The Graduate Collections<\/p>\n
Rose Mikklesen, one of the student designers showcased at NZFW’s The Graduate Collections show. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
The Graduate Collections proved today once again why it remains one of the most anticipated shows on the New Zealand Fashion Week schedule.<\/p>\n
Presented on the main runway at Shed 10, the show celebrated emerging designers from Whitecliffe, Massey University and Otago Polytechnic.<\/p>\n
A model for Te Arahori Day’s runway show, as part of The Graduate Collections. Photo \/ \u00a0Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
Across the collections, a common theme from the graduates was a willingness to push boundaries, experimenting with oversized silhouettes, dramatic draping and garments that challenged traditional construction. Several played with the ideas of absence in construction, from half-completed shirts to asymmetry. <\/p>\n
Otago Polytechnic\u2019s Willow Coombs impressed with her exploration of these ideas, backed by incredible craftsmanship and form, especially in outerwear.<\/p>\n
A Rose Mikklesen coat from The Studio NZFW show. Photo \/\u00a0Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
Among the standouts was Massey University graduate Rose Mikkelsen, whose tailoring and geometric abstraction drew attention. Her striking cube coat was a highlight, reinventing a classic with playful, joyful and innovative design.<\/p>\n
Fellow Massey graduate Claudia Di Leva also captivated audiences with a collection she explains as being inspired by \u201cthe parallels between dystopian fiction and contemporary reality\u201d. Exceptional construction transformed complex concepts into wearable pieces, as seen on her coat and coat jumpsuit.<\/p>\n
Designs from Claudia Di Leva. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
Whitecliffe student Kensa Munroe, winner of the 2025 Circular Design Award Clothing Design Innovation Award, combined outstanding design and attention to form with concepts that both pushed the boundaries, yet felt highly wearable in her collection, Deconstructed Heritage.<\/p>\n
Whitecliffe students Samsara Jade and Jumaanah Vahora were also memorable, delivering dramatic runway moments that left the audience audibly gasping. – Jenni Mortimer, chief lifestyle and entertainment reporter<\/p>\n
The Studio<\/p>\n
The Sylvester collection hits the runway at The Studio NZFW show. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n
Shed 10 buzzed with anticipation on Day 3. <\/p>\n
Curated by NZFW creative director Dan Ahwa, The Studio offered an insight into the latest silhouettes gracing our shores. With 17 labels on the runway, there was plenty to peruse.<\/p>\n
Harris Tapper opened with its sculptural workwear adorned in ostrich feathers from shoulders to toes.<\/p>\n
Fringes followed, its standout look a cropped, boxy menswear suit decked in more than 6000 hand-sewn buttons.<\/p>\n
The phones came out for REBE and were kept in hand. Ever a masterclass in contemporary womenswear, we saw a structured leather vest with fluid midi-length fringing, and barrel-leg cream cargos that cleverly convert from a trouser to a short. The oversized shearling collar leather jacket was my early favourite. <\/p>\n
To see a selection of the looks from The Studio show, click through the photos in the carousel below.<\/p>\n
Red is the colour du jour, from COMMONPLACE ESSENTIALS\u2019 bold jacquard drawstring jacket to the elevated knitwear of Francie (and even a sequined neck scarf from Claudia Li). If not as a focal point, certainly as an accessory.<\/p>\n
This was the first and final show for Sylvester, a casual sister label to the eponymous Kate Sylvester. Her three sons opted to continue its legacy after her label\u2019s 2024 closure, but the tough economic climate means it won\u2019t continue after this collection. Kate Sylvester was a cornerstone of NZFW, so it only felt fitting that Shed 10 housed its curtain call, too. <\/p>\n
Emma Jing\u2019s new collection, Local Hero, leaned into nautical motifs. With voluminous, dramatically draped garments embellished with tricorn hats, low-slung belts and ruched eye patches, the designer receive rousing applause. It was, dare I say, pirate chic. <\/p>\n
True to form, Dan Ahwa\u2019s Studio ate and left no crumbs. And with many of the collections dropping today, you don\u2019t have to wait to shop the runway. \u2013 Skye Ross, Viva writer<\/p>\n
More on New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Viva team reports live from New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria, with coverage of the major shows on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573513,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2246,120437,126504,59518,5972,156,1438,71,17625,26634,42551,59671,138710,4960,661,117,111,139,69,766,1306,1305,418,23367,7187,223,159,57698,686,6038,102,80],"class_list":["post-573512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-2246","tag-claudia","tag-collections","tag-coverage","tag-day","tag-entertainment","tag-fashion","tag-from","tag-graduate","tag-kahuria","tag-karen","tag-kathryn","tag-li","tag-live","tag-major","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-reports","tag-schedule","tag-show","tag-shows","tag-studio","tag-team","tag-the","tag-viva","tag-walker","tag-week","tag-wilson","tag-with","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}