The Group Shows: Part Two
Night two, and some subtle changes were afoot. In particular, the models had picked up the pace and so the show finished within the hour and had more energy. I suspect this may have been as a result of order discount viagra
news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10800258″ target=”_blank”>this NZ Herald article. I scribbled frantically! Frantically I say! I loved the hair in this show – half the girls wore their hair in two braids with volume above the braid, while the other half wore their hair in fingerwaves with greyed out areas.
The show kicked off with Robyn Mathieson
“Robyn, who is originally from the deep New Zealand south, brings to her designs a clever, colourful simplicity. She has a strong eye for creative and innovative fabrics which form the basis of her signature style. Floral, abstract or geometric, her astute choices celebrate fine quality and outstanding style. Her love of retro homewares, loud prints and bright colours are always hinted at within her seasonal collections.”
This was a bright and summery collection featuring teals and neons, with the occasional dingy colour and black off-setting the candy brights. Soft tshirt shapes and relaxed blazers dominated, resulting in looks that could be thrown on effortlessly. I enjoyed the trapeze dresses and the way they moved, as well as the colour blocking and occasional chevron print. The stylists had once again put the models in socks, which truthfully is beginning to get a bit mystifying since this is a summer collection. Socks in summer?
“The intention behind neverblack is to deliver high-quality and cutting edge fashion for men and women at a price that won’t break the bank…Neverblack’s up and coming AW12 collection, An/Insignificant/Being, was inspired by Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s tale “Where The Wild Things Are” and the decadence and decay of 70a documentary “Grey Gardens”, An/Insignificant/Being fuses natural fibers with extravagance to bring the juxtaposing stories of fantasy and reality to life.”
To me, the reference to Grey Gardens was
reflected firstly in the colour palette of soft neutrals and sage green. The women’s clothes were girly, accessorised with loosely knotted ropes at the waistline. Once again, the girls wore socks. The designers had included velvet, but kept the weight light and moveable. The womenswear was demure, while the menswear was slick but workingman – the rolled trousers tucked into smart but practical boots spoke of boys from the factories out in their cars and picking up girls at the milkbar. The menswear showed a nice use of layering and detail, including trim on the pockets and a shirt with pintucking in white just down one side.
“The label draws upon the
tension between the innocence and naivety of youth and the sometimes painful but necessary rites of passage to adulthood to explore the spectrum of the feminine aesthetic and identity. Bringing together the two very different but complementary aesthetics of the designers to create a unique look consisting of very structured tailored pieces and softer more feminine elements.
philippa & alice showed their 2012/13 collection, which included more printed pants. Seriously, get those printed pants. We also saw more shirts buttoned up to the throat, but with collars in a contrasting fabric. The colours were soft and animal prints (and screenprinted animals) were repeated. There was more print-mixing but at times it was more clashing than complimentary. There were a number of dresses and tops that were cutaway and laced up, which unsurprisingly looked good on the models but I suspect will be tough to wear. The collection used an interesting Aztec print on skirts, dresses and tops as well as a lot of floral against black.
“Silence Was… A simple everyday apparel brand , launched in July 2011 with a simple mission to make the perfect “silent and romantic” shirts and dresses. Silence Was… aims to offer an updated concept of bespoke tailoring to modern day classic with the pieces you would love to wear until they are fallen apart through time…”
More shirts buttoned to the neck, so I guess while we’re all buying printed pants we should probably also buy a few shirts to button right up. However this collection was initially more wintery, with heavy textured fabrics and colours like plum, charcoal, navy and cream. While some of the clothes were obviously textured, there was more subtle use of contrasting textures in various items resulting in a collection that bore a second look. As more items showed, there was seemingly a transition to lighter summery pieces, with my pragmatic side dismissing various light, flirty skirts as far too insubstantial for the Wellington winds. The tailoring was careful and refined, with well-executed cutaway details and in particular, a blue silk dress that featured a number of barely-there straps.
“Founded in 2011, Kelsey Genna is a handmade label based in New Zealand. The label is proudly hand crafted locally with all pieces being made to measure in limited quantities. The collection is sold exclusively through the online boutique and occasional pop up stores. Kelsey, 20 years old, recently graduated with a degree in Fashion Design.”
This collection was saccharine girlishness in full flight. Puffed sleeves, pale pink, ruffles and gingham were offset by a Francophile soundtrack and small posies of flowers. I thought the dresses were perfect for a 21st or a day at the races, although the use of the flowers did occasionally suggest bridesmaid duties instead. There was a particularly divine red dress with a full skirt that I coveted, as well as the candy coloured platform sandals worn by the models.
“New Zealand label STORM is known for its moody palette and distinctive edge. For the new season, STORM’s signature look and feel is reflected in ice-cool shades of black, winter grey and midnight blue.
These classic neutrals are warmed up with autumnal berry hues, splashes of metallic and a dash of animal. Once again, STORM brings you unique, custom-designed prints that you won’t see anywhere else.”
Storm used tough touches like studded belts and liquid leggings on a palette of black and red, as well as the occasional touch of lurex. The coats and jackets were well-tailored, and the styling was good, but individually the items were relatively conservative. As with other collections shown at WFW, some of the Storm looks used various layers of different textures in one colour scheme to create interest. There was a huge amount of black underpinning printed tunics. I enjoyed a belted chocolate jacket with a fur trim. The winter vibe was reflected in anoraks and chunky, slouchy knits.
“At Starfish we believe that you should look and feel beautiful in any situation. That is why we combine relaxed fits and classical silhouettes with a splash of extravagance – to create a versatile look best described as ‘easy glamour’.
We also believe that a love for fashion can go hand-in-hand with caring for the environment. Our designs have an enduring timelessness, which ensures you’ll love your Starfish garment for many seasons. They are also 100% made in New Zealand using natural and eco-friendly fabrics that feel wonderful next to your skin.”
Starfish created a cool combination of sherbet pink and rusty brown, and also used rope belts (although they were more refined). There was fringing and a beautiful feather print, as well as great braided necklaces in a kind of jersey. I’m thinking DIY? The clothes were smart but comfortable – and yup, more patterned pants. I also noted breezy peplums and draping around the hips, as well as high necklines (although not as high as the throat). The sporty trend seemed to be reflected in a pair of 3/4 pants with a drawstring waistline. Colour-blocking with navy and jade gave me huge Air New Zealand flashbacks. As with Robyn Mathieson, there were unconstructed blazers and hoodies.
It’s been a full-on week and there’s a few more posts to come, including an update on the Young Designer Awards, some dishing on the closing night party, and a round-up of what I’ve learnt over the past few days…
Are you a fan of winter or summer collections? And would you rather wear braids or fingerwaves this year?
D5 Creation
Braids, braids!