Irons heating up for NZ Fashion Week

The garments are being steamed and the catwalks are being shined for the 12th year of New Zealand Fashion Week, and its founder
and designers believe Kiwi fashion wouldn’t be the same without it.
Founder Dame Pieter Stewart says Fashion Week has promoted New Zealand’s fashion industry, which contributes significantly to the
country’s economy.
“Within New Zealand alone the fashion industry creates huge employment and opportunities,” says Stewart.
“When we started out, very few of our designers had shown in a fashion week before and even fewer were exporting seriously.
“Now it’s the norm for new designers to show at Fashion Week and have a reasonable expectation that their brand will develop
both here and overseas.”
When Fashion Week started in 2000, designers had no idea what an international show demanded and had to be trained on how to
participate, says Stewart’s daughter and business partner Myken.
“We really took a plunge in those first few years, both the team at Fashion Week and the designers who showed their collections,
” she says.
“Back then we had to guide the show a lot more because there was no format or blueprint set in place for a fashion week in New
Zealand.
“Now that we’ve set a precedent, we work hard to ensure that designers take centre stage and have the creative freedom to use
Fashion Week as their ultimate global marketing tool.”
Before Fashion Week, New Zealand was without its own designer springboard, but now local talent has been given maximum
international bounce.
Renowned Kiwi designer Trelise Cooper says Fashion Week is her most important marketing vehicle.
“Fashion Week is a fantastic event for the New Zealand fashion industry and a great platform for us to come together and show our
creative edge to both local and international buyers,” she says.
“I cannot imagine the New Zealand fashion scene without the structure of Fashion Week to promote from. It gives me great profile
and allows me to show my collections to a large audience.”
Fashion Week contributes to the New Zealand economy by facilitating export relationships between designers and buyers, as well as
promoting Kiwi tourism.
Yet it is still privately funded and relies solely on corporate sponsorship.
This is something Stewart would like to see change.
“Looking back on Fashion Week I realise just how far the New Zealand fashion industry has come over the past 12 years.
“I believe it is time that something like a fashion council is set up with representation from the industry, the council,
Government and other organisations, to properly strategise future growth for this very high profile industry.”