5 local fashion events to have on your radar

As we approach the end of the year, Aotearoa’s emerging fashion community is experiencing a surge of energy. Here are five events to add to your calendar.

A collective of artists and designers have donated a wide variety of goods for a raffle fundraiser organized by Platform,
a collective of jewelry designers. All proceeds from the raffle, which will reward more than 40 winners, will be donated to the Kiwi Trust For Palestinian Children Relief.

The raffle prizes include everything from tattoo vouchers to artwork, clothing and accessories.

Avid fashion fans will be excited to see layers from Lela Jacobs from The Keep, knitwear from Kongcore and Goldi, sleeves from Hannah-Lee Jadea chain of Orswosterling silver from jewelers Chyna-Lily Tjauw Rawlinson and Shannen Young and a tattoo voucher from Barby World (who recently collaborated with Crushes to screen printing on vintage deadstock T-shirts).

Tickets for the fundraising are now on sale and registration is closing October 31.

Cuba St, Wellington, will host an exciting gathering of fashion designers and artists this November, providing an excellent opportunity to shop at local small businesses ahead of the festive season.

The event also goes beyond ready-to-wear, with beachwear from wetsuit suppliers Cold Wave, bottled perfumes from Of Body’s Mt Cook laboratory, limited edition art books from Black Wax Press and a medley of accessories from New Zealand.

Designer Julia Palm of slow fashion label JPalm organizes the event. It opens up November 7 and run until November 21 at 30 Cuba Street, Wellington.

Iterations of this Pōneke pop-up have been running for a few years. It’s a great opportunity to personally wander through Aotearoa’s creative community.

While the dominion of bows Spanning international borders in 2023, emerging designer Caitlin Snell has played a role in asserting their fringe locally.

The Auckland-based designer, who handcrafts structured, high-quality bows from deadstock and second-hand materials, has developed a recognizable aesthetic. This striking hair accessory is sewn into the fabric of New Zealand fashion; Viva also saw many bows cut into the hairstyles of Kahuria: New Zealand Fashion Week 2023 participants and Caitlin has also had exciting collaborations with other emerging names such as Baobei and more established brands such as Twenty-seven names. In recent collections, Caitlin has also included wardrobe staples (think wrap skirts adorned with cartoonish daisies).

Building on this growth, the designer has announced a debut runway and exhibition show called “The Maiden.” In an announcement, Caitlin said the show would explore “divine feminine energy” and imagine what it could mean to “embrace your inner Virgo.” The designer will collaborate with Chyna-Lily Tjauw Rawlinson, the emerging jeweler behind Chills – the two previously collaborated to create an adorable collection of bow charms.

The Maiden is held at Studio Toi Tū on Ponsonby Road November 10. Doors open at 10:45 am and the show starts at 11:00 am. The event is not ticketed, so make sure you get there early; participation is free.

This December, Wellington’s young fashion community will come together again for a farewell to 2024 with “Final Notice”. The fashion show, organized by some of the leaders of “As We Watch The World Go By” and designers from the youth-oriented Fashion Week Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoaaims to take a journey “through Wellington’s current challenges”.

The show brings together seven designers from across the country, including Finn Mora-Hill of Fringes Garments, Milan Jeon, James Warrender, Henry Calkin and emerging brands Chivalry Road, Foolish and Dira Dis Ultra.

These designers and brands have been instrumental in this year’s parade of youth fashion shows across the country, so “Final Notice” will be an exciting finale for the group. The organizers have also imposed a somewhat gothic dress code: everyone must come in black (and dress to impress).

Tickets start at $22.20 and are on sale now. The show starts at 8:00 PM and the doors open at 6:30 PM December 7 at Cubastraat 107.

Rumors of an ‘immersive art show’ called Voyage have begun to circulate online, with vibrant and fashion-focused visualisers hinting at an upcoming event that will platform Pasifika’s creativity.

“Voyage takes us on a journey through indigenous creativity and expression channeled through the arts,” reads one of the promotional posts.

The show is curated by creatives Isla Potini and Norman Liana, both of whom danced and modeled for Āhua. Organizers, who held an open casting for models earlier this week, are yet to confirm a date for the event. They promise that tickets will be available soon, so watch this space.

From New Zealand designers to local production.