As Christchurch Spring Fashion Festival drew Aotearoa’s most stylish to Ōtautahi, FQ gathered a vibrant group of creatives for an intimate spring lunch in the heart of the Garden City.
Our setting for the day was Bar Franco, nestled in the heart of Christchurch’s CBD, where a lively Negroni bar downstairs gives way to a restaurant and pasta fresca upstairs. Bringing everyone together over a long Italian lunch, we sipped on Sarti spritzes before feasting on a meal that featured everything from house-made focaccia, olives and whipped ricotta to tagliatelle al ragù toscano and melt-in-your-mouth braised beef cheek, with a classic tiramisu providing the perfect sweet finale.
For the occasion, guests were dressed in new-season Untouched World, showcasing pieces from the brand’s latest collection, Silhouettes in Bloom. Inspired by nature at its most relaxed, the collection pairs soft neutrals with warm ochres, verdant greens and rich clay reds, while breathable linens, crisp cottons and tactile knits bring a beautiful sense of texture.
Guests were also treated to an early taste of summer, taking home a selection of beauty treats courtesy of Pure Fiji and BONNIE. Bringing a little island-inspired indulgence, Pure Fiji’s Body Mates pack pairs its Coconut Milk Shower Gel with a deeply hydrating Body Lotion, designed to leave skin feeling soft, nourished and delicately scented. Meanwhile, BONNIE treated guests to it’s newest launch, BOOST and BRONZE.
Following lunch, we made our way to The George for the official opening of Christchurch Spring Fashion Festival. The afternoon began with a formal welcome and karakia, followed by speeches from Liam and Christchurch Deputy Mayor Victoria Henstock. With the festivities officially underway, guests enjoyed a chance to mingle before making their way to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre for the evening’s runway show.
Then, it was time for the main event: The New Guard show. Curated by FQ fashion editor-at-large Dan Ahwa, the group runway brought together some of the most exciting names shaping the next chapter of New Zealand fashion, including Daīna Hugh, Awatea, Rhoda Nunn, Beach Brains, Rebe, Harris Tapper, BY KAI, Paris Georgia, Marle, Yu Mei and Tough Auto.
Kicking off with a performance by Geneva AM, the runway was a celebration of creativity and individuality, where the magic was in the details. Think playful tassels, tactile textures, intricate embroidery and considered embellishments, each offering a distinct expression of the designer behind them. If there was one common thread, it was the beauty of personal style.
For Ahwa, the starting point curating the show was the designers themselves, each at a different stage of their journey but united by a strong sense of individuality.
“What they share is a strong, individual point of view that feels intrinsically true to who they are as brands,” Ahwa told FQ. “I wanted it to feel intimate and showcase the sort of clothes that felt part of a city – whether you’re walking down Christchurch or New York, they still had to feel like clothes of the world.”
Bringing such a diverse mix of designers together was no small feat, but for Ahwa, the key was finding a common thread without compromising each label’s individual identity. “What interested me was the possibility of creating a conversation between these labels as contemporaries,” said Ahwa. “Workwear and streetwear became key themes in this year’s curation, exploring how each designer is interpreting these influences on their own terms and pushing contemporary fashion in new directions.”
From spritzes and spring dressing to a runway spotlighting Aotearoa’s most exciting creative voices, the day was a celebration of personal style, fresh perspectives and the future of New Zealand fashion.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our partners — Untouched World, Bar Franco, Pure Fiji and BONNIE — for making the FQ spring lunch an unforgettable highlight of the season.
Photography: Meg Stuthridge.
