The earrings (inspired by Joan Miro) were from the Auckland Art Gallery store; the boots are so old they probably could have walked to the waterfront on their own. – Kim Knight

My Thanks To Teenage Courage

Ahead of the opening, I heard that Dan spent time rifling through treasures in the hidden collections at Go Jo Recycled Store. This New Lynn store is one of the best places in Tāmaki Makaurau to find vintage – I’ve been visiting since I was a teenager and have come away with some special pieces for my wardrobe. This shiny Ruby dress, marked with older labels and made in New Zealand, is one of my favourite finds. I was about 18 when I bought this dress and at the time, it felt impossibly daring and a little transformative.

It’s a blend of cotton, polyester and spandex, and it’s constructed with multiple vertical seams, which make the skirt poof out widely. I love the doll-ish structure of the dress, and the way the sheen adds sharpness. I’ve played up the sweetness of the shape with a pair of Bronwyn Mary Jane flats. Tights are pulled from the very back of my drawers (the label long forgotten, but their warmth is much appreciated!). – Madeleine Crutchley

In Praise Of Faux Fur

I layered this with the current season Hiro dress from Harris Tapper, a sculptural, sleeveless dress with a high neckline and modest hemline. I feel my most confident in anything with a nipped-in waist and/or an A-line silhouette, and this black-bonded suiting gown had both. For accessories, I pulled on black Gucci rubber sandals (comfy enough to schlep around in) and donned a yet-to-be-released chain clutch from Deadly Ponies’ Resort 25 collection. – Ashleigh Cometti

Day 2

Something Borrowed

Another monochromatic ensemble to ease into the week. This is the Freudian Slip (ha!) by Twenty-seven Names, which I borrowed for the day. It’s a sample from their latest collection, which means it has markings that are all its own. This includes small scuff just above the hem on the back of the dress - it’s fun to imagine how the process of preparing a garment for retail has an impact (snagged during shoot? Caught up in a car door?). I also snatched these sheer white gloves from the Viva fashion lock up at the encouragement of Ash and Tyson. The scrunchie is mine, from Gloria, as are the earrings, Crushes. I’m back to those Bronwyn flats too. – Madeleine Crutchley

Because Clothes Are Definitely About People

At my first ever Fashion Week, the indomitable fashion editor Amanda Linnell saved me from my insecure self. We worked for rival companies, but she bought me a stiff champagne and told me to just have fun. A decade or so later, we were working in the same office and I would, eventually, wear this dress (by Nelson-based designer Deanne Hobbs) at her leaving drinks. It could read “funeral black” but the damask is inside out and last night it was really just a note to self: Everybody is allowed a seat at the fashion table. (The earrings are by Mandy Flood - a Covid lockdown purchase when we curated ourselves on-screen and up-close. My husband says they look like fishing lures). – Kim Knight

A Diaphonous Dream Come True

Juliette Hogan’s painterly Hera dress isn’t mine, but it’s about to be. From the moment I put it on I know I’d fall in love with its sweeping silhouette, which nips in at the waist and falls generously from the hip. The neck tie looked even sweeter when tied in an oversized bow at the nape of my neck. The wind whipped the dress in every direction as I sauntered up to Shed 10, so next time I plan on wearing this I’ll ensure the temperature is at least in double digits. I paired this with some cream heels from Bronwyn (the comfiest shoes I own besides sneakers) and an oat-coloured raffia bag from Saben’s new Mirage collection. - Ashleigh Cometti

Satin Room Only

This is Harris Tapper’s Shereen dress. I was drawn to it because it combines unadulteratedly elegant aspects - see the ivory stain - counterbalanced with irreverent details such as the asymmetric folds. I’ve leaned on off-kilter accessories to sand down some of polish a bit more. Case in point the Dr Marten loafers I bought for $93 on Designer Wardrobe for the last fashion week and have worn a minimum of three times a week since. I rented this dress, outings that justify purchases this distinguished are few and far between in my social calendar, but Harris Tapper’s parlour inspired show tonight is set to be really special, I wanted to match the occasion. - Tyson Beckett

