Amber Whitecliffe, Frances Jerard, Desiree
It’s always exciting to see what the next generation of designers have to offer and the New Generation showcase is usually one of the most anticipated group shows of the week, as the industry is keen to see what fresh takes the latest crop of creatives have to offer.
Amber Whitecliffe
First off the mark was Amber Whitecliffe, who presented a beautiful, feminine collection entitled ‘Mrs Pinto’ drawing inspiration from her recent marriage to her Portuguese husband. Full of pretty florals and a gorgeous colour palette based in scarlet, ivory and gold, her collection felt like sweet summer days come to life on the runway.
Flirty mini dresses were perfectly complemented by fitted tops and tailored trousers, the look was elegant and very easy to wear. Truly a wonderful debut by a talented young designer and definitely the stand out of the three collections presented.
Frances Jerard
Next up was Frances Jerard who opened her section with a video of her doing the sky jump off Auckland’s sky tower and talking about finding freedom, the video was a cute addition but a little long timing wise. The collection itself was a rainbow of florals and ruffles with fitted party dresses mixed in with sixties style wide-collared coats.
As is the tradition overseas she closed with a bridal outfit featuring a long flowing train.
Desiree
Winding up the first New Generation show was Desiree who showed a very wearable collection of geometric prints in mostly casual styles.
There was plenty of versatility with the hooded jackets and suiting providing great workwear options. The collection had an emphasis on clever tailoring with structured edges and contrasting colours adding interest.
On Thursday another crop of young labels take to the runway again and it will be fascinating to see what they come up with and how it compares to today’s group.
– Evelyn Ebrey
Images: Yvonne Shearer Photograph