New Zealand Fashion Week 2019 kicks off today and FashioNZ is excited to be NZFW’s online media partner again this year. That means we’ll be bringing you coverage of every show during the week and highlights from Fashion Weekend including interviews, reviews, beauty looks, full galleries and more. You can find all our NZFW content under our special NZFW 2019 section and follow us on Instagram for all the latest too. Now, let’s get to know the team…
Evelyn Ebrey, Co-owner and Editor
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
My job involves going to as many shows as possible to support the designers and writing some of the show reviews myself. I also edit our team’s reviews and share show photos and cool moments from the week on our social media. We still do written reviews as it’s great to have something other than the photos to share with our readers and people who weren’t there still want to know all the details too. During the week I manage our team and make sure everything is running smoothly and everyone has what they need to do their jobs well.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I love NZFW, it’s my favourite week of the year and is always exciting and great to see everyone. It feels like an extended family reunion as fashion in such a small industry and many of us have known each other for years. I’m looking forward to every show really as you never know when something particularly amazing will appear on the runway.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
It’s a really long list and in my job I get to see so many beautiful pieces from lots of different designers. If I had to pick a few it would be Twenty-seven Names, Karen Walker, Hailwood, Trelise Cooper, Ingrid Starnes, Juliette Hogan, Maggie Marilyn, Kowtow, Kate Sylvester, Meadowlark and Saben.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
My water bottle, comfortable shoes, chargers for every device, laptop, my Huawei P30 Pro which has the most amazing Leica camera, band aids and snacks.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
I have bendy feet and can pick up pretty much anything with my toes!
Carolyn Ebrey, Co-owner and Content Manager
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
My job is handling the huge amount of content that we produce for the event and getting everything onto our website as quickly as possible, while making sure it all looks good and the site is functioning well. We do full galleries with every look from every show so I process a lot of imagery and get it uploaded along with the review and beauty notes etc. too.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing more than a few shows this year. I’m usually glued to my laptop for most of the week!
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
I love Federation, STORM, Huffer, Juliette Hogan and Hailwood.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
Both my laptops, water bottle, chargers for everything, card readers and a smile haha! It can get tense with constant deadlines!
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
Being a wizard with all things digital!
Nina Franklin, Beauty Editor
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
My job is to cover all of the hair and makeup looks backstage at every onsite runway show and write about them for our website.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I am most looking forward to the fashion, obviously! And I always meet so many great people, whether it be industry insiders, models, hair and makeup crew and event staff. Last year all of the staff made me feel so welcomed and were so helpful. Fashion Week is just full of amazing people! I also love discovering new designers. Jerome Taylor’s Not For You, Ryan Turner and Jarrad Godman’s runway shows last year left a lasting impression on me.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
It’s hard not to list them all, but a few of my fave luxe brands that I pine for are Georgia Alice, Maggie Marilyn and Harman Grubiša. I also love the grungy-ness of SGC and Ruby do fab wardrobe staples.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
This year my ultimate must have is glowing skin. I searched high and low and put together a list of some amazing skincare products to help prep your skin for Fashion Week and some must-haves for your handbag too, you can check my article out here. In my handbag you will find a good hydrating hand cream, this year I am loving a new New Zealand based brand called Kotia, with deer milk as the main ingredient. I also have to have my Eau Thermale Avene thermal spring water to mist my face for hydration throughout the day and finally, snacks! I get so hungry because I am running and writing all week long so snacks are crucial to keep me going!
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
If drinking red wine is a talent then I’d win the show.
James Yang, Lead Photographer and Videographer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
Photographing shows, helping the team to document every single look on the runway at Fashion Week.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
Looking forward to seeing the creativity, ideas and stories behind designer shows this year. Wynn Hamlyn had such rad inspiration last year (1960’s CIA experimentation with LSD), Stolen GF’s is always an exciting event and also keen to see Campbell Luke as one of the emerging designers who will definitely have a great message at the heart of his show.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
Federation and Huffer are brands that I personally wear often.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
Camera cases with wheels are a must have! A Leatherman multi-tool always saves the day too, along with a roll of gaffer tape.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
I have an Elvis impression… but that hasn’t come out in a while, maybe the next time there’s Karaoke…
Lyle Adams, Photographer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
For fashion week 2019 I will be doing runway shots for FashioNZ.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I’m looking forward to the hustle and bustle of fashion week and seeing what all the designers come up with this year, both clothing and set design.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
My favourite NZ designer is Trelise Cooper and favourite brand is Stolen Girlfriends Club.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
My must have items to take to fashion week is my camera, laptop and hard drives.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
My secret talent is I am a Sculptural Visual Artist on the side.
