Crust is a weekly newsletter on taste and culture from Tāmaki Makaurau.
How cool is it to be around creative, inspiring, kind people all day for five days? This was only the second New Zealand Fashion Week we’ve had in six years, and a lot’s changed in the past two. There was plenty to think about, take in, and I’ve spent the week digesting it all. What I’ve got today isn’t bite-sized, nor snackable, so pop an antacid before you get stuck in. Heavy on the word count, light on visuals (because we’ve all seen lots of that), here’s what I noticed, thought and felt by the time Friday wrapped up.
If you’re going to put on a show, you might as well put on a show. I predicted as much last week, the spectacle of the runway, and as Courtney Joe said to me after one of them, “go hard or go home”.
“We’re gonna start,” Murray Bevan said at 6.11pm on Monday night. Final call. As the public watched from by the ferry terminal (a beautiful touch and something I love to see at fashion week), a who’s who of Auckland sat front row (everyone was front row, another good touch). Fashion Week founder Pieter Stewart, a cold-looking Paul Goldsmith, Petra Bagust, designers Frances Hooper and Lela Jacobs, all the Conway-Sylvesters, the new guard like Aorangi Kora. ‘Cruise Control’ by Headless Chickens played — Grant Fell is still missed — and the sky was cold and blue with barely a cloud, like magic. A drone hovered above, buzzing. This is fashion week in 2025. A handful of models were delivered by car (Giltrap sponsor is good for that) and the button-adorned suit from Kate Sylvester’s Art Groupie collection slid out of a Porsche. Manahou Mackay (back in town) christened the catwalk wearing 2001 Trelise Cooper with 2018 Georgia Alice. 62 more looks followed. Adray Minh in Annie Bonza; Monty Crane in Crane Brothers and Flying Nun; Amanda Bransgrove in Liz Mitchell; Shanaya Crasto in Doris De Pont’s 2004 collaboration with John Pule; Polena Yi wore more recent, though no less important fashion, Rhoda Nunn and Penny Sage. This was creative director Dan Ahwa’s handiwork, a love letter to the industry and the city, and casting was just as considered — a roll call of names and faces that the cultural relevance, to fashion sure, but also to Tāmaki Makaurau: Bic Runga, Milan Boric, Micheal McCabe, Alex Scott, and many more. At the end, they all lined up on a platform in front of the shed, like a school photo, before merging like a zip for the finale work: both so Auckland.
(Dan and I caught up the day before the show; you can watch the video below, and hear the rest of the chat on bFM here).
You wonder how the designers in the audience must have felt, seeing things they made years ago in the floodlights again. All the Sylvesters were there and so was the red cape from Wolf. Vinnie wore Kiri Nathan and DNA, and talking to Doris de Pont after the show, she told me how modern every look felt, and meaningful, because that’s the thing with good clothes. They stay good. And the things we’re buying and collecting now are the archives of the future.
What about the new, how do you make a splash at fashion week if it’s your first time showing? Harris Tapper decided to dive into a deep, dark pool for their brand’s debut outing, a show that recontextualised the pristine rigour they’ve made a name for. That was there of course, dialled up in fact thanks to some sumptuous textiles and sharp cuts, but so too was a slept-in gothic romance, courtesy of an inky, smudgey beauty look keyed by Kiekie Stanners and elegantly convalescent hair by Colleen, that brought a haunted quality to the whole thing. So did the black for nearly every look (the crowd too, funeral fashion for girls who read books, have taste in art and probably a nice handbag too). That shade sung when surface interest came into play — beading, fringe, feathery textures — and in some very lovely sheer polka dots. Or maybe it’s gothic monasticism. It wasn’t all serious; there were canny touches like plastic mesh slippers (yes, those ones), hand-selected Penguin books for each guest, and ‘Paint It Black’ played for the finale walk show. Everyone spilled out of Blue onto Franklin Road afterwards, while Sarah Harris Gould and Lauren Tapper were swarmed by acolytes; the Harris Tapper woman is a distinctive one, and they were out in force.
