News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Swamp Style

Swamp Style

Auckland-based fashion designer Karen Walker is included in Russh Australia’s January/February edition as one of the magazine’s “favourite creatives” asked to share her current obsessions and influences. The inspiration for Walker’s last collection ‘The…

Possums Made Good

Possums Made Good

Founder and CEO of fashion label Untouched World Peri Drysdale – who has an MBE for services to manufacturing and export – began selling garments blended fom possum and merino in 1996, later catching…

Northern Expansion

Northern Expansion

08 December 2008 – Wellington clothing company Icebreaker has engaged a distributor in Germany, Sweden and Norway, having also opened its first Eastern European sales and marketing office in the Czech Republic earlier…

The Wild Edge

The Wild Edge

New Zealand’s dramatic scenery is the backdrop for an 11-day “fall” fashion shoot in the latest issue of National Geographic Adventure, which takes the writer/photographer and his models from Auckland to Te Anau. “This…

Rachel for a Song

Rachel for a Song

Model Rachel Hunter, 39, has launched an affordable range of clothing for budget store the Warehouse, called Rachel. “I could see a real gap in the New Zealand fashion market for stylish, well cut…

Dedicated Follower

Dedicated Follower

Wellington-born designer Rebecca Taylor is better known in New York than New Zealand according to The Epoch Times, “where she has made a huge impression on the fashion scene” dressing celebrities like Sarah Jessica…

In Sheep Code

In Sheep Code

New Zealand clothing label Icebreaker is enabling its customers to trace their purchased merino garment back to one of the 120 sheep stations where the fibre was grown by entering the individual ‘Baacode’ number…

Boutique at the Bach

Boutique at the Bach

Auckland-based lifestyle fashion label FEW is showing its spring 2009 collection – inspired by the New Zealand bach – at the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) trade show in San Diego. The spring designs are…

Provocative on Paper

Provocative on Paper

Designer Karen Walker’s ‘Masters of Disguise’ eyewear shoot has inspired the editor of hip New York-based publication Paper Magazine to base an entire issue on the collection. Walker’s creative and quirky take on…

Cool on the Catwalk

Cool on the Catwalk

The 2008 Air New Zealand Fashion Week in Auckland is followed by Australian Vogue who review the second day of the event at Trelise Cooper, Stolen Girlfriends and Deborah Sweeney shows. Cooper supplies “something…

Must Have Di Stagione

Must Have Di Stagione

Wellington design company Ataahua, owned by Bernadette Casey, has created a range of sustainable products made from repurposed coffee sacks, and Casey’s Cuban coffee roasters’ Trilby is gathering some fashionable followers. The hat is…

Diamond Crafted Illusions

Diamond Crafted Illusions

Christchurch jeweller Jessica McCormack is recommended in July’s Harpers Bazaar magazine, which describes the London-based designer’s diamond creations as “strong and meticulous.” “Driven by a desire to make precious objects accessible and wearable with…

WOWed by India

WOWed by India

Wellington’s annual Montana Wearable Arts Awards continues to entice greater number of international participants to enter in the “ultimate arts competition”. A recent preview of this year’s competitors saw the final design entries from…

At Large in Sydney

At Large in Sydney

New Zealand is well represented at this month’s Australian Fashion Week with thirteen fashion designers joining together to create a formidable showroom line-up. These include Kate Sylvester, Cybele, Lonely Hearts and Stitch…

Company in LA

Company in LA

Auckland artist Misery, aka Tanya Thompson, best known for her work with New Zealand clothing label Illicit, is part of group show Anything Could Happen … at Carmichael Gallery in West Hollywood. For the exhibition,…

Stamp of Approval

Stamp of Approval

NZ label Untouched World is about to become the first fashion company in the world to carry a United Nations sustainability logo. Untouched World has been given UNESCO approval to attach the UN Decade…

Tees Please

Tees Please

An NZ couple has launched a line of tasteful tourist tees in Canada. Last year, Lauren McKee and Wynne Pirini left home, and their respective careers in accountancy and construction, to start a creative…

Best Foot Forward

Best Foot Forward

Karen Walker has joined forces with Brazilian flip-flop giant Havaiana to produce a line of limited edition jandals for Spring/Summer 2008. The two designs feature Walker’s classic Runaway girl and her new season Fruit…

Debuts, Divas and Dark Designs

Debuts, Divas and Dark Designs

Wellington writer Carolyn Enting provided an overview of Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2007 for the Melbourne Age. Highlights of the week included impressive debuts by Alex Kim and Alexandra Owen, a media stampede…

