New Zealand Fashion Week: Flirty, Angular, a Bit Wintery

Source From: http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/09/05/new-zealand-fashion-week-flirty-angular-a-bit-wintery/?mod=google_news_blog

The girliness of 1950s dressing squared up against the big, the bold and the angular of ’80s couture, as New Zealand designers sent a flirty but well-cut look down the catwalk.

Local designers launched their 2012 winter collections at the country’s Fashion Week in Auckland, New Zealand because, although the country is heading into the summer season, the show is just as much about impressing Northern Hemisphere buyers as the local industry.

New Zealand’s fashion industry remains in its adolescence but has growth considerably since the inception of Fashion Week in 2001. More than 50 New Zealand designers have showcased collections this year.

While designers like World, Karen Walker, Zambesi and Untouched World are now available internationally, the event also gives lesser-known designers a chance to broaden their buyer base.

New Zealand’s fashion industry is estimated to contribute around 240 million New Zealand dollars (US$204.2 million) annually in exports — a figure that does not take into account New Zealand designers who manufacture offshore and export to those markets — and has grown about 20% since the country began holding Fashion Week.