Juliette Hogan knows how to do a show. My notebook page starts with “pleats!!”, “flats!” and “EASE” — loud prose that’s a far cry from the energy of the show, which was cool, calm and filled with expensive-looking coats on attendees. It was summer on the runway, pleats flouncing down, and Juliette showed some fresh propositions for dressing for it; a three-piece ensemble (including bikini top) came out in multiple colourways, including an unexpectedly bright floral on Shanaya Crasto, or green if that’s more your thing. As beachy-breezy as these felt, there were assertive ideas for evening as well, the best being a dense, crumpled, Prada-esque satin — particularly good in pants — and the brand’s woman feels a little undone this season. (I predicted luxe, ornate, sumptuous fabrics this year, as a way to make value legible and present a point of difference to mass brands, and we saw some at Harris Tapper later that night too). Also good were an assortment of the blousy looks with volume and gathering at the neck and shoulders, and a couple of drop-waist silhouettes that felt fresh. “Elegant and easy” was the last note I made, moments before the gauzy white curtain that ran the length of the runway was pulled back to reveal Champagne flutes soldiered on a long banquette.
One of the earliest confirmations on the schedule, Karen Walker returned to the NZFW runway for the first time since 2006, or rather, a hop, skip and a jump. Models, dancers, stunt actors, athletes (rugby star Sarah Hirini) and even a Finnish professional hobby-horse-ist (Ada Filppa) traversed an obstacle course on the catwalk, a concept Mikhail said they’ve wanted to do for yearss, and it was all very P.E (complete with inhalers), very chaotic, and very twee, in a good, Wes Anderson-y way. The clothes were too. Combining pieces from Karen Walker and Adidas, styled by Karen Inderbitzen-Waller — the knee high socks and underwear were very KIW — many looks and pieces felt like the old days, notably a revival of the Perfect Day floral from 2010 (blue is out in September, pink in October) and that archival carousel print (coming in February), in badges, sweatbands and some of that poppy, bright nylon that the brand’s used forever. I loved the cyan bubble hem skirt, complete with utility pockets, but that, and a few others, were made strictly as showpieces (but maybe I’ll beg Karen to buy one). Even Anna Fitzpatrick was back for the occasion.
Designers love a showpiece, and they serve an important purpose, adding spectacle to a retail collection. Zambesi made some special things too, supplementing its spring-summer collection for the runway, and they were pretty special, as Liz Findlay told me backstage before the show. There were a few show looks, some garments had been adorned and embellished with things from the brand’s trims cabinet, and the finale look featured a patchwork wrap skirt made from fabric remnants she’s held on to over the years. “I kept them because I couldn’t bear to part with them,” she explained. It was preceded by over 55 other looks — fun fact I learned backstage, the brand’s first Sydney Fashion Week show had 74 exits — for spring-summer, which is dropping in store over the next three months, many styled with lurex socks and roman sandals (brilliant). It was all quite sensual, sexy even, in that way Zambesi does so well, with clingy lurex and sheer lace, a louche grey suit reminiscent of American Gigolo-era Armani, mesh (fashioned into matching hats) and some fantastic bootleg pinstripe pants that have a wide belt made in the same fabric. And tender. I was very lucky to get to wear some pieces from their back catalogue from the show, and spent an afternoon digging in the legendary archive.
Another legacy brand, Untouched World, showed too (rare for them) with a show that was crisp and fresh like a southerly. Most compelling were the pairing of wool scarves with cotton shirts, and a brown wool shawl tied around a model’s shoulders, and the show made a strong case for knitted kerchiefs. (Knitwear, on the runway and off, is always at its most elegant when it looks like an afterthought). Particularly special was the closing look (my seatmate Henry Oliver was blown away), which included a jumper from the brand’s archives. They’d be smart to reissue that one. Here’s hoping.
Not everything was a runway show, and some designers explored other ways of communicating their work and essence. For Jasmin Sparrow, “I really liked the approach this year that they let you do anything,” she told me on Tuesday, ahead of her Thursday morning slot. “It made me want to be a part of it.” We were at Jason Ng’s Gallery Ne Geurra on Faraday Street in Parnell with artist Jade Townsend, who she collaborated with for a specially made piece, which Jade describes as an "exaggerated wall adornment” with “glamorous sensibilities”. The long strands of suspended pearls catch the breeze coming in the door. They’re freshwater baroque pearls, cultivated in Japan, while the wood is rimu (Jade enlisted Emile Drescher’s handiwork for the cabinetry). Melding their two different methodologies was complex, necessitating negotiations and learning, but the project gave the two friends an excuse to spend time together. The piece is for sale, complemented by long strands of pearls created for the installation. 20 of them have been made, and are available in the showroom, open to the public Saturday August 30, and online next week, when you’ll also be able to shop the two (very) limited designs Jas made for the Harris Tapper show.
