In Unison

Who, What Wear?

By staceyk | Published Sunday, 13 September, 2009 | 2 Comments

Fashion: it’s a word that elicits fear, ridicule, scorn, passion, love, and obsession. Whether you love, hate or are indifferent to it you can rarely ignore it. Stacey Knott catches up with some Auckland designers and fashionistas to talk all things fashion before the annual Air New Zealand Fashion Week where designers, media and buyers will be swooping in on Auckland to check out what is going to be in for Autumn/Winter 2010.

Auckland fashion blogger Isaac Hindin Miller is a local authority on fashion, this ANZFW will be the seventh he has attended. Hindin Miller’s blog, isaaclikes.com is perhaps Auckland’s premier fashion blog. He covers national and international fashion news, critiques articles in fashion magazines, goes backstage at fashion shows and shows his readers what he likes to wear. Why should someone care about fashion? Like it or not everybody is judged on their appearance. We all care about what we look like, we may say we don’t but everybody does. It is an important part of everyday life. How you present yourself to people is how the world sees you. I think it’s important to make an attempt to dress your best. How does Auckland compare to other centres fashion-wise? I think people are quite well dressed in Auckland. There is a group of young people who push the boundaries and dress pretty well. Overseas the majority of young people just dress head to toe in H&M, they are all big on the fast fashion - because we don’t really have that sort of thing it forces people to be a little bit more individual in the clothing they wear. But when something gets big here, it gets really big and every single person wears it (like girls in cut off shorts). Wellington seems like it has more fads than Auckland like that fluro thing went really big, but it didn’t really happen here. Christchurch is the fiery pits of hell when it comes to fashion. They are way too conservative and they are always a year later in picking up on what everyone else is doing. What advice can you give to students who want to be fashionable but are on tight budgets? Vintage is a good way of doing it, also lay buying things is good. We have a good range of high-end street wear designers here so it’s always easy to mix and match one Karen Walker piece with a whole bunch of vintage pieces; I think the shoes are really important they can elevate a whole outfit. So if you’re going to spend a whole bunch of money on one thing shoes is a good thing. What are you looking forward to at ANZFW? I love to see Nom D, Zambesi, Kate Sylvester and Stolen Girlfriends Club. Who is your favourite Auckland designer? Karen Walker for girls and for guys Zambesi. I’m always a big fan of what Murray Crane does. What do you think people should be wearing this summer? I’m big on the beige suit; I would love to see guys in New Zealand wearing casual summer suits like cotton blazers and pants. Also summer colours - everyone wears way too much black in New Zealand, we could take some guidance from the Americans they really know how to do their summer colours, they are big on their light blues and beiges. Not too many printed tee shirts we need to get away from the printed tee shirt thing, they need to be plainer, white tee-shirts with jeans is a good look. Trix and Dandy is Michael Pattison’s latest project, inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. The collection is for the youth market, so it’s affordable. His summer collection, hitting stores soon, is street-wear but with a glamorous edge catering for both guys and girls. Pattison will be showing it at Fashion Week. What has inspired Trix and Dandy? Bonnie and Clyde, Marilyn Monroe, Al Capone, Audrey Hepburn, Andy Warhol, Dita Von-Tease, Willy Wonker and the recession. Why is it important to show at ANZFW? Fashion Week is an important tool by which a label can gain crucial exposure, especially in its early seasons. The labels showing at Fashion Week are seen to be those that are dynamic and fashion forward by the media, buyers and the public. Why should people care about fashion? Because it's exciting to dress up and it gives you a sense of pride and individuality. And people will like you better! What do you think of the fashion scene in Auckland, and how does this compare to other main centres in NZ or internationally? I think there is more scope for acceptance of unique style and originality in Auckland. However the general state of fashion in the country is casual and understated, which I find a little frustrating. There will always be fabulous people in any city who wear what they want and do it with panache, and there will always be the majority who just don't care and eat pies. Internationally there are hot spots for fashion such as the larger European, or American cities, where there is a strong sense of pride and focus on fashion and ones’ appearance. Kate Gee is a jewellery designer, behind the Kagi label. Her collection is made of semi-precious stones without a huge price tag. She will also have her designs exhibited at ANZFW. How much work goes into showing at Fashion Week? We are focusing on exhibiting at Fashion Week and collaborating with fashion designers for their catwalk shows. Overall Fashion Week involves a huge amount of work – I always seem to underestimate it! What is your secret to success? In every collection I aim to have some pieces that really set my world on fire as well as those I know are going to be popular, so there is a balance between my passion and commercially viable designs. What should people look for when buying jewellery? Most of all I think people should look for something that can be meaningful to them. Jewellery has such a huge amount of emotional value attached to it. I mean dig people up from 2000 years ago, and what are they wearing? Jewellery! Stolen Girlfriends Club was born in 2005 when three friends failed at previous careers. