Fashion gets the green light after all

Stuff launches Festival of Fashion and shoppable runway show with Ensemble

A team of Aotearoa’s top creative talent has been busy after a move to the red setting forced the cancellation of various fashion shows and events. From today, Stuff is rolling out a week-long Festival of Fashion, including a special shoppable catwalk show that will take designer collections straight into the homes of readers. 

The festival will deliver fun, playful and practical fashion coverage across Stuff, Ensemble and Sunday magazine. Led by style editor and fashion authority Zoe Walker Ahwa, it’s a celebration of the local industry and reflecting how New Zealanders really dress.

The Ensemble Edit show will air on Stuff on Thursday at 7pm, sharing a mix of New Zealand’s best established and emerging designers. 

Models will present looks for the upcoming season from labels including Kate Sylvester, Zambesi, Juliette Hogan, Karen Walker, Kowtow, Twenty-seven Names, Ruby, Harris Tapper, Papa Clothing, Rachel Mills, Lost and Led Astray and Thom Morison and accessories from Deadly Ponies, Georgia Jay, Mi Piaci and Bronwyn.

The audience can click to buy straight from the runway to their wardrobe, via a shoppable link. The show is free to watch and will be screened on Stuff.  

The Stuff Festival of Fashion runs across what would have been NZ Fashion Week.

“We were devastated when Fashion Week was cancelled for the third time,” said Walker Ahwa. “The industry has been impacted by Covid and it was another huge blow. But we weren’t going to let it stop us from giving our creative friends – and all fashion-loving Kiwis – the festivities they want and deserve.”

In the week and a half that followed the event’s cancellation, designers were called, models and photographers booked, hair and makeup artists secured – and the digital showcase was brought to life.

“We’re thrilled to be part of The Ensemble Edit show,” says fashion designer Kate Sylvester. “Not being able to go ahead with NZFW again was a huge loss for all involved – we had our glorious new FW ’22 ‘Portrait’ collection runway-ready and were counting down the days until the show, so being able to translate some of those key looks across to this great new initiative has been really special.”

“We’re delighted to invite all of Aotearoa New Zealand for a front-row seat to our special and inclusive fashion event,” says Walker Ahwa.

“It’s our hope the festival will help reinvigorate the fashion and retail industries and encourage Kiwis to support the exceptional local brands on offer.”