Materiality was the topic of conversation for Yu Mei’s panel on Thursday, marking a decade in business for Jessie’s brand. (Did you know Jessie had to reestablish her complete supply of deer nappa after her tannery decided to wrap up production? I didn’t.) The fabric is fundamental to the brand’s bags, and access to material and how it informs a creative object was something Isaac Te Awa, curator and maker, spoke to — including constraints. “We’re no longer in this age of abundance,” he said. “What you receive, that dictates what you create.” Isaac also spoke to the constraints of his other field. “Curatorial work is working in a bias, lots of things weren’t collected because the people doing it didn’t deem them worthwhile.”
What really caught my eye at Taylor (no mean feat given that art-y model installations dotted around The Shelter and throng of suitably attired guests) was a very, very nice waxed-cotton jacket worn by one of the staff at the door. It’s new season, and I need to take a closer look.
Rebe also did something different. Earlier this week, high up above a glittering Auckland skyline, a beaming Rebe Healy told me she was “so happy”. She should be. She’s built a very successful label, and though usually it operates somewhat independently of local fashion cycles and media scaffolding, this year Rebe was on the schedule and calling in a handful of other brands for the occasion; there were Baina towels in the bathroom and Tronque on the vanity. Displayed in the tallest penthouse in the city (it’s on the 41st floor at 53 Saint Patrick’s Square, and it’s for sale), with art from Coastal Signs, Michael Lett, and Treadler. There were echoes of The Line (remember that Vanessa Traina venture?) and it was packed with a swanky crowd of tastemakers — again, everyone more or less wearing black — mingling and munching nibs by Bistro Seine; more than one guest told me the anchovy toasts were the best thing they ate all week. Amidst it all, Holly Sarah Burgess was shooting the campaign live, with Penny Pickard and Emma Boyd styled by Margie Riddiford, on monitors so guests could see her (great) work in action. A private dinner (Rebe has a dedicated group of customers, from what I hear and see) and trunk show appointments followed, and she said it’s a way to expand on what they’re been doing with their clientele.
Because you’ve got to sell right? Retailing is complex, so is production. It’s no secret that New Zealand businesses are hamstrung by our small population and challenges (rents! foot traffic!) of brick-and-mortar retailing. We talk about it a lot. For NZFW, there’s increasing focus on customer-facing activity and using the event to drive sales; it’s no longer industry only, and buyers, while many attend, aren’t as high-stakes an opportunity as they once were. (Registered buyer delegates this year included representatives from Ballantynes, The Shelter, Designer Direct, Contain Boutique and 47 Frocks.)
And then there’s The Iconic, the multi-brand Australian bohemoth, which has two million customers (that’s more than the population of Tāmaki Makaurau) and turns 14 this month. Representatives were in Auckland for fashion week, with designer appointments and a pop-up at Britomart. In the first event of the schedule, we heard from Joanna Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer, and Gayle Burchell, Chief Commercial & Sustainability Officer. The Iconic already stocks Paris Georgia, Wynn Hamlyn, Harris Tapper, Karen Walker, and the company has a lot of brand appointments teed up while they’re in Aotearoa; Gail has put together a hit list. “We’re here literally to buy,” she said. “We’re really serious about representing New Zealand fashion in a much bigger way.” Joanna thinks we do fashion “way better than the Aussies”, but we also pay comparatively more for it.
At the opening party, the importance of sales and money was hammered in by Judith “Crusher” Collins, including how much the industry brings to the New Zealand economy (we all know that, but I’m glad she mentioned it too and cited figures).
If the success of Auckland FC is anything to go by, which debuted its 2025-2026 season kit and clever designs by Whitecliffe students (with great styling by Makaira Lee) to a glossy crowd at Soul on Thursday afternoon, there’s appetite from the city’s denizens to get behind something exciting. It also helps to have moneyed backers and strong marketing. That’s one kind of formula, but so is fashion week itself; the ecosystem of production crews, PR, media, designers, beauty, agencies et al that have been doing this for over two decades — not to mention the media, doing more with less all the time but nonetheless finding joy, sharing knowledge and asking the right questions.
