Pleasingly solid week

New Zealand Fashion Week may have lacked in sponsor capital, but it was pleasingly solid in terms of creativity,” The Australian’s fashion editor Georgina Safe writes. “Most of the designers who were in the ones-to-watch category years ago — including Juliette Hogan, Cybele Wiren and Adrian Hailwood — showed they had matured and evolved their aesthetics into singular and commercially viable collections. Wasted Days, Wasted Nights: we’ve all had them, but World put them to good use by creating a collection around the concept of misspent hours. What a show it was, with lashings of leopard print, cascades of ruffles and sequins scattered everywhere. But lurking beneath a riot of colours and sparkle there were some very wearable pieces, most notably in the brand’s menswear, including some highly tailored suits in checks and solids that were cropped above the ankle. Along with designers such as Juliette Hogan, Deanna Didovich and James Dobson, Alexandra Owen’s fresh and feminine aesthetic is moving New Zealand fashion forward into an exciting new chapter beyond a moody attitude and masses of fabric.”