#858 Preshow interview with Huffer's Steve Dunstan - "It's going to be fly"

All Images /Front Row Diary

Let's start with themes. Last season it was fishing, this season it's flying?
SD: Yeah, fly is quite a diverse word. To me it's a little dreamy, a bit mysterious. It's about flying, but it's going to be fly as well.

#857 Missing out on Milan - DSquared2

All Images /Steve Wood

Everyday Steve keeps tormenting me with more and more backstage photos from Milan Fashion Week. He's having all the fun over there and I'm sitting in my bedroom looking at banana trees outside my window. It's not a bad view, but methinks his one is better.

Lots from DSquared2 below - with Hanne Gaby Odiele, Chanel Iman, Eniko Mihalik, Vlada...

#856 Commoners Alike - fashion for the masses

I first met Jae Mills about fourteen minutes into a Trelise Cooper show at the Town Hall in 2004. He was 21. We chatted while leaning against the back wall - he was from Gisborne and had moved to Auckland to study fashion design but was throwing it in for a junior role at Huffer. I was terribly jealous that they'd given him his own business card, and wildly impressed to hear that he'd designed a pair of shorts for their summer collection. Within a year he was designing the whole lot.

#855 It's a Play on Comme

Allow me to eat my words. I was interviewed for a Unitec student magazine a few weeks ago about what guys should be wearing for summer. I answered plain white tee shirts and said something about how wack printed tees are. Then in my review of Stolen Girlfriends Club's show last week I mentioned that I was impressed at how far a departure the new collection was from their "This is not Marc Jacobs for Stolen Girlfriends Club" past efforts. Anyway, I went to Black Box today and saw this Stolen Girlfriends Club printed tee shirt (above) which is selling like hot cakes right now. And I liked it. I really liked it. We all know I'm a huge Comme Play fan, and I just thought this was a clever send up of the Comme Play heart. I'm still a big advocate of the plain white tee, but if I was going to be wearing any printed tee shirt this summer, this would probably be it.

The end.

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#854 Lonely Hearts - What is your damage?

I'm into the new Lonely Hearts collection (no grunge in sight), and like Zoe over at so much to tell you, the polka dot pants are my favourite piece. Instead of doing a show at this year's Fashion Week, the brand presented a video installation at Process PR on the first night. It's basically a whole bunch of cute girls walking around on a clifftop - styled by Imogene Barron. What's not to love?

Film above, lookbook shots below.

#853 Backstage at Zambesi's retrospective

Dayne Johnston with muse Jeremy Bowden.

#852 Shot of the day - Knackered at Nom*D

Image /Spy

Actually, zonked at Zambesi. I'm not even angry, I'm impressed.

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#851 Pamela Anderson's show at ANZFW - oh the class

Image /WWTDD

I'm sorry but whose idea was it to bring Pamela Anderson down to New Zealand and make a complete international laughing stock of our industry? Somebody must have been thinking overtime on that one. Like, "Hmmm... need to drum up a bit of publicity... Which famous people can we think of?? Lindsay Lohan? She'd be perfect, but damn, not available. Who's in fashion... Karl Lagerfeld? Nope, he's showing Chanel in Paris next week. Anna Nicole Smith? Crappo. Dead. Oh, I know, how about Pamela Anderson. She was in that great 90s beach drama, and what about her comeback in Borat? Perfect!"

#850 ANZFW Model review with Joseph Tenni

Karla Devine - Image /Chadwick

Joseph Tenni is an Australian model expert who pens the Model Mania column on Hint Mag. Some of you might remember him from the interview we did last year at NZ Fashion Week. He's just arrived back to New Zealand from New York Fashion Week, so I had to grab him for a quick chat about which models he's liking here in Auckland at the shows.

