NZFW 23: Day 2 ~ Recap notes
Another big day, full of loads of ideas and thoughts I had about life, fashion, perfumes, and sustainability.
Wow! I’m so behind in writing, this is what happens when I’m trying to be everywhere all at once.
Day 2 was done and dusted at about 10.00 PM last night. It was another big day, full of loads of ideas and thoughts I had about life, fashion, perfumes, and sustainability. Do you know what one of the coolest things about Fashion Week is? Being a part of the coolest, most interesting conversations with great people. My cup is officially full, but I’m quite tired.
Okay, so first up I started the day attending Susana Tasi’s show which was utterly gorgeous and full of colour. Her work is delightful and I saw her show for the first time last year as part of Pacific Fashion Fusion. I get so excited to see Pacific Island-inspired clothing, the creativity and joy within each garment is pure.
Next was Lontessa who served us a visual treat as she shared her showcase for the collection, Earth Mother / Papatūānuku. Models wore lots of earthy greens and the story behind the pieces touched me. That’s part of the beauty of slower fashion, there’s a unique story to it which is layered, that simply isn’t there at the same level with fast fashion pieces churned out to the masses. Wearing a piece of clothing is not just about the material, but it also embodies memories, history, values, and stories.
I received compliments galore on my fun Layplan dress which was my first outfit of the day, I love wearing it and find a new way to style that dress every time it comes out of my closet.
Next was Samantha Zhang who treated the room to a gorgeous array of pieces but it was the kids who stole the show. Cuteness was at a level of 10/10. If you didn’t know already she creates the most precious custom-made and ready-to-wear pieces for kids. Everything looks straight out of a fairy tale. I’ve personally never seen so many shades of purple puffy fabrics in one room, but now I can tick that off the list.
After a bunch of running back and forth between the main event and the media room for coffee and chatting, I went upstairs to the panel event ‘Fashioning the Future, presented by Fashion Revolution’ - I sat with Kate (Ethically Kate) and we listened as a bunch of extremely impressive women chatted about how we can be better when it comes to wearing clothes and making clothes. From the impact of fast fashion on the environment and society to the importance of transparency in supply chains. It was one of the highlights of my day! Many key takeaways were around wearing what you have TO DEATH, mending your clothes, making mindful decisions around picking new clothing, not washing your clothing as often to keep it looking fresh (spot cleaning instead) and businesses collaborating to ensure actions are being taken, rather than just ‘talked’ about.
I got changed into outfit number #2 before the evening shows started. It was a Lauren Bacall-inspired look with custom-made high-waisted tuxedo pants by my friend's brand, Devel Men and Women, paired with a vintage blouse. As I was putting my vintage clip-on earring on it fell and broke in the bathroom sink and I took it as a metaphor for how my life feels right now. Good looking, but exhausted.
Kathryn Wilson’s SHOE-STOPPING (I had to, stop it) was a party as always, you can always count on a KW show to bring the music, the lights, the ecstatic buzzing crowd and the models having genuine fun on the catwalk. Big ups to the backstage crew who were helping those gals get the shoes on at record speeds.
To finish up the night, I attended Kharl Wirepa’s glamorous show with my friend Astrid (Perfume Playground). It was a beautiful event and I loved seeing the passion from Kharl before and after the show. There were many gorgeous frocks, sequins, sparkles, feathers - the opulence was next level. They had even installed huge chandeliers in the main runway room for the event. That man has more creative juices than I will ever have and I hoped somehow being in the same room as him that I could absorb some of that. Fuck, that sounds so creepy.
I staggered back to my car after the show juggling my laptop, handbag, goodie bags and trusty ballet flats after a couple of hours in heels. Time for a hot shower, to remove my makeup, exfoliate my face and get into bed ready for Day 3.
If you’re reading this and keen on seeing some of my NZFW 23 footage, head to my Instagram stories and pinned highlights.
Charlotte xx