Media release
September 15th
The runway is ready for action!
Get set for Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008
16th-21st September 2008
The official Air New Zealand Fashion Week opening party took place tonight at Auckland’s Viaduct Marine Harbour Village.
The Rt Honorable Helen Clark was there to open the 2008 fashion festivities and was well received by designers, media
and fashion industry guests.
The Prime Minister was joined on stage by Fashion Week Managing Director Pieter Stewart and Auckland Mayor John Banks
who spoke in recognition of the biggest fashion event on the New Zealand calendar.
During the ceremony Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe announced the winners of the Air New Zealand Fashion Export
Awards. Dunedin-based label NOM*D, which already exports to Australia, Europe, the United States and Asia, won the
growth category. While the development award was won by Auckland designer Cybele Wiren, who started exporting in 2005
and is now sold in Australia, Japan and Dubai.
The runway is ready for action tomorrow, (Tuesday 16th September) as WORLD open the weeklong fashion event with their
greatly anticipated 11.00am show. This will be closely followed by the inaugural Australian Designer – Kirrily Johnston,
who’s flown her team across the ditch to be the first ever Australian fashion label to show at Air New Zealand Fashion
Week.
Designers will get the chance to showcase their Autumn/Winter collections to a pool of more than 600 local and
international delegates. The schedule offers buyers, media and international fashion guests more variety than ever
before with an ideal balance of emerging talent versus a stable list of New Zealand fashion greats.
Some of the new talent to the catwalk this year includes NYNE, Michelle Yvette, Stitch Ministry, Emma, Sable & Minx, Ana Steele, Doosh, Moneyshot and twentysevennames. While some of the most sought after shows of the week include
Zambesi, Nom*D, Trelise Cooper, Karen Walker, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Annah Stretton and Huffer. Other popular
designers returning to the catwalk are Cybele, Deborah Sweeney, Sera Lily, Lonely Hearts, Deadly Ponies, Alexandra Owen
and Jaeha.
Seated front row will be a number of new and influential media journalists and commentators from around the world and
buyers from key targeted stores in Asia, the USA, Dubai and Australia, as well as from around New Zealand.
“We know areas such as Asia and the United States are the places our designers want to sell to so it makes sense for us
to bring buyers to Air New Zealand Fashion Week from these regions. This strategic approach works well and provides
considerable benefits to designers,” says Managing Director Pieter Stewart.
The Verge Breakthrough group show will also prove popular with fashion talent spotters. This year there’s a $10,000
grant up for grabs by the winning designer and an exciting new buzzer style voting system implemented for guests in the
front row who can vote for their favourite designer collection.
The 8500 square meter Halsey Street venue has taken 250 staff two full weeks to erect and includes a total of more than
300 catwalk lights. This year the new art gallery space is a new feature at Fashion Week and will display works from a
number of renowned New Zealand artists, with several of the works being auctioned off in a silent weeklong auction.
Air New Zealand Fashion WEEKEND
On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September, Fashion WEEKEND will come to life for the public. An exciting mix of
fashion, music, competitions, entertainment, seminars and art will be on display. Areas include the Rumpus Room, Beauty
Zone, Fashion Plate Restaurant, Art Gallery and the Cutting Room Bar. Plus the Designer Garage show is back in the
bigger venue of The Westpac Tent, and includes more than 36 fashion labels and some serious shopping bargains! The
Season Preview Selection fashion shows including New Zealand’s favourite designers such as Huffer, The Carpenter’s
Daughter, Lucie Boshier, Hailwood, Annah Stretton, Lara Parker, Westfield St Lukes, Moa, Jessica Aitchison Boutique,
Stolen Girlfriends Club, Liberty and Carlson. All of these shows work on a first in first served bases and are all
inclusive for the GA Price of $25 presale from Ticketek.
For more information on Air New Zealand Fashion WEEKEND go to www.nzfashionweek.com or
www.designergaragesale.co.nz
ENDS