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| Chloe Graham photographed by Prue Ibbotson. |
Home to Massey University’s fashion design school, the old Museum’s Great Hall was a fitting place to host Wellington’s first Fashion Week, with runway shows from 32 designers, established and emerging. From the gauzy, metallic bodices of Hermione Flynn through to the rich enveloping brocade of Liz Mitchell.
Miss Abigail made sumptuous
use of big, brassy materials in her wonderfully over-sized pale green shrug and
velveteen used in a virtuoso display of flouncing. Lucy McIntosh’s soft mustard
hues and garments almost like altar vestments, and the magnificent
deconstructions of Jacque Shaw filled with stripes, layers, bands and gaps all
shimmering with big jewellery like table settings.
The work of the makeup
artists led us through the delicate, then into sweeps of tribal marking/war
paint for the Taylor Boutique show, and on to the brilliance of sparkling,
subtle eye work. Hair styling was also
superbly crafted and ebullient. We fell to the charms of updated vintage
techniques like schoolgirl pigtails to Renaissance-influenced tight braiding
and 1930s buns and springy finger waves.
Wellington Fashion Week was a big boost for the industry right across the board with people in
related industries who like the Breakers, were given a chance to shine on their
home court. Congratulations to
Cameron Sneddon and the team who worked so hard to make this event a success.
Terence Hodgson
