New Zealand Fashion Week Day 2 Wrap with Mima Lewis Gourdie

Day 2 wrap with New Zealand Fashion Week Head Dresser and Metropol’s NZFW correspondent Mima Lewis Gourdie

TUESDAY, Coming to you from Shed 10, the MainStage for NZFW!

It’s day two of fashion week, and the show schedule is well and truly underway. 

We had Caitlin Crisp opening the week out at Shed 10, putting on a performance truly matching the energy of opening night, but in her own way. Caitlin brought the ballet to Shed 10, as RNZB Principal dancers descended on the runway. With tutus left and right, the gaps were filled with white and pink cottons in Crisp’s signature feminine style – leaning into ruffles and a variety of pink florals in varying shades. The romance of this runway truly brought tears to the eyes of the backstage team, as RNZB principal dancers Josh Guillemot-Rodgerson and Ana Gallardo Lobaina made their way up and down the runway in a romantic duet. Closing out to The Time of My Life, models partied down the runway as Caitlin made an appearance in her own pink tutu. This show was truly one for the girls. 

Twenty-Seven Names was next on the agenda, celebrating their return to NZFW in their 20th year. Designers, Rachel Easting and Anjilee Burnett decided to celebrate this milestone with a nostalgic return to school in a preppy runway show. This show was full of TSN signature florals, especially in jacket and mini-skirt sets. We had bright colours in a yellow dress with contrast florals and a lime green rain jacket, but the accessories were where it was at for this show. Models carried a range of bags drawing envy from the audience, including classic brown leather purses overflowing with newspapers and tulips, and even a velvet purse with a ceramic cat poking out. Twenty Seven Names really had us feeling all the nostalgia, as models were capped and gowned for their final walk – here’s to the graduates!

Juliette Hogan was up next, bringing chic to the runway with floor-length tassel chandeliers  marking the length of the runway. Juliette showcased her signature painterly prints and beautiful tailoring, with a number of fit-and-flare coats showcasing the figure. Standout pieces for this runway were the fringe sets, tunics and skirt sets in full fringe, finished off with an elegant bridal look. Juliette’s brief for her models? ‘Walk straight ahead, look straight ahead, don’t stop, don’t pose, sharp turns, be confident, celebrate yourself’. So chic. 

The final show for Day Two was Khadi Beyond Borders. This show marked a significant occasion in the history of NZFW, as a collaboration with India’s Fashion Council. Headlined by Rajesh Pratap Singh, joined by designers Shruti Sancheti, Samant Chausan and Pawan Sachdeva, this show was a phenomenal display of culture, in both fabrics and musical performance. The show centred around the material, Khadi, a hand-spun, natural fibre cloth, to which each designer bought their own distinct look. 

The show started strong with Samant Chausan and his elegant collection of nude dresses, showcasing the versatile ability of the fabric through intensive pleating, braiding and panelling. Pawan Sachdeva followed in a colourful showcase of men’s looks, bringing traditional Indian silhouettes to the runway. The runway remained colourful for the work of Shruti Sancheti, who’s models appeared adorned in beautiful jewellery, patchwork belts, and hair clips, with small ceramic charms a motif throughout. The show closed out dramatically with the work of Rajesh Pratap Singh, all colour removed; the line-up of 30 models strutted the runway in full black and white looks. The audience was caught off-guard as masked figures entered the runway from the back, barreling towards a singular draped figure walking from the front, peeling off at the last second in a delightful display of runway choreography. 

When all was said and done, looks and accessories were packed away into suitcases, ready for their return to India. 

Day Two was so diverse, across narratives of ballet-core, collegiate nostalgia, chic fringe and cultural showcase. I’m down 5 shows out of 20 – bring on Day 3!

Mima’s favourite moment: The Twenty Seven Names finale included the addition of  graduation gowns, tassels and caps, with some of the models saying “I’ve never graduated, this is the only time I’ll be putting one of these on!”