The local industry is at an interesting inflection point, with a wave of new-ish brands emerging since pre-pandemic, and a vastly different landscape to navigate — both logistically with supply chains and wholesaling, and on the marketing and media side, because, well, internet. So it was good to see the Future of Fashion showcase facilitate a runway environment and mentorship for eight finalists and, for scholarship recipient Brownwyn, deemed “ready to scale up” by judges, a pot from DHL. Her collection, well-styled for the runway, included some darling strappy pastel heels with detachable flowers that were very Carrie Bradshaw (so was Lucy Slight’s tutu this week) and should sell very, very, well once they’re released around the end of October. Riel’s repurposed shirts and suits were also impressive — I heard an audible “woah” behind me — and she really is doing something quite clever. Daf Nimkovsky had some neat ideas for summertime city dressing (I loved the brown shirt, rouched jersey mini and jandals) as did Gemma Lee, who showed a brilliant boy-leg swimsuit; Ohn and Zheyi Ruan went for grandeur; Depth of Scye had some great pieces, including a double-layered kilt.
Claudia Li drew one of the coolest crowds of the week; inventive outfits, lots of Nineteen99 (I counted at least five items, and all three of the talented Bahati siblings). Claudia has spent much of her career overseas. “It’s been three years since my last runway, after nearly a decade of showing in New York. Taking that pause gave me a fresh perspective and it allowed me to return with more clarity about what I want to say,” Claudia told me, and coming to NZFW felt like both a return and a new beginning. “Showing in Aotearoa feels grounding and really meaningful. My work has been shaped by years in New York, and presenting here for the first time is a way of bringing that back home. I hope I can add a fresh point of view to the local fashion conversation.” Anticipation and curiosity were met with a collection that was incredibly assured. The whole thing was sharp and sweet (two things that usually curdle) with big bows, big hats and embellished shoelaces that made a satisfyingly ASMR shtshtsh with each step. Her approach comes from a focus on “silhouettes, texture, and emotion” rather than any specific customer. Proving out my prediction on sumptuous textiles, the fabrics were very, very good — they looked expensive, and the production quality of samples was at an international standard. Scarlet sequins were the most wow, particularly the hijab worn by Yasmine Mohamud, and the balloon-hemmed black velvet looks that had a princes-in-the-tower quality that always does it for me. “People form their own dialogue with the pieces, interpret them in their own way, and in that process the clothes and the stories come alive,” Claudia explained. “What I’ve noticed here is that there’s a real appetite for very special pieces, for clothes that are bold but still deeply personal. It’s less about demographics and more about resonance I think.”
We saw sparkle at Adrion Atelier too, on the runway (the beaded looks were the standouts from his debut show) and off (tears in his eyes and fizzing congratulations from industry figures backstage). He and Claudia Li were both finalists for Giltrap’s Helping Kiwis Fly award, geared at new guard labels with an eye to business vision and scale potential, with the third, Rebe awarded the main prize.
Kāhui Collective serves a similar purpose of support and scale. Kiri Nathan (looking resplendent in blue) opened the show for her incubator with a warm speech that also delivered a blunt message about how people can support indigenous designers. “Buy their stuff,” she told the audience. “That’s how we get behind small businesses.” Designers making their NZFW debut included KaistorSt and Katherine Anne; Czarina Wilson’s collection was an ode to blue collar work, with high-vis iterations of the puffy quilting that’s her signature, and a great tartan tupenu; Mitchell Vincent showed how to cut a very elegant dress — Kaarina Parker was sheathed in oyster satin — and made a case for halter tops and cowl necks on men; more refreshing menswear propositions came from Fijian label TEMESIA.CO (Pasifika preppy) and J’Ake, whose exits were a case study in contemporary masculinity in Aotearoa — models adorned in poi, spectacles, berets, shawls, gumboots to add layers of additional meaning to his designs. “This is the first runway for Kāhui Collective but it won’t be the last,” Kiri said.
Masculinity was something I discussed with Josh Heares (Porter James), Mike Beagley (Rodd & Gunn) and Des Rusk (Long Form) at the Menswear Unfiltered panel (part of fashion week’s Beyond the Runway speaker series) at Giltrap on Thursday morning, and I’ll see if I can get a transcript to share here, because there was a lot of wisdom shared, including this salient gem from Des Rusk: “Sometimes advice is just nostalgia”.
