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Editor-at-large Julie Roulston brings FashioNZ readers the very best from her fashion beat, each week…
LIVE NOW – NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK SCHEDULE!
FashioNZ is rapt to be first to bring you the official, authorised New Zealand Fashion Week 2012 schedule – click HERE to view.
Liam SS 12/13
I can’t think of anyone who won’t be thrilled that Ruby/Liam have the opening spot. This will be just their third appearance at Fashion Week, but the dual brand show has become a key fixture on the NZFW schedule and is sure to start the week with a joyful and credible bang. Brand Manager Eleisha Balmer says “This is so exciting for us! Having the opportunity to appear at NZFW as the opening show is an absolute privilege and a testament to the hard work and fantastic designs by Emily and Deanna of RUBY and Liam. We couldn’t be more thrilled!” .
Balmer continues to say that showing on-site is a new experience for the labels, who are looking forward to a fantastic show in a great space, “to an audience of 1000+!” (The 2010 show was ‘very boutique’ at 250 guests; last year 600 were in attendance).
Juliette Hogan has progressed over several years from a mid-week, afternoon spot to a Day 1 evening spot. It would be fair to say that Fashion Week organisers often front-load many of their best designers to the beginning of a week, to showcase runway strength and garner positive hype. It's no surprise that J-Ho has a showcase time slot on the opening day for 2012.
Beloved Zambesi have the Tuesday night spot, showing onsite for the second consecutive year. Liz Findlay says “An offsite venue can be part of a show’s canvas, but it does not have to be. We got such great feedback from our onsite show last year and we are very excited to be showing again at the Viaduct Event Centre.”
In fact, just three of 25 shows will take place offsite. New Zealand Fashion Week Managing Director, Dame Pieter Stewart says ""With just three off-site shows this year, it really indicates that designers are making the most of the cost-effective showcase options that we make available to them at the NZFW venue."
Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart from twenty-seven names
One of the three offsite shows is twenty-seven names/Ingrid Starnes’ ghd-presented Blue Sky show, at 10am on Wednesday morning. It’s to take place at Australis House (the same venue as the first Blue Sky show in April this year), and delegates will be very pleased to know that Atomic Coffee Roasters will provide breakfast and fresh coffee before the show.
Huffer tops off Wednesday night with an offsite event- designer Steve Dunstan isn’t yet able to reveal the location. With a start time of 8.30pm it’s bound to be a late night, but Salasai at 12.30pm on the Thursday (in the big Westpac Shed) is certainly strong enough to see delegates out of bed and ready to be wowed.
Huffer SS 12/13
International Charlie Brown is using David Jones stylist Kelvin Harries on her show, which is also to take place in the 1,000-capacity Westpac Shed.
Stolen Girlfriends Club scoops the last night spot of the week. Marc Moore won’t be drawn on its offsite location, but is able to confirm there will be an after-party.
Delegates will have their first ever opportunity to see the Phoenix Cosmetics show with Fashion Week itself, at midday on the Friday (it will run again at 4.30pm on the Saturday of Fashion Weekend), and the Miromoda show, an international delegate favourite, is at 1.30pm that afternoon. The invitation-only Westpac Red Collection is the last spot of the week at 6pm, meaning that VVIPs can frock up and celebrate, while lesser mortals will be happy to go home and put their feet up.
– Julie Roulston