Anya Brighouse, Senior Fashion Writer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
I will be writing show reviews during the week and weekend.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
The whole thing makes me happy! I get to see all my favourite fashion people (designers, writers, photographers etc.) all in one place for a week. It’s like it’s all about the fashion and nothing else for an entire week… my family forget what I look like by the end of it! I’m especially looking forward to the 40 year retrospective Zambesi show which I think is a huge milestone for clothing in New Zealand.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
My favourite designers are James Dobson from JimmyD, Lela Jacobs, Liz Findlay from Zambesi. Also Claire Hammon from Meadowlark for all things glittery and beautiful.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
A good pair of sneakers so my feet are comfortable (I keep heels, if I do wear them, for the evening shows), my trusty moleskin notebook and fountain pen (I know, I’m old school), my Daily Eyeware glasses (the 10am style are my current favourites) and my R&Co Badlands Dry Shampoo that rescues my curly hair on a daily basis during a busy week.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
With my personal style I am all about deconstructed black, my specialty with interiors is colour with loads of pattern and texture.
Meagan Kerr, Fashion Writer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
Mostly writing – I’ll be covering some of the on site shows. I’m also going to be part of the panel presented by FashioNZ Diversity Conversation: What can fashion do to be inclusive? which I’m pretty excited about.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I’m really looking forward to the Ruby & Rain show – I always love seeing our great plus size brands on the catwalk. The MIROMODA showcase is always a favourite of mine, I think it’s so important to be able to spotlight our very talented indigenous designers.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
Ruby & Rain and Lost and Led Astray are two of my favourites showing this year.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
A small water bottle that I can refill, comfortable shoes and a back up charger for my phone.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
Patting all the dogs, although I’m not sure if this is a talent so much as a goal! I’m also a pretty great cook.
Linda Harris, Fashion Writer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
I will be attending shows and reporting back on what I saw/heard/loved.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I really love crowd watching and scoping out the incredible outfits that everyone is wearing.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
So many! I love Ruby, Lonely Hearts, Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester, Juliette Hogan, and Maggie Marilyn.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
Snacks, water, lip balm and call me sensible – but comfortable shoes are a must.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
Being short plays to my advantage as I can slyly weave my way in and out of a busy crowd!
Ava Wardecki-Locke, Fashion Writer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
I’m joining the writing team for my third year at NZFW, and will be writing reviews of the shows and collections during the week – and I absolutely cannot wait.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW?
I’m most excited about seeing the emerging labels take to the runway this year. I’m always so inspired by the fresh talent and new designer shaking up the scene. As always, the Graduate show is one of my firm favourite shows that I always look forward to – year after year I’m blown away by the innovations and creativity.
I’m also a bit of a geek about grand heritage buildings, so I’m excited to see how the gorgeous Town Hall building plays host to the events! I can’t think of a better central Auckland building to be the centrepiece for Fashion Week.
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
I’m a huge fan of Zambesi, Harman Grubiša and Dadelzen – especially of their tailored pieces and outerwear.
I absolutely adore accessories too, so I love Katherine Wilson’s shoes and belts (of which I own one style in three colours!) and also Pedro’s Bluff’s leathergoods for impossibly chic investment bags.
A fresh jewelry company I’m also crushing on at the moment is WINIE. The pieces are sparkly, handmade in NZ with fresh florals, so it’s impossible for me to not fall head over heels for them.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
My favourite part of pulling together an outfit is always outerwear, so I’ll always bring a nice blazer or coat with me to NZFW. To be honest, they usually end up being the centrepiece of my NZFW outfits, which is handy seeing as they always keeps me snug when darting between shows this time of year!
Of course I’ll always bring my laptop and charger so I can write the reviews straight after shows, while it’s still fresh in my mind. I also always keep my favourite red lipstick and a small bottle of perfume with me for touch ups. I definitely can’t forget my favourite monochrome Karl Lagerfeld bag to put all of this in!
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
A secret talent of mine is that I can always put together a killer cheese board. I’m not going to be humble here – because they’re pretty delicious. They’re edible works of art even. There again, I’m half French, so it’s probably not much of a secret.
Miss Charlotte Cake, Fashion Writer
What are you doing for FashioNZ at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019?
I’ll be attending and writing for a few of the fashion shows again this year which I’m super excited about.
What are you most looking forward to about NZFW? (the experience, which shows, people etc.)
Ooooh, great question! There is SO much I’m looking forward to about NZFW. I love watching out for great outfits on attendees as well as heading to shows and getting to write up fun reviews for FashioNZ. I love writing and fashion, so this event is a dream for me!
Who are your favourite NZ designers and brands?
Tough call, but as someone who’s obsessed with 1950s fashion I can still appreciate (and occasionally wear) more modern garments! My favourite NZ brand is definitely Miss Crabb – I still think her flowy black dresses are the best investment money can buy. Lonely Lingerie and Ruby are also solid favourites.
What are your must-have items to take to NZFW?
Water, vintage compact mirror and matte red lipstick.
What’s your (not so) secret talent?
My ability to talk my way out of awkward situations (but also into getting what I want) haha!
Image supplied.