Night three of Fashion Festival brought quite a crowd – I hadn?t seen Shed 10 that busy all week! The atmosphere was buzzing as spectators gathered prior to the show, and there was not one seat that wasn?t filled as we poured in around the runway for the third Collections show.
Caroline Sills was up first, showing us how to keep the colour blocking trend that came about last spring, and apply it to a wintery context. Maroon shades were paired with black and greys for a chilly weather-appropriate look. Caroline kept things consistent by tying in maroon tights with every look – making the collection very uniform, but exciting as we were anxious to see just how many different looks you can combine with a pair of maroon tights! Black stripes on a cream background gave depth to sweaters, and we saw light and dark browns come down the runway too.
Caroline Sills
Taylor Boutique?s collection came second, opening with a video that showcased key elements of their designs for the season. The range shown was consistent with that of Fashion Week – the prominent hooded cape we saw last year made several appearances on last night?s runway. It?s elongated design lends itself to a rather mystical style – depending on what you pair this with, it allows itself to work in different ways. The collection was centred around lots of white on black, a sometimes forgotten contrast for any season. The come back of this powerful combination was definitely exciting to see.
Taylor Boutique
Celine Rita?s winter collection was shown next, with longer styles popular for skirts and dresses, and, consistent with Fashion Week?s show, lots of crushed red velvet. Such a pretty colour for winter, with the velvet proving a very luxurious addition to any outfit. An interesting feature of Celine?s collection were her open-back designs for tops. Although very glam, I would think that something very warm would need to be added over top if you decide to wear one of these pieces outside!
Celine Rita
Andrea Moore showcased her very colourful collection next, and it was refreshing to see so many exciting colours in a winter range. Violet opened the show, followed by green, orange, and maroon. A stylish green coat was of particular note, as was a black mohair trimmed skirt – with layers of the mohair cascading down the skirt. A maroon velvet short suit closed the show, leaving the audience excited about the very attainable possibility of wearing lots of colour this winter.
Andrea Moore
Playtex?s 2012 range was sent down the runway next, opening with an exciting fuschia pink piece. This was the only very colourful piece seen in the show unfortunately – with the emphasis being on versatility and wearability of each piece. The colour scheme mainly centred around blacks and nudes. Each bra was worn with a high waisted skirt, which added a playful element to the brand?s image. Fuller cups for more coverage, and thicker, supportive straps were a prominent feature for each piece.
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Playtex
Max Store?s range was featured sixth, with an emphasis on grey/black leopard print pieces – such a fun option for winter! Max?s infamous corporate wear was spotted on the runway as well, presenting lots of different styles for the work year. Relaxed fit striped sweaters in cream and black were an exciting feature of the collection, being both warm and chic – always a great winter combination!
Max
Sabatini showcased their winter collection next, sending lots of leather/stretch block leggings down the runway in a range of colours. These leggings were popular paired with various coats and sweaters. Sabatini also showed a few pieces from their evening wear range: these were dresses with sparkly elements that were stylish, without being too overpowering on the sequins.
Sabatini
Next to go down the runway was the winter collection from Ingrid Starnes. Quite a few pieces stood out in this collection, one being a black velveteen suit, with the dark, rich fabric adding dramatic depth to the outfit. Lace was a popular fabric for this collection, with a white lace corset-style cropped singlet standing out, as well as a black lace 3/4 sleeve dress with yellow undergarments peeking out from the lace. Fergie in her orange lace gown at the Grammys, anyone? Of course, for the more conservative, a simple black (or coloured) slip can be worn under this lace dress easily, without taking away from the beauty of the fabric.
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Ingrid Starnes
Cybele?s designs for winter 2012 were shown second to last, with a particular black and light caramel patterned jumpsuit appearing more than once throughout. This piece was very versatile – first being worn with a skirt, then with two different dresses over the top of the suit. The show closed with a rather exciting piece: a dark, almost metallic, grey satin gown. Very chic.
Cybele
Trelise Cooper?s designs were shown finally, with a beautiful floral printed chiffon dress opening the show. This was paired with a structured checked jacket, providing an unexpected contrast between the floaty light fabric, and a heavier jacket material. Another gorgeous dress in this collection was a white dress with a bold black swan print – very simple, but so elegant. The show closed with a light champagne sequined dress, where one shoulder was draped with chiffon of the same colour. So pretty!
Trelise Cooper
With so many great pieces on show every night, the week is flying by so fast – Fashion Fest is now more than half way through!
-Lena Aseeva
All imagery: Will Seal.
www.willseal.co.nz