#849 Stolen Girlfriends Club - Wanderers, nomads, nobles and peasants

All Images /Zimbio

"Alright everybody, listen up! The walk is very deapdpan," shouts designer Marc Moore. "You've been walking around for ages, you're f*cking tired and hungry. No posing whatsoever!! We want a nice slow pace, no speedy walking. Everybody got that? Awesome. Love you all!" I'm sitting backstage in a small room upstairs at the Stone Mason's Lodge on St Benedicts Street. It's crowded. Jam packed with models, dressers, hair and make up artists, photographers, producers, stylists, designers and me. I'm trying not to get in the way. The models' discarded clothes are literally being tossed in all directions as they pull on their first looks. Karen Inderbitzen Waller chops fun fur and stuffs it into boots. Two identical twin male models straighten each others' shirts. Another boy worriedly holds up jeans that are two sizes too big around the waist - a stylist reassures him that they'll tie them up. SGC director Dan Gosling comes over to say hi and says, "It's all about wanderers, nomads, nobles and peasants. Broken watches and shoes and glasses you found on the side of the road. Big sloppy jumpers. The things you pick up along the way."

#848 Me and my mate Emma Champtaloup

Image /Pilot Blog

I've met several amazing people this week, and I think Emma Champtaloup may well be the best.

Uploaded with my Sierra Wireless data stick on Telecom XT.

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#847 ANZFW - my favourite looks

Stolen Girlfriends Club - Images /WireImage

Terribly sorry for the lack of posts in the last couple of days people, I've been struggling really hard to find imagery of the shows. There are about 20 photographers at each one but it's impossible to find good quality shots. Michael Ng is the maestro but I'm yet to figure out how to download the images from the Fashion Week website. It's killing me! Frustration abounds. Anyway, I've put together a little selection of my favourite looks so far, it's still lacking in a gargantuan way but it's the best I could do at this stage. I'll update it later. I don't have any images from the twentysevennames or Juliette Hogan shows - can't find them anywhere. So to start things off, here's Stolen Girlfriends Club from last night, the knitwear was out of this world.

#846 Shot of the day - Pam in the pink

Image /Guy Coombes

Pamela Anderson arriving with entourage at Fashion Week. I didn't get to meet her but from all reports she's a lovely lady and very clever too. I'll try to sneak backstage at her show tomorrow.

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#845 Kate Sylvester - Posh and dirty

I arrive at the industrial warehouse venue of Kate Sylvester's show just as model Samantha Shorter is doing a walkthrough for the aforementioned and her husband Wayne Conway. Rows of white chairs line the 30-odd metre runway, which is broken up by red steel pillars and three glittering chandeliers hanging at 10 metre intervals from the ceiling. Backstage the hair and makeup is in full swing and I watch as a girl winces in pain as eye makeup is removed for the fifth time today. Over by the racks, PC Blaas stands with a group of three female dressers. He's wearing a silk camisole. A lady's silk camisole. With nothing else. Well, nothing besides some brown Chelsea boots. The other boys look on, chuckling to themselves, relieved that someone else is bearing that burden. "It's like I'm wearing what a girl would wear when she says 'I'm just going to slip into something a little more comfortable'," laughs PC.

#844 First look at Salasai

Backstage at Salasai with my new best good mate Emma Champtaloup. She's only about a foot taller than me. I was jumping. I was interviewed about Salasai for Radio New Zealand the other day. I confessed to the DJ that I didn't know too much about the label but that I associated it with power dressing. After seeing the show I haven't changed my mind. It's all about the big. Big knits, big sweaters, big prints, oversized layers. You can see why Rihanna's into it.

#843 First looks at Nom*D

Zippora Seven and German model Dalia backstage at Nom*D preshow. There are 12 looks in the show, the rest will be presented in a film directed by Auckland's Curious Film. It's starting right now!

#842 Zambesi - the enigma

Dayne Johnston making final adjustments to PC's outfit

About twenty photographers stand on the edge of the stage at Skycity Theatre shooting the run-through. Models walk the catwalk as smoke machines shoot fog into the air. Spotlights cast giant shadows onto the projection wall at stage rear. Three models hit the catwalk at once, their walks slow, the music eerie. I see Elisabeth Findlay, Dayne Johnston and Marissa Findlay step onto the set. "Dayne!" I call. "I have some questions to ask you." "I have to check on the hair!" he replies, and scurries off down a set of stairs. I scurry after him.

#841 First looks at Alexandra Owen

Horse bridals, taped on shoes, sculptural forms... Backstage at Alexandra Owen - show will start in two minutes. I love the matte green wool.

