ONE WEEK TO GO: New Zealand Fashion Week 2021

New Zealand Fashion Week returns this year to celebrates its 20th anniversary

The event will be hosted in the Aotea Square precinct from 23 – 29 August 2021

The traditionally trade-only show will be open to consumers for the very first time

After the postponement of New Zealand Fashion Week last year due to COVID-19, the return of this iconic event has been highly anticipated by the wider industry – particularly as it returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Returning to the iconic Aotea Square and Auckland Town Hall in the heart of the city, the traditionally trade-only show will be open to consumers for the very first time. To give fashion lovers a chance to experience New Zealand Fashion Week alongside industry and designer guests, iTicket is offering a limited number of hosting packages to selected shows including Kate Sylvester, Kathryn Wilson, Hailwood and Zambesi as well as the very special Caci Presents: 20-year Retrospective Showcase.

But NZFW are also opening up to more than each Designer’s guest list. The interactive hub in Aotea Square open to everyone – from fashion lovers to fun-loving passers-by – will feature a big screen streaming most on-site shows during the week (24 – 27 August), a public bar, the Atomic Coffee Roasters café, Ford New Zealand’s new Escape Plug-in Hybrid, the Keith Hay Home, the Red Bull Hummer and places to chill and soak up the vibes.

The Concert Chamber will host three seminars throughout the week, all of which are open to the public.

‘Kowtow presents: Single Use Planet’ will feature Kowtow’s Gosia Piatek, skincare entrepreneur Emma Lewisham and Deadly Ponies’ Creative Director, Liam Bowden to break down fashion’s future trajectory from sustainable discussion to innovative action.

Hosted by popular radio host and podcast producer Noelle McCarthy, the event aims to inspire industry leaders and consumers alike in ways the fashion and beauty sector needs to create their own unique and trailblazing pathway to a sustainable future.

‘Mindful Fashion presents: Building Brands for a Better Future’ will cover sustainability, fashion and using business for good through some of New Zealand’s top emerging innovative brands showcasing how they address sustainability and the ways they work toward a just and inclusive fashion system.

‘Ministry of Social Development Presents: Moving the Dial on Diversity’ will take the form of a panel discussion, aiming to showcase the importance of diversity in the workplace. From exploring the meaning of diversity to sharing insights on how workplaces can achieve greater diversity, the panel will share their thoughts, experiences and knowledge to inspire businesses to continue to strive for greater diversity.

To extend the experience further, NZFW is bringing the city centre into stylish focus while also shining light on themes of ethical, sustainable, indigenous and diverse fashion.

Working with partners Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate, as well as of Heart of the City, NZFW has created a schedule of free fashion-related activities and events all week long.

Councillor Pippa Coom says Auckland Council values this opportunity to team up with organisations who are vested in the success of a city centre bustling with life, and wrap around some free events to make sure the week-long festival is within reach of far more people.

Inside the NZFW Marquee in Aotea Square during Fashion Weekend (28 – 29 August), children can learn to make crayon rubbings from carvings of New Zealand birds, flora and tukutuku patterns with Master carver and artist Natanahira Pona, or bring in a favourite family quote, saying or heartfelt sentiment and have it translated into Te Reo Māori by teacher and translator Ale Jandra Jensen.

The full NZFW schedule, Guide, Aotea Square Schedule, hosting packages and everything you need to know can be found at nzfashionweek.com.

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