Love letters drifting across the runway. Models striding through the hushed stacks of Auckland Central Library. A glass of wine hurled towards a front-row guest. And, once, a surprise cameo from Pamela Anderson. For the past 21 years, New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) has set the stage for the country’s most unforgettable fashion moments. This August, after years marked by pandemic disruptions, global economic uncertainty, and a 2024 cancellation that cast its future into doubt, the event returns in 2025 as a rebirth of sorts.
When Dame Pieter Stewart founded NZFW in 2001, she gave the local fashion industry something it had long craved: a stage to celebrate its work on a larger scale than ever before. “The conception of NZFW was important because it gave the industry belief and a level of aspiration — local designers finally had something to work towards and benchmark themselves against other fashion capitals around the world,” says Liam Taylor, director of the NZFW Board.
For established brands such as Zambesi, the event quickly became part of the brand’s creative rhythm. “It was incredibly courageous of Pieter and her crew to take this event on and offer the industry such an amazing opportunity to spotlight their work,” says designer and co-founder of Zambesi Elisabeth Findlay. “For our team it’s always been important to be continually challenged and inspired, and it’s opportunities like [NZFW] that have allowed us to share our ongoing narrative and stretch those creative muscles.”
Zambesi was part of NZFW’s inaugural line-up and has remained an instrumental presence ever since. Renowned for its distinctive runway presentations — often staged in unexpected off-site locations — the brand has created some of the event’s most memorable moments. From St James Theatre to the stacks at Auckland Central Library, the raw edge of the pre-development City Works Depot, and the sunset backdrop of the Viaduct Basin, each show has been its own world.
Findlay recalls the Viaduct show with particular affection, for the way it spilled beyond the industry bubble. “What made that show so special was all the public who were standing on the [Wynyard Crossing] bridge and watching the show,” says Findlay. “It became this incredible piece of public entertainment and reached people who maybe didn’t know about, or wouldn’t usually engage with, the fashion industry.”
Another designer synonymous with NZFW is Kate Sylvester, who recalls a trio of unforgettable moments. In 2019’s ‘Love Letters’, copies of her parents’ correspondence drifted from above in a poignant finale. 2007’s ‘Wolf’ erupted into life to the opening chords of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’. And after her 2014 ‘Tartt’ show, a message arrived from Donna Tartt’s publishers: the author thought they had “interpreted it beautifully.” “Can’t get more memorable than that,” says Sylvester.
NZFW’s two decade run has weathered more than its fair share of drama — both on the runway and off. There was the infamous moment at Huffer in 2007, when a front-row spat between Aja Rock and gossip columnist Bridget Saunders resulted in red wine flying across the audience. “I did get some wine over my Lonely Hearts Club T-shirt which I was miffed about at the time,” recalls journalist, stylist, creative director and NZFW Board member Dan Ahwa. And in recent years, challenges have shifted from mischievous to existential.
The pandemic brought shows to a standstill, forcing the industry to navigate life without its marquee event in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2021, entrepreneur Feroz Ali acquired NZFW signalling fresh ambition, yet post-Covid global economic pressures persisted, leading to its cancellation in 2024. “It was abundantly clear to us that the role of fashion weeks was being questioned,” says Taylor. “Especially in New Zealand where the industry had learned how to survive for many years without the event.”
To successfully stage the event in 2025, the Board knew survival would mean reinvention: questioning traditional formats of exclusive runway shows for industry insiders and embracing a broader audience. “Karen Walker coined it as ‘elastic’ — so we knew that had to be our new approach,” says Taylor. The result is a diverse programme that includes runway, jewellery and accessory showcases, off-site shows, installations, film screenings, trunk shows, and panel discussions.
For Ahwa, the shift is as much about sustainability as creativity. “Consumers are shopping differently, and designers are designing in a way that’s more sustainable so we’ve adapted the event to work with each brand and what they can deliver,” he says. “Some aren’t ready this year but have expressed strong interest for 2026, which to me is really what it’s all about — longevity.”
There’s also an emphasis on inclusivity in terms of who is on the runway, and who is watching it. “Fashion, at its best, is about bringing people together,” says designer Claudia Li. “I’m encouraged by NZFW’s focus on community, connection, and opening up to more diverse voices. It feels like a positive step toward broadening who gets to be part of the conversation.”
The 2025 schedule balances heritage names — Zambesi, Juliette Hogan, Karen Walker, and Kathryn Wilson — with fresh voices such as Harris Tapper, Rebe, and Adrion Atelier. “Fashion fans come to fashion week for the labels they are already familiar with, and then they find new ones to fall in love with at the same time,” says Taylor. “NZFW needs to showcase both sides of the spectrum to ensure its legacy and that of the entire industry lives on.” That dual celebration of past and future is captured in “Into the Archives: Two Decades of New Zealand Style” by Ahwa. “There are so many brilliant names and collections that have shaped our identity and deserve to be celebrated.”
Kate Sylvester, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s FQ Fashion Awards, sees this intergenerational approach as vital. “Localised fashion weeks around the world, from Copenhagen to Mexico City to Auckland, are invaluable for ensuring we still have our unique, local fashion brands,” she says. “Luckily for us, New Zealanders have always been very loyal to local brands.”
For Claudia Li, this year’s NZFW is personal. “It feels like a full circle moment,” she says of returning home to show during her brand’s 10th anniversary. “After almost a decade of showing in New York and building my label overseas, showing at NZFW felt like the right time to reconnect and reintroduce myself.” Her collection, ‘A Different Place and Time…’, is a meditation on her journey. “There’s always emotion in my work — nostalgia, restraint, softness, and structure,” she says. “I want people to feel something, even if they can’t name it.”
Globally, fashion weeks are shifting toward consumer-facing, hybrid events — but Taylor is clear that NZFW’s model is uniquely Aotearoa. “Our focus at the moment is on the local consumer, and we’ve modelled the entire event around this,” he says. “We want guests to be able to spot pieces on the runway they can then go and buy in-store.” Sylvester agrees that selling tickets to shows and showcasing current product “makes financial sense for both Fashion Week and the designers.”
It’s a model that strengthens the connection between designers and customers, which Ahwa sees as essential to future-proofing the wider industry. “There are so many talented designers both established and emerging, but there’s also an entire industry beyond designers that deserve time, care, and support,” he says. “From our local media, model agencies, production teams, make-up artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists, supporting one another is critical to our survival as an industry.”
So where does NZFW go from here? For Findlay, the key is remaining true to a brand’s identity while adapting to the present. “It is about the head in the clouds and the feet on the ground mentality,” she says. “Everything must evolve and change to survive. We can’t really foretell what the future is bringing. We have to use our instincts and believe in what we do.”
Ahwa also stresses the importance of mutual support. “Big egos, whether you’re an editor or a designer or an emerging talent, doesn’t wash anymore. It’s time for the industry to move on from those old fashion tropes.”
Taylor’s long-term vision is both ambitious and pragmatic. With the Giltrap Group committing to a three-year naming rights partnership and global players such as DHL backing showcases such as ‘Future of Fashion’, the outlook is promising. “The long-term vision for NZFW is to cement it as an unmissable calendar event for the whole New Zealand public, a key revenue stream for our designers, and a hub of inspiration and community for the industry,” he says. “Fashion sits at the intersection of so many of our creative pursuits. NZFW plays a valuable role as a vehicle that orchestrates cross-industry connection and celebration — we don’t underestimate how important it is to set this event up for continued success.”
This article originally appeared in Fashion Quarterly’s Winter 2025 issue.
Words: Natalia Didovich
Imagery: Supplied
