Pamela Anderson - and at least seven Oz brands - head to Auckland

getty via daylife.com

Air New Zealand Fashion Week announced its preliminary designer lineup this afternoon in Auckland. Further names are yet to be confirmed for the event, which runs from 21st–25th September at the Viaduct Harbour Marine Village. But so far the schedule looks to boast at least seven Australian names: Perth’s United Constructions and Brisbane streetwear label House of EZIS, in addition to five yet-to-be-confirmed designers who are due to take part in a Diet Coke Little Black Dress group show - along the lines of what we saw in Sydney at RAFW in early May (and as ANZFW's Pieter and Myken Stewart hinted was in the pipeline, when frockwriter bumped into them at RAFW). But by far the biggest news of today’s launch was the fact that Pamela Anderson is also heading to the event.

Yes, as incongruous as it sounds, Anderson is due to travel down to ANZFW with ex Heatherette designer Richie Rich. That is Rich pictured with Anderson above, together with transgender performer Amanda Lepore, at New York Fashion Week in February. That's Lepore on the right, for anyone who isn't sure.

Anderson is working with Rich on a new eco fashion line called Muse that is due to be unveiled the week beforehand at New York Fashion Week.

According to today's release, the line will be shown in Auckland on Friday 25th September – in what you would have to assume will be the event's closer.

What's the Anderson connection?

A New York-based fashion/celebrity publicist by the name of Brian S Long, whose clients include Nicky Hilton and who has been attending ANZFW from almost the very beginning.

Also new to the event this year is a dedicated runway showcase of eight Maori designers (Miromoda) and The Viewing Room – a special showroom from which designers will be able to showcase their ranges to buyers and press the minute they walk off the runway.

It’s a great initiative and one that Pieter Stewart first announced in WWD in May.

“It’s going to be a bit of a scheduling nightmare, but I’ll work it. I might have to stretch out the shows” Stewart told WWD. “We’ve had a few meetings with the designers to ask, ‘What do you need?’ And they’ve said, ‘We’d like to bring our entire showroom on site so we can capture the buyers while they’re there.’”

Below is the list of confirmed participating names.


Designers/brands
Adrian Hailwood / Adrian Hailwood / AUCKLAND
Andrea Moore / Andrea Moore / WELLINGTON
Annah Stretton / Annah Stretton / MORRINSVILLE
Barbara Lee / Barbara Lee / CHRISTCHURCH
Basquesse / Viviana Pannell / WELLINGTON
Cybèle / Cybèle Wiren / AUCKLAND
Chapel Design / Janelle Chapel / AUCKLAND
Emma Ford / Emma Stuart / AUCKLAND
Emma / Emma Wallace / WELLINGTON
House of EZIS / Andrzej K pytel / AUSTRALIA
Julian Danger / Amy Rose Goulding / DUNEDIN
Huffer / Dan Buckley & Steve Dunstan / AUCKLAND
ISBIM / Joshua Jang / AUCKLAND
Juliette Hogan / Juliette Hogan / AUCKLAND
Kagi / Kat Gee / AUCKLAND
Karen Walker / Karen Walker / AUCKLAND
Kate Sylvester / Kate Sylvester / AUCKLAND
Nom*D / Margarita Robertson / DUNEDIN
Oyl / Vicki Reid & Nicola Karam / WAIRARAPA
Riddle Me This / Liz Proverbs / MT MAUNGANUI
Sable & Minx / Theresa Brady / AUCKLAND
Salasai / Kirsha Whitcher / HASTINGS
Sera Lilly / Cheryl Lilly / AUCKLAND
Serena Fagence / Serena Fagence / AUCKLAND
Sheryl May / Sheryl May / GISBORNE
Stolen Girlfriends Club / Marc Moore & Dan Gosling / AUCKLAND
Tara Cunniffe / Tara Cunniffe / AUCKLAND
TCD / Caroline Marr / AUCKLAND
Trelise Cooper / Trelise Cooper / AUCKLAND
Trix & Dandy / Michael Pattison / AUCKLAND
Twentysevennames / Anjali Stewart & Rachel Easting / WELLINGTON
United Constructions / Jill Crabb & Helen Miraudo / AUSTRALIA
VonAvi / Greg & Kaz von Heraud Parker / WANAKA
Zambesi / Liz & Neville Findlay / AUCKLAND

Miromoda Designers
Wiremu Barriball / Wiremu Barriball / TITAHI BAY
Kiri Nathan / Kiri Nathan / AUCKLAND
Samara Vercoe / Samara Vercoe / NELSON
Keri Wanoa & Hemi Sungren / Keri Wanoa & Hemi Sungren / WAITARA
Tutina Pasene / Tutina Pasese / OTAKI
Shane Hansen / Shane Hansen / AUCKLAND
Bianca Walford-Collier / Bianca Walford-Collier / WELLINGTON

Diet Coke – The Little Black Dress Show
Five New Zealand and five Australian designers to be announced