Guilt-free Fur

Guilt-free Fur

NZ possum fur features in a Guardian article on “weird and wonderful” examples of eco-friendly products. Imported from Australia in 1837, possums have been wreaking havoc on NZ’s native flora and fauna ever since. “We support killing…

High Style

High Style

This year’s Air New Zealand Fashion Week launched in unique style, with a catwalk show aboard one of its primary sponsor’s commercial aircraft. More than 120 passengers watched a sneak preview of the 2008…

Moko in Vogue

Moko in Vogue

A French fashion designer’s use of moko in advertisements for his latest collection has caused a stir in NZ. Jean Paul Gaultier’s campaign shots, featuring male and female models with Maori facial tattooing, have…

Designing Women

Designing Women

New Zealand Herald writer Fiona Hawtin reports on the unique nature of the NZ fashion scene for the International Herald Tribune. “Of the 45 labels showing at the seventh New Zealand Fashion Week ……

True Romance

True Romance

Ponsonby Road’s Harrowset Hall was featured in the New York Times travel section this month. Described as “a romantic den of feminine clutter”, Harrowset Hall stocks cotton nightwear, robes and bed linen. The shop…

Tee King

Tee King

New Zealander Glenn Jones has won the US-based Threadless t-shirt design competition a record 17 times. Jones, the creative director at Auckland’s Dashwood Design studio, gets regular fan e-mail and has been featured on…

Jeweller Finds Wonderland in NZ

Jeweller Finds Wonderland in NZ

British jeweller Alice Hughes has created a range of bespoke pieces inspired by NZ plants and sea life. She established Alice in Wonderland Jewellery in 2004 after undertaking an apprenticeship in NZ, where she…

Zambesi Marches on Moscow

Zambesi Marches on Moscow

NZ fashion label Zambesi has netted its largest ever international account. Zambesi will be stocked in Moscow’s soon-to-open Cara & Co concept store, which describes itself as a “deluxe boutique for intellectuals.” Label owners…

Fashionable Folk

Fashionable Folk

Australia’s Frankie magazine features an 8-page spread on NZ “fashionable folk” in its April/May issue. Students, models and DJ’s are asked to name their favourite hang-outs, shopping haunts and things about NZ while wearing…

Designer of the Moment

Designer of the Moment

NZ fashion newcomer Cybèle Wiren (of label Cybèle) has caught the attention of international media with her Winter 2007 “Blue Blood” collection, first shown at last year’s Air New Zealand Fashion Week. Runway Reporter.com…

Let Them Wear Possum

Let Them Wear Possum

The Independent reports on NZ’s thriving (and environmentally kosher) possum fur trade. “Elsewhere, designers who work with fur earn the wrath of animal rights activists. But in New Zealand, they are considered national heroes.” Imported from Australia…

Sweet Success

Sweet Success

Wellington-born designer Rebecca Taylor won over crowds and critics at this year’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW), with a collection described as a “standout” by industry bible Women’s Wear Daily. A graduate of Wellington…

Philharmonia in Fashion

Philharmonia in Fashion

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra has launched a new initiative to dress visiting international soloists in NZ designs. For the APO’s recent ‘Russian Spectacular,’ pianist Marina Kolomiytseva wore a Liz Mitchell gown and presenter Elena…

Power Couple

Power Couple

Hamilton-born Nicole Colovos has been appointed joint design director of Helmut Lang with husband Michael, making her the first Australasian designer in history to head a major international fashion label. After fashion editing at…

Walker Ahead

Walker Ahead

Karen Walker’s most recent London show has been labelled one of the top five trend setting collections for 2006 by the world’s leading fashion forecast agency, WGSN. Walker’s fellow style leaders include current buzz…

Sideline Venture

Sideline Venture

NZ’s best known sportswear brand, Canterbury of New Zealand, registered on leading international trend analysis site WGSN’s radar with its entry into the US market. “In a sea of denim and tees,…

About Me

About Me

Edge denim designer Nicole Colovos and husband Michael were guest editors and cover stars of the sixth issue of independent US magazine, Me. Created by New York art director Claudia Wu, Me profiles a…

Walker Sampled

Walker Sampled

Karen Walker features in the latest Sample publication by Phaidon – 100 Fashion Designers: 010 Curators. The idea behind the Sample series is for industry insiders to curate a selection of their favourite work within…

Must-see Designs

Must-see Designs

An impressive write-up in hip Italian trend forecasting magazine, Sport&Street, describes Air NZ Fashion Week as “a must-see fixture on the international fashion calendar.” Highlights include Zambesi (“Elisabeth Findlay, the epitome of an individualist…

Paris in Love

Paris in Love

Viva magazine features New Zealand fashion designer Frances Howie, named one of the eight designers to-look-out for by British Vogue. Howie is designing in Paris for one of France’s oldest couture labels,…

Frock Stars

Frock Stars

NZ designers made one of their strongest showings yet at this year’s Mercedes Australian Fashion Week. Sales for NZ’s top brands were well up, with Kate Sylvester now believed to be Myer’s highest designer…

You Beauty

You Beauty

Sindhura Gadde, a former news presenter in NZ, has been crowned Miss India World in Mumbai. She will represent India at the Miss World 2005 pageant later this year.