Day 3

Ocean Aspirations

My first outfit of the day, after two very late finishes, prioritised comfort. I’m wearing the Oosterom trousers I don almost everyday, a Jojo Ross mesh top (the pattern makes me think of Shed 10’s oceanic surrounds) and a thrifted blazer. My shoes are Mi Piaci and I’m wearing my boyfriend’s pearls (originally from Crushes). – Madeleine Crutchley

When opposite price points attract

Two late’ish nights and a thermonuclear hot flush laid waste to today’s wardrobe plans. I thought about a dress but am, instead, wearing the equivalent of pajamas to work. Stretchy pants by Mela Purdie and a loose top by Taking Shape represent absolute opposite ends of the price spectrum, but it was a collision that kept me cool and comfortable. Day Three was my third wedding anniversary, so I’m also going to namecheck two local jewellers: The bracelet, by Ann Culy, was in lieu of an engagement ring; my wave-stamped wedding ring is by the brilliant Jane Dodd. – Kim Knight

For Better Or Worse

Yesterday at Yu Mei’s conversation about the influence of material provenance in intentional design, curator Isaac Te Awa spoke really beautifully about the how the life experience of makers makes its way into taonga they’re crafting. I think that’s true of the clothes we wear too – they hold memories made in them (for better or worse). This is the Karen Walker Tuxedo Blazer I wore on a very special day, to be best woman at my brother’s wedding. I’ve paired it with a string of Meadowlark pearls gifted to me by very dear friends and these sweet sandals Kathryn Wilson #gifted me that remind me of the jelly sandals I wore as a child. - Tyson Beckett

Cherry Bomb

I first spotted this cherry-red confection from Claudia Li hanging on a rack at Shed 10 for our recent Viva x New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria cover shoot. Pulled from Public Library by stylist Sammy Salsa, the fitted bodice and flowing culottes immediately caught my attention, so I mustered up the courage to ask the team if I could don the set to the show. For me, wearing red feels powerful and inspires confidence and I wore that like a suit of armour when arriving down at the waterfront for the 11am show. - Ashleigh Cometti

With A Little Help From My Friends

My second showing comes together with the help of some very important people in my life. There are those same pearls, an Emma Jing top borrowed from my very stylish flatmate and a vintage woollen skirt (made in New Zealand) gifted from a friend who cleared out her wardrobe before travelling overseas. For a little more sturdiness, I’m wearing Bronwyn boots. For warmth, a Ruby coat (this has been an off-camera staple all week). – Madeleine Crutchley

A Ruby Girl At Heart

A generous proportion of my wardrobe has been purchased from Ruby - a New Zealand label I’ll always happily support given its stance around sustainability, business savvy and playful attitude. Here, I’m wearing the Coco Blazer in a rich choccy brown, paired with the Selma skirt in a chocolate brown and baby blue stripe from Ruby’s latest Locket drop. It felt like the perfect dress change for the evening’s events, and kept me cosy against chilly gusts as night set in. - Ashleigh Cometti

Day 4

Playing The Field

Thursday’s schedule was an amalgamation of all sorts (football kit launches, rising designers, Karen Walker’s much anticipated return), so I’ve done my best to dress to the events. My big ol’ boots are Bronwyn, who took out the top award at the Future Of Fashion showcase. My skirt, a mishmash of plaid, is by Pōneke designer Laurence Sabrine. I picked it up at Bizarre Bazaar’s pop up in Tāmaki Makaurau after long coveting Laurence’s designs. Karen Walker rings, a bow and a broken heart, adorn my hands. On top, I’m wearing a jacket from Wixii - I picked it because it kind of resembles a windbreaker (it’s made of cotton, so there’s not a lot of utility, but I love the volume). There’s some sentimentality stuck to my lapel, in the form of a Liverpool FC pin. It depicts the fantastical liver bird that is said to watch over city and sea (there’s a piece of seaweed in its mouth). Its talons grasp a football. My Dad gifted me this after a visit to Anfield. – Madeleine Crutchley

Communal Effort

This outfit, a Twenty Seven Names tartan twinset from their 2012 collection, highlights the close-knit nature of New Zealand’s fashion industry. I bought it from the inimitable Zoe Walker Ahwa, at a closet sale she held with other Viva alums Dan Ahwa, Emma Gleason and Imogen Temm. Sneakers are Adidas Superstars - half of Auckland seem to be running about in them. I was gifted them in January to wear to Laneway. - Tyson Beckett

