Finale on the runway at the group show by Adhala Lenzo, ARITAUA, Afrispec Global, Schmood by Lola NZFW 2019. Image by Getty Images.
Tuesday’s first group show saw celebrations of cultural heritage come to life in a bold array of collections from Adhala Lenzo, Schmood by Lola, Afrispec Global and ARITAUA.
Opening the show with a range of pieces that were as vibrant as the Afro-pop singer and drummers who opened the show, was Adhala Lenzo. Bold, brave and oozing with colour, this collection was made unique by a mix of emblems, styles and silhouettes. First out on the catwalk was designer Lenon Wakuwa herself, who wore an outfit made from a stylised, African-inspired shoe print, which was worked into a slightly padded dress, divided by a body-length zip and complete with a faux-fur hood. Decorating this look were a pair of earrings and headdress made from the same fabric, adding height and drama to the colourful look.
An array of colourful outfits, also donning bright coloured and patterns and adorned with uniform statement accessories followed suit. We saw a myriad of bold patterns bursting with colour take their place on a series of two-piece outfits and dresses — both featuring shift silhouettes as well as sculptural, flared skirts.
Schmood by Lola
Streetwear took a sparkly turn when Schmood by Lola then emerged on to the runway. Both formal and casual pieces were dotted throughout this collection, on which Swarovski crystals glistened in an array of compositions and placements.
Relaxed and simple pieces of everyday wear usually reserved for casual occasions like singlet dresses, trackpants, sweatshirts and even a pair of denim overalls were treated to a sparkly update. Sparsely placed crystals were added to the entirety of most garments, while some were treated to an extra splash: with stone-ridden motifs taking form of everything from sparkly money bags on the back of a sweatshirt through to a sparkly ‘send help’ statement. Accessories also were reimagined with this sparking lens, with bucket hats and even a face mask seeing an original twinking rendition.
Without a doubt, the — quite literal— sparkling jewel in this collection’s crown was a cream jacket featuring a gargantuan golden Mother Mary across the back, which aptly rounded off the glittering collection.
Afrispec Global
Splashes of bold colours and busy prints found a delightful colourful common ground in Afrispec’s collection. Designer Adedoyin Peter Okuleye fused the label’s African inspirations with a range of classic and modern elements in the label’s debut NZFW collection.
Simple and sleek structures like shirting and suiting formed the base for a number of looks. While they were simple in style, the inclusion of brightly fabrics in a range of paisleys and African-inspired patterns made guest appearances: with sleeves, collars, cuffs and yolks all being treated to this injection of vibrancy. African inspired-outerwear silhouettes also made appearances, as did a few bold styles in the form of batwings, ruched-shoulder dresses and even a multi-pointed neckline.
Of course, the play on proportions of prints and colours were explored in fully-patterned garments too. A beautifully-tailored green blazer consisting of three tones of different patterns was a highlight of this notion, and testament to Okuleye’s ability to craft unity among contrasting patterns.
ARITAUA
A sharp touch of glam was added to the show courtesy of ARITAUA. Heavy metallics formed the baseline of this collection, which was opened by a trifecta of silver and gunmetal garments. Setting the scene for the collection was a ribbed knit crop top, with plisse silver sleeves batwinging in a sharp curve silhouette — which was later mirrored in series of bolero-like cropped satin jackets.
High-waisted miniskirts and hotpants were the bottom of choice in this collection and were featured in black and white satin as well as metallic and iridescent sequins. A strong nod to the 70’s was made throughout the collection (think, Cher’s iconic evening wardrobe from yesteryear) with daring low necklines, slits down the torso and elongated hemlines taking their place on jumpsuits, most notably.
While metallics and embellished touches were included throughout the collection, the metallic leaf combed through the model’s hair was a quite literal sparkly cherry on top of this opulent aesthetic.
Soundtrack: a mix of RnB, live afro pop and hand drumming, as well as a nostalgic Lion King soundtrack throwback.
Beauty Notes Adhala Lenzo: The hair team for Adhala Lenzo was creatively led by Mana Dave from Redken and explains that the theme for this show has a tribal element with a modern take on the Zulu top knot but with more of a modern twist, with larger pieces of hair twisted around for a more sculptural, Wetlook look, with high shine.
The accompanying makeup for this show was creatively led by Bailey Grant and Kristen Stewart from Kristen Stewart School Of Makeup. The makeup was a pink lip for the female models and both the male and the female models had colourful dots and tribal looking lines adorning the forehead and around the eyes, with a blue eyelid.
Beauty Notes ARITAUA: The hair team was led by Mana Dave from Redken and the Redken team. Mana explains that this look is inspired by wearable wet-look hair. It is sleek, smooth and off the face with smashed gold flakes scattered around the hairline. This looks compliments the designer’s reflective journey.
The makeup look was created by Kristen Stewart and Bailey Grant from Kristen Stewart School of Makeup and was comprised of a classic winged liner with a pop of yellow under the eye, a shimmery gold contour to match the hair and a dab of gold shimmer on the lip.
Beauty Notes Schmood by Lola: The hair look was led by Mana Dave from Redken and the Redken team. Mana explains that the hair for this show compliments each individual models hair by enhancing the natural texture and curl with a healthy and shiny centre part.
The makeup was created by Kristen Stewart and Bailey Grant from Kristen Stewart School of Makeup and was a soft, smokey eye, with metallic hues and a nude lip.
Beauty Notes Afrispec: The hair for Afrispec was led by Mana Dave and the Redken team. Mana explains that they were going for an ethnic flavour with elements of braiding and dreadlocks to connect the models together.
The makeup was created by Kristen Stewart and Bailey Grant from Kristen Stewart School of Makeup. The look for the female models was a classic red lip, bold lashes and metallic hues around the eye and a soft contour. The male models had asymmetrical lines smudged across their faces. Beauty Notes by Nina Franklin.
Hot items: ARITAUA’s cropped batwing tops and Afrispec’s tailored blazers.
For NZFW 2019 Backstage blog coverage of Afrispec Global click here and for Schmood by Lola click here.
Images by Getty Images.