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because now the street brand with high credibility is worn by the likes of Juliette Lewis and Peaches Geldof. How can a guy get more fashionable without having to put too much effort in? I think some of the most fashionable people don't put any effort in; it just comes naturally which is important. Better to be under-styled than over-styled that's for sure. Good jeans is a start for any guy, and good shoes! What do you think about the fashion scene in Auckland, compared to New Zealand’s other main centres, or internationally? It’s great - so diverse too which is always refreshing. I also think Wellington has a good scene going, perhaps a little darker. Why should someone care about fashion? Because it is a form of self-expression. What advice can you give people with a passion for fashion but low incomes? Buy thrift but make sure it fits right! What inspires your work? Music, girls, films, magazines and books. Sometimes inspiration comes from the most random places, and at the most random time. Sera Lilly opened her first store in Ponsonby Road in Auckland last year, selling her signature feminine designs. She is committed to creating high quality, well cut and fitting pieces. She says she is inspired by friends, family, fabric, photography, magazines and watching people. This is your second time showing solo at Fashion Week, how do you think it is going to compare to your first? I think I have grown as a designer since my first fashion week show. This time we are more organised and I have learnt what types of garments work on the catwalk. I also learnt about models and how important it is to cast amazing models as they are selling your brand. What advice can you give people with a passion for fashion but low incomes? Money can’t buy style. Shop around, invest in a great black dress and add accessories to change the look. Also swap with your girlfriends. Have a swapping party! What can we expect from your ANZFW show? Lots of gorgeous gowns, beautiful lush jackets and my new handbags and belts. Also gorgeous shoes from Number One shoes! Harriett Flavey is a local up and coming designer, she sells her cutesy feminie designs (dresses, tops and skirts) at designer markets and boutique stores in the main centres. Her designs are simple, feminine, well-made and original. What advice can you give people with a passion for fashion but low incomes? Shop around. Markets are an amazing place to buy designer clothes from, and because you are buying directly from the designer, you are paying close to wholesale prices for designer clothes rather than retail. Also, join shops and designer mailing lists, then you find out about all the sales and can be first in to choose from amazing bargains. What inspires your work? I get inspired from most things; fabric, the smell of new magazines, sunshine, and my dedication to my business. I love having new stock every week. I also have so many ideas, that I need to make new patterns each week, so I can clear my head and make room for new ideas. Why should someone care about fashion? I am a fashion victim so to me sometimes pain is beauty; whether it be a waist clenching belt or hard to walk in heels, if it looks good, it’s worth it. To a lot of people feeling good gives them confidence, and if that confidence comes from owning a new designer dress that you feel amazing in, then why not treat yourself! Juliette Hogan started her career working for designer Helen Cherry, then after winning a Karen Walker scholarship she went to study design in New York. She set up her own label in 2004 which mixes fabulous femininity with contemporary fashion. This will be her fourth year at fashion week. What can we expect from your Air NZ Fashion show? My collections tend to follow on quite nicely from each other season to season. I’m trying some brighter colours for next winter so it will be great to see how they transcend on the catwalk. What inspires your work? Everything. I try to keep my eyes open the whole time - people walking past you in the street, films, music, old books, little snippets of what people say.....it's endless. What advice can you give people with a passion for fashion but low incomes? Just buy a couple of key pieces each season that can be worn with a number of things and really freshen up a look - scarfs are always a really great way to introduce in new patterns/colours each season.