WORLD Comes to Sydney

WORLD Comes to Sydney

WORLD is set to bring a splash of their trademark colour to Sydney’s Oxford Street, with the opening of a new flagship store there in March.

Je Le Prends = I’ll Take It

Je Le Prends = I’ll Take It

NZ fashion labels Sabatini White, Nom*d, Ng, and WORLD staged an acclaimed joint exhibit at the prestigious Tranoi trade show in Paris. Sabatini White was particularly successful, securing orders of more than $110,000 and…

Sporty

Sporty

The Guardian profiles Rachel Hunter, host of new reality TV show Make Me a Supermodel. “In the 1980s, the age of the supermodel, she was as ubiquitous as Linda, Christy, Naomi and Cindy -…

“Shining a Light on the Edge of the World”

“Shining a Light on the Edge of the World”

Oyster takes a behind-the-scenes look at the “Invisible Heroes” of NZ fashion. Featured are Benny Castles and Lou Davies (Assistant Designer for WORLD Man and Woman respectively), Jenny Cook (Karen Walker), Gregory Brooks (Nom*D),…

Taylor-made in New York

Taylor-made in New York

Empire waists, lace trim, pinafores and velvet jackets featured in Rebecca Taylor’s www.rebeccataylor.com collection in her runway show at New York Fashion Week. The New York-based Wellingtonian has also added the Bush…

World Class Vision

World Class Vision

A shoot by Meer Zuiderwyk featured in London’s cutting edge independent photography bi-annual, 125. A truly all-Kiwi production, the Pin-Up series showcased NZ models Penny Pickard and Ngahuia wearing local fashion, with hair by…

Coolest of the Cool

Coolest of the Cool

Hip Aussie fashion magazine, Yen, named Zambesi the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week’s best overall show. “Zambesi:  the coolest of everything – the clothes, the casting, the hair and makeup, the understated theatricality and the…

Aotearoa in Vogue

Aotearoa in Vogue

The November issue of Australian Vogue contains a sumptuous 30-page spread on NZ. Topics include our “so hot right now” film industry, the best places to eat and drink in Wellington, Auckland, and…

Flights of Fashion Fancy

Flights of Fashion Fancy

Telegraph writer Emma Forrest reports on NZ’s fledgling Fashion Week and finds that many of the shows are more than deserving of an international stage. Highlights include Zambesi (“in the Dries Van Noten/Martin Margiela…

Elegance with Edge

Elegance with Edge

Karen Walker and Zambesi turned many a well-coiffed head at last month’s London Fashion Week. Guardian critic, Jess Cartner-Morley, picked Walker’s show one of the highlights of the week: ” … took as her…

Is This Mike On?

Is This Mike On?

Thai artist Seepphum Srisopa won the Bizarre Bra section of the annual World of Wearable Arts competition in Nelson. His winning creation – a bra with multiple microphones attached and pointing at the wearer…

Hot Stuff

Hot Stuff

Alice Goulter, Wellington fashion grad and newly appointed womenswear designer for Mossimo Australia, makes Cleo‘s monthly hot list. “Expect to see a difference when her designs hit stores in October.”  

Lucire Gets Respect

Lucire Gets Respect

SF Examiner lists Lucire alongside Women’s Wear Daily and Lucky as one of the “respected fashion rags” sending representatives to cover this year’s inaugural San Francisco Fashion Week. Based in NZ, the online magazine…

Cooper Cracks US

Cooper Cracks US

Trelise Cooper is the latest NZ designer to come to mainstream US attention, after her work graced the cover of venerable style barometer Women’s Wear Daily. Entitled ‘Southern Charm,’ the accompanying story charts Cooper’s…

Fashion’s High Fliers

Fashion’s High Fliers

Air NZ has launched a much-needed overhaul of its flight attendants’ uniforms (last updated in 1991), with Elisabeth and Neville Findlay of Zambesi at the helm. The airline was recently announced as the new…