we loved fashion week

What did we love from New Zealand Fashion Week 2008? Here are our top five picks from the week that was:

Zoe

1. I’m a lady
A lot of the younger local designers were all about dirty messy grunge, but I quite liked the restrained sexiness at Juliette Hogan and Chelsea Thorpe. Hogan is well known for her love of dressing ladylike girls, but her range at Fashion Week was especially polished. Loved the rug as a runway, the casual hair, and the trumpeter before the show - and the navy sunray pleated dress, and amazing maxi dresses. Chelsea Thorpe also channeled prim elegance with her range, which featured lots of simple dresses, skirts and blouses. Also loved the knee high stockings (we all got a pair in the goodie bag, yay). My style is about as far removed from the whole grunge thing as you can get, so the simple sophistication of these shows was a welcome change.

2. Altar of fashion
The Jaeha show was one of the most highly anticipated of the week, and you could feel the crowd's anticipation at the early morning show at St Matthews in the City. It's a big risk for a young, not-yet established designer to do an off-site show, but the move definitely paid off for the designer Alex Jaeha Kim. It was quite surreal to sit in the massive church, with the sounds of Everybody’s Free playing and the morning light streaming through the lead light windows. It was lovely. I really want the shaggy purple jacket, the tie-dye wool cardigan, a paisley print skirt - and if I was tall, or attending a red carpet event, one of those amazing floor length silk gowns. And how hot were the head pieces and floral stockings?

3. Huffer likes to party
Maybe it was because it was the last show of the week, or maybe it was because having a fashion show on a wharf in the middle of the city is just a damn cool idea - but Huffer's show and party on Princess Wharf was a highlight for me. The Huffer team must have been crossing their fingers, toes and everything else, because the notoriously fickle Auckland weather held out and it didn't rain a drop. The All Black posing as a fisherman (the orange figure in the background of this pic) was also a nice quirky touch.

4. Mixtape
I love the element of surprise of runway music; it's especially great when a label plays a random track that gets the usually po-faced front row smiling. The best Fashion Week music this year? Twentysevennames' playlist which featured Hypnotize and Ginuwine's Pony was well loved by the front row, Salasai played Neneh Cherry (brilliant), the Marie Antoinette soundtrack played at Alexandra Owen, and Lonely Hearts' show (below) featured metal from Nirvana and Hole. Bionic Pixie lip-synching at Hailwood was also very cute.

5. Shoes of the week
Yes it's all about the clothes, but there's also some majorly hot footwear on the runways at Fashion Week. Some of my favourite shoes this year included Cybele's specially made feathered heels, below - amazing - the Ellie hooker heels at Jaeha, Jonathan Kelsey heels and boots at Karen Walker and the hot barbed wire heels at Stolen Girlfriends Club. Kathryn Wilson's ankle boots, seen at Twentysevennames and Hailwood, are also on my must-buy winter wish list.

Natalie

1. Hypnotized

I loved the soundtrack at Twentysevennames - especially Hypnotize by Notorious B.I.G. It's my favourite party song. Of course, I also loved the clothes - my favourite pieces included the Joni Fringed Mini, the Patti Blazer that opened the show, and the beautiful necklaces by D_Luxe, reminiscent of moccasins - fringing, soft leather. I'd also like to get my hands on the white shirt dress.2. Alexandra Owen

Alexandra Owen's adept cutting and beautiful fabrics were another favourite - I particularly loved the black woolen bustle skirt with the draped white shirt. The styling was cool here too - loose stockings worn over pumps.

3. Kirrily Johnston's shoes

The chestnut over the knee flat boots with chunky gold zips were great, as were the backless ankle boots in the same leather.

4. Deadly Ponies

I'm a sucker for a morbid installation, and this didn't fail to deliver - severed and bloody hands and antique medical paraphernalia sat alongside a beautiful collection - knitted bags, a new Classics collection and a high-end jewellery line. I want it all.

5. Offsite shows

Jaeha was held in a church, which was the perfect setting. The sunlight streaming in the stained glass windows offset the incredible clothes - I have my eye on the purple hooked wool cardigan. And, I think my Nana was glad - it's the first time I've been in a church since I left boarding school.
Photos: Air New Zealand Fashion Week, NZ Herald