#840 Juliette Hogan finale video

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#839 First look at twentysevennames

Army surplus coats, giant combat boots, chunky knits, oversized shirts - it's all here at twentysevennames. That's Zippora Seven in the centre at the front. Her first show of the week. Show's starting in about 15 whoop whoop!

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#838 Shot of the day - Keeping out the riff raff

Note to self: wear Fashion Week lanyard at all times.

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#837 Cybele - the show finale video

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#836 Stella in Luella... and Vivienne Westwood and Todd Lynn

Image /Luella

We here in New Zealand might be gearing up for the first show of ANZFW (Cybele), but London Fashion Week has been in full swing for the past couple of days. I just had an email from my good mate (and top model spotter) Lilly to say that Stella Maxwell showed up in the Luella show for the second time in two seasons. She's also walked in Todd Lynn and Vivienne Westwood Red Label. Nice work Stella!

#835 First look of the week from Cybele

Derya Parlak, Elena Zubielivitch and Phoebe Leonard in Cybele F/W 2010 backstage at Air New Zealand Fashion Week. We're five minutes over the scheduled show starting... But seating hasn't begun yet so methinks we're running a wee bit late. Not to worry, everybody's looking relaxed and organised and I'm yet to witness a drama backstage. Who's excited??

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#834 Join me on George FM

I'm on George FM at 8:40am this morning with Nick D talking about Fashion Week. 96.8FM in Auckland, or listen to it online here. P.S. it gets boring being so gangsta (above), but it's my life.

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#833 Shot of the day - the maroon suit!

Just went to Crane Brothers and picked up my new maroon suit. It is officially the freshest thing I've ever owned. Rest assured I'll be thrashing it this week, starting with the Fashion Week opening party tonight.

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#832 NYFW - Jordan Rondel's picks

Rag and Bone - All Images /style.com

And for the girls...
As always, I'm loving girls in tailored pants, shorts, shirts and simple tees. Rag and Bone, Jenni Kayne and Helmut Lang have mastered the masculine side of femininty. Karen Walker has realised that stripes never died and probably never will and Marc Jacobs has perfected colour (yes, maroon is the new black). But what's spring without a few sweet little dresses? Alberta Feretti, Proenza Schouler and Rodarte showed some beautiful dresses that focus on celebrating thigh and curves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYb83KM4at4

Rag and Bone


Rodarte


Proenza Schouler


Philosophy di Alberta Feretti


Marc Jacobs


Karen Walker


Karen Walker


Karen Walker


Jenni and Kayne


Helmut Lang


3.1 Phillip Lim

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#831 Karen Walker S/S 2010 show finale

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#830 NYFW - my picks

Patrik Ervell - All Images /men.style.com

There's nothing like some beige, khaki, navy and uniform grey to make up the perfect spring/summer menswear wardrobe. And don't get me started on club collars, pleated pants, roll-ups, cuffs, gold buttons and desert boots. So the 1950s (Patrik Ervell), military (Rag and Bone), nautical (Band of Outsiders) and schoolboy (Thom Browne) were my four favourite themes for the boys this time round at New York Fashion Week. These are my top picks of the season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYb83KM4at4

Patrik Ervell


Patrik Ervell


Patrik Ervell


Rag and Bone


Rag and Bone


Rag and Bone


Rag and Bone


Band of Outsiders


Band of Outsiders


Band of Outsiders


Thom Browne


Thom Browne

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#829 Shot of the day - one more sleep

And the maroon suit will be mine! I went into Crane Brothers for my final fitting today and it is amazing. Three button roll lapel, short jacket and sleeve length, pleated, cropped and cuffed pants... Just gotta do buttons, cuffs and arm length and it'll be done and dusted. Picking it up tomorrow (inshallah).

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#828 HOME SWEET HOME

I'm home!! And so excited to be here!! My flight arrived at 5am and featured fashionable cabin-mates Rumi from Fashion Toast - and her photographer boyfriend Colin; and Jenna Sauers aka Tatiana the Anonymous Model Blogger aka my new favourite New Zealander - and her writer boyfriend (whose name eludes me right now but I'll update as soon as it comes to me). All are here for Fashion Week.