All Black Everything

I toughened up a shimmering two-piece suit from Eilisha The Label with a pair of black and cement grey 9060s gifted from New Balance, which came in handy for the dash down the waterfront ahead of Karen Walker’s 6pm show. I was first introduced to Eilisha Harrison and her namesake brand a couple of years ago on Instagram (the brand first launched in 2022). It was the candy pink pinstripe suit which initially caught my eye, but I’ve since fallen hard for the brand’s feminine take on modern tailoring. This suit features a subtle sparkle in the form of flower-shaped sequins embedded into the fabric for a little extra fun, not fuss. - Ashleigh Cometti

Code-switching

I’m probably committing multiple sartorial sins here. Like wearing a rugby shirt to a football kit launch. Well stick me in the sin-bin ref, IDGAF. Fashion (week) is meant to be fun and this athletic attire is. Canterbury Uglies are world famous in New Zealand, made using excess fabric and with roots dating back to the 1970s. I bought this one second hand on TradeMe and have layered it over my Twenty-seven names pinafore dress from their 2012 collection, for a little collegiate tinged pattern clash. New Balance offered to send me some sneakers to wear to the Auckland FC kit launch and I figured why not really step out of my comfort zone? - Tyson Beckett

Day 5

Paddle Pop Puff

This jumper goes by many names. It’s been likened to rainbows, kaleidoscopic and Suess-ian Truffula trees. Seeing it here, it makes me think of a Paddle Pop, which explains the childlike glee I experienced when I saw it in the window of an Itchy Knits pop up.

As you might have picked up from the earlier days of this diary, I am very drawn to black clothing. However, I do have a few pieces like this in my wardrobe, that I reach for on days when I need some pep.

My flats are Bronwyn. I bought the dress (brown! Technically a colour!) at a Penny Sage sample sale - you can’t see it here, but I adore the square neckline. Secondhand purchases are a huge part of my regular wardrobe, so I made sure to include a piece here in recognition of the designer clothing swap. You’ll see it if you squint: a silver choker that threads together pieces of seaglass. I found during an opshop in Tairua and it always makes me think of sunnier days. – Madeleine Crutchley

Like An Onion - layers

Typically I’m a pretty formulaic dresser, I’ve been eyeing up all the fun ways people have been playing with layers, both on and off the runway, and it’s spurred me into mixing it up. I’ve merely added a layer on top of my go-to mini skirt (Sylvester) and business shirt (Twenty-seven names) combo.

This super versatile wrap singlet is Penny Sage – purchased this summer to wear on a date and they bailed day of so this is it’s chance at a second debut. It kind of reminds me of a baby sling, because you just wrap it however you fancy.

My fugly in a good way loafers are from San Antonio Shoemakers which the internet tells me is a geriatric geared shoe brand, I bought them at the Seoul Folk Flea Market. I found this bag at Dongmyo Flea Market on the same trip for $6.- Tyson Beckett

Day 6

Crochet Catch Up

Saturday’s daytime schedule involved a debrief with friends over lunch, before The Graduate Collections (always one of my highlights - so pure).

The group chat consensus was we were going down the jeans (Citizens of Humanity) and a nice top (Ruby) route. I cast chaos over the formula by pulling on this relaxed crochet Wynn Hamlyn dress, worn bathrobe style, at the last minute. My Bally flats are another Seoul Folk Market score. - Tyson Beckett

Serious Business

I was feeling staunch about New Zealand fashion this morning and gravitated towards pieces coded with professionalism. My white button-up is thrifted, the pants are Porter James (thank you to my flatmate!), the coat is Ruby and my slingbacks are Mi Piaci. I swapped the shoes from a pair of comfier gifted Adidas ahead of our visit to The Northern Club. In place of a tie, to complicate some of this corporate coding, I’m wearing a beaded shell necklace from Gabebe’s. – Madeleine Crutchley

Suitable Ending

Yesterday I moaned to Maddy about not knowing what to wear to the high drama closing shows, because at this point in the week my wardrobe is just an amorphous dry-cleaning pile. Then at the Kowtow clothes swap, this Karen Walker suit was hanging, waiting for me. Meant to be?

It very unusual for me to wear trousers that aren’t jeans, but NZFW encouraged people to try something new in 2025, so I did. Felt good.- Tyson Beckett

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