It was Fashion Week's last night and I was feeling on my last legs, but so excited about the Huffer show and their collaboration with Miss Crabb. The show was held at the Audi Showroom on the Great South Road. I arrived at 5.30pm to help Rachael and the team back stage – the Huffer team have to be one of the nicest, most genuine group of people in the fashion industry here and have made me feel totally welcome every time I have met them. We set up the outfits, pressed and steamed the clothes, taped the shoes and waited as the models got their make up applied – fake lashes and a line of eyeliner on the top and bottom of the lid – very striking and very strong. I was on 'bow duty' tonight – which meant I had to make sure that all the scarves around the models necks were beautifully tied before they went out onto the catwalk!
The collection was gorgeous. Huffer, originally more of casual streetwear label, has gone more feminine, and fashion on the womenswear line and the menswear, has been pushed to another level of design with its attention to detail. The knitwear as well, was outstanding women's with black and white stripe, frills, ruching, and men's being really chunky with fun appliqué details. My favourite pieces from the womenswear were the waisted trench, washed turquoise jeans and knits – Rachael styled the collection in her usual rock 'n' roll cheeky way – with over the knee socks, suspenders, Casio watches, leather gloves and chunky lace-up boots – altogether a great new move forward for Huffer.
The show started around 8.30pm and went as smoothly as it could backstage, apart from a couple of hiccups… which got the tension heated up – but this was all forgotten after the show when everyone made their way out to join the huge crowd. Huffer had the whole thing sorted, from the most gorgeous sushi canapés, to the bar and coffee bar inside the showroom, to the two bars outside the venue serving Jagermeister shots (including the most AMAZING jelly shot concoction served on a ceramic spoon with whipped egg white on top) – wish I had taken a photo! After having three or more – I headed off with Jaimie Webster (Jaimie Boutique) and Mark Crane (Wunderkammer) back to Ponsonby to prepare for the official after after party held at The Long Room on Ponsonby Road. After being turned down at the front entrance and told to make our way to the back (in the rain AGAIN!) we arrived. The whole side of one wall outside had a 
video projection of the show, we knew we were in the right spot. Greeted by lots of huge bouncers, we walked in, no questions asked. I was told the free bar was in the end room, so headed straight there! Whilst pushing and shoving through the crowds of drinkers to get there, I bumped into another friend who informed me that all the free drinks had gone, and that not to bother going in, as it was crazy and you couldn't move. We decided to enter and as soon as I did I knew what he meant – but it was so much fun, the atmosphere was brilliant and anyone who is anyone in the fashion industry was here… all the Huffer team + Rachael Churchward + Grant, Adrian Hailwood, Atip and many more. After an hour of chatting, dancing to Fleetwood Mac, drinking Tequila and being told to leave for smoking inside, we decided that Marks new showroom in Ponsonby would be a lot more fun and less hectic – so off we went.
It was a great end to my first fashion week in New Zealand and I loved it – absolutely exhausted and not feeling my best, but have had so much fun, thank you so much to all my co partners in crime x
– Lucie Marquis
