Rural edge to runway at Air NZ Fashion Week
11 Aug 2008
New Zealand’s reputation for agricultural innovation will stretch from the farm to the catwalk at the 2008 Air New Zealand Fashion Week in September.
For the first time, scientists and designers have worked together to produce an innovative runway show featuring high fashion garments made from a range of new natural fabrics.
The new fabrics are the result of scientific work at AgResearch, New Zealand’s crown research facility that focuses on growth in the agriculture and rural sector. AgResearch scientists have become world leaders in developing textiles from wool-based fibres in a sustainable manner.
New fabrics
Fashion designers Annah Stretton, twentysevennames, Stitch Ministry, Adrian Hailwood, Jaeha, Sera Lilly, and Salasai have created garments out of new fabrics that include: an aged / washed-look vintage merino, a high-tech wool fabric for sports apparel, super-fine merino for next-to skin wear, and a 100% wool shirting and suit fabric.
Air New Zealand Fashion Week runs from 16-21 September, and will again be held at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour Marina village.
Fashion designers
The 2008 designer line-up has been named, and for the first time includes an Australian designer - Kirrily Johnston. Organisers hope Johnston’s debut heralds the start of an on-going trans-Tasman fashion exchange.
Many of New Zealand’s crème de la crème fashion designers have been selected including Trelise Cooper, Annah Stretton, Yvonne Bennetti, Hailwood, World, Zambesi, Huffer, Karen Walker, Nom*D, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Cybèle, and many more.
The well established labels will be complemented by a long list of fresh emerging New Zealand names such as Stitch Ministry, Michael Pattison, NYNE, Sable & Minx, and Emma Wallace.
Design platform
Fashion Week director Pieter Stewart says the week-long event provides an ideal platform for New Zealand designers to showcase their collections to New Zealand and the world.
"Air New Zealand Fashion Week has significantly raised the profile of the fashion industry and created many off-shoot industries developed through Air New Zealand Fashion Week itself.
"A lengthy list of fashion related businesses such as modelling agencies, stylists, PR agencies, showrooms, fashion media, sponsorship brands, hairdressers and make-up artists all flourish as a result of Air New Zealand Fashion Week and the seasonal injection of business," says Stewart.
Fashion weekend
Following on from shows during the four trade-only days, Air New Zealand Fashion WEEKEND is open to the public.
More than 10,000 people attended the event last year, and a new simplified format will see Fashion WEEKEND fall on Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 September - making it even more convenient for visitors.
Attractions at Air New Zealand Fashion WEEKEND include season previews by top designers such as Moa, Lucie Boshier, Adrian Hailwood, Annah Stretton, Carpenters Daughter, Lara Parker, Liberty & Survival, and other premium retail brands.
For those who want to enhance their own designer wardrobe, the popular Air New Zealand Designer Garage Sale will be expanding this year, taking over the bigger Westpac Tent venue.
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