They talked a lot about scaling a brand while staying true to your vision, and how to navigate the future. Actually, that was discussed a lot this week. At panels and over coffees. Everyone’s got eyes ahead, even if we are looking in the rear-view mirror too.
I remember the momentum of the early years. Back then, it felt like the country — and government — was throwing its weight behind local designers. Can we do that again? The excitement, the patriotism, the sense that we’ve got something rooted here that speaks to who we are? If the conversations I had with showgoers and industry figures old and new, were anything to go by, and vibes gleaned from people watching from afar, I think so.
We saw it in action on the first night, with Dan Ahwa — inspired by the saying “ka mua kamiri”, walking backwards into the future — and his team (Courtney Joe, Natasha Ovelly, Levi Tan, Zoe Walker Ahwa) flattening time with a non-linear love letter to Aotearoa fashion and all its characters, quirks and footnotes. It was proof of concept on a large scale; speaking to something more than enduring quality and ideas (though those matter too) but also clothes in dialogue with each other, the city around them, and the context — social, cultural and personal — of who’s wearing them.
I’ve written thousands of words to land here, at the end of this newsletter (for anyone still here, thanks for sticking with me) but the ones we need were there at the start of the week, on the closing look of the archive show. Here Now.
How did my predictions play out?
Deep cuts from the back catalogue: Yes, starting with Into the Archive, but also seen at Karen Walker (prints) and Zambesi (footwear).
Lurex: Claudia Li, Zambesi, Sammy Salsa’s mum.
In-season collections: Zambesi, Juliette Hogan, Harris Tapper and more
Havaianas: Spotted off the runway and on it at Daf Nimkovsky
Some shows will embrace voguing and a return to 80s poses: Yes! Kathryn Wilson, Adrion Atelier, Ohn, Cruel to be Kind, any show Venus walked, and of course Vinnie’s crowdwork at Auckland FC (iykyk)
Lace layers: Heaps.
Politicians: Judith Collins at the opening night party, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke walked Kāhui Collective and Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were in the audience; Wayne Brown at Thursday night’s shows (and on Monday with Goldsmith).
Skinny scarf: Zambesi
Fabrics that look expensive: Most designers went this route one way or another, with dense satins, embellishment, glitter and ornamentation.
Stunt casting: Yes
Athletes: Ali Williams was at the Thursday shows, assorted sports stars at Auckland FC (him too), and Sarah Hirini at Karen Walker
Ballet flats: A corps worth of them.
Multiple Vinnies at Zambesi: In the end, only one, Bennett, in the audience wearing a very handsome suit
Real cigs: Spotted on multiple occasions
What did I notice?
Knee-high socks: Karen Walker, Zambesi
Birdsong: Kahui Collective, Untouched World
Kerchiefs: Claudia Li, Untouched World, Penny Sage greyhound
Shawls and scarves: Untouched World, J’ake, Claudia Li
Designers attending each other’s shows: Love to see this! (Wynn Hamlyn was everywhere).
What else?
Thursday’s Morning Glory show on bFM was a fashion week special (listen here) with a set list of old runway tracks and designer requests.
‘Pressure Man’ by The Feelers: Into The Archives, 2025
‘Long White Cross’ by Pluto: Zambesi, 2005
‘Screems from da Old Plantation’ by King Kapisi: Overstayer, 2004
‘There is No Depression In New Zealand’ by Blam Blam: World, 2009
‘Still Not a Player’ by Big Pun: Twenty-Seven Names, 2018
‘Four Feet by Punches’, Zambesi (year unknown)
‘The Number One Song In Heaven’ by Sparks: Karen Walker (year unknown). “Sparks have always been favourites in our world,” Karen told me. “We used this as the opening track one season at New York Fashion Week which speaks to how much we love it.”
‘Sittin’ Pretty’ by The Datsuns: Stolen Girlfriends Club after party, 2013
‘Cruise Control’ by Headless Chickens: Into The Archives, 2025
‘TSPG69’ by Macy Rodman: Jimmy D (what James Dobson would play if the brand was showing).
‘I Dream In Neon’ by Dirty Beaches: Juliette Hogan, 2025
‘Just Like Honey’ by The Jesus And Mary Chain: Kate Sylvester. “It’s our theme song,” she say, and they used it in at least three shows – Tartt, Love Letters and Into The Light
‘Pokarekare Ana’ by Geneva AM: Into The Archives, 2025
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