NZFW Day 4 with Sally-Ann Mullin: Diamonds, degustation and mad dashing

31 August 2018

By Fashion Quarterly

Follow Fashion Quarterly editor Sally-Ann Mullin as she dashes from one side of Auckland City to the other for a full day of food, fashion and selfie snapping. Brought to you by the Samsung Galaxy Note9.

6:00am: I wake up with the same thought I always have: “Where’s the coffee at?” I stagger to the kitchen half asleep and pour myself a trusty Nespresso (two capsules this morning because I need the extra kick to get going). I stumble back to bed and spend 20 mins reading emails, scrolling Instagram and checking the NZFW coverage from the day before on fq.co.nz.

6:30am: Our partners, pets and kids tend to get a little cast aside during the madness that is NZFW, so I take the opportunity to take my Huntaway, Lockie, to our local beach for a walk before the shows kick off. It’s foggy and freezing near the water but Lockie is straight into the ocean for a morning dip. I use the Samsung Galaxy Note9’s super slow-mo function to capture a few videos of him swimming and shaking off and post my fave online.

9:30am: I meet our fashion editor Danielle at the office and we head down to the Viaduct for breakfast at Simon Gault’s Giraffe to celebrate shirt and blouse brand Harris Tapper with its two co-founders and designers Lauren and Sarah. It’s an intimate group and I’m glad we’ve arrived hungry as we’re informed by Simon we’re about to be indulged with a four-course breakfast degustation. It’s a chance to really chat to the designers, get to know each other, and talk about the brand. I snap a few food photos and make sure to grab a selfie before I leave.

11:00am: I’m working on a project with Partridge Jewellers called #partridgefamily this year, which in a nutshell involves me wearing some ridiculously stunning and expensive diamonds and watches and having my picture taken wearing them. I know what you’re thinking, I get all the tough gigs right? I meet with a team member from Partridge on a bench seat at the Viaduct and she helps dress me in about 100k worth of jewellery. We must look like we’re up to some Ocean’s Eight-level jewel heist. A street style photographer named Luke is standing by to take some shots of the pieces and I make sure I pop off another few selfies to capture the amazing stones around my neck.

12:00pm: It’s time for a champagne lunch with Meadowlark and a select group of media and buyers at Soul Bar and Bistro. I’m surprised I’ve got room to hold another four courses, but it’s delicious and I eat every bite.

3:00pm: I head to the Viaduct Events Centre and find I have about 45 minutes to kill before my next show so take the time to proof some pages for the next issue of Miss FQ sent from the office via WhatsApp. I use the Samsung Galaxy Note9 S Pen to mark changes, make some notes, then fire them back to Alice our senior art director.

4:30pm: The doors open to the Jockey show. Starring an array of male athletes in nothing but their undies (including the well-chiselled bods of All Blacks Damian McKenzie and Ngani Laumape) it’s hard to know where to look, to be honest. Matilda Rice and Jess Quinn are also in the show and both look absolutely amazing.

5:30pm: I book an Uber from my phone and race home to feed the dog and change for the evening shows. I’m aiming for a 20 minute turn around so I avoid Uber driver chit chat and mentally go over everything I need to do when I arrive home. I also take the time to scroll through Instagram and see what everyone has been posting during the day.

7:00pm: We’re seated for the Trelise Cooper show and it’s huge. The venue curtains have been opened to make one giant space combining the two runways. The models will be chalking up a whole lot of steps during this show! We’re shown brocade, colour and lots of sequin party-wear, all to the tunes of flamboyant musical entertainers The Sweet Mix Kids. I hear a song I really want to use for our Fashion Weekend show so pull out my Samsung Galaxy Note9 and use the Shazam app to find out the artist and track name.

8:15pm: We have 15 minutes to cross town to The Powerstation to make it to the Huffer show on time. It’s Huffer’s 21st birthday and we’ve heard they are planning something really special to mark the occasion. It’s a packed crowd and Danielle and I manoeuvre our way to the small seated area near the raised runway. Huffer shows a mix of colourful waxed down jackets and tracksuiting. It’s an androgynous collection and it looks just as good on the girls as the guys.

10:00pm: After catching up with a few people I haven’t seen in a while and getting in some d-floor time care of High Beams, I order an Uber and head home.

11:00pm: I put my Samsung Galaxy Note9 on the fast dock charger and when I look at the screen I’m shocked and totally surprised to see I’m still on 53% battery. Turns out, I could have pulled an all-nighter after all!