Krystal Glynn for Zambesi Spring/Summer 2011/2012, designers line up for NZFW

We mentioned that new Australian face Krystal Glynn had recently shot the Spring/Summer 2011/2012 advertising campaign for New Zealand brand Zambesi. Above and below is a first look at the campaign, which stars Glynn alongside Kiwis Josh Skelton and David Kemp and was lensed by Marissa Findlay (makeup by Amber D for MAC, hair by Jason Chong Li for Stephen Marr). Expect to see Glynn front and centre at Zambesi's runway show at the upcoming New Zealand Fashion Week, which runs from August 29th to September 2nd at brand new digs, the Viaduct Events Centre. Zambesi is one of nearly 60 brands that NZFW organisers announced earlier this week would be joining their Autumn/Winter 2012 showcase. Other headliners: World (which frockwriter hears is closing the event), Trelise Cooper, Helen Cherry and Workshop Denim, Jimmy D, Stolen Girlfriends Club and Miranda Brown. Solo debuts include newcomers Celine Rita, Ingrid Starnes and Whiri. Hats off to the resilience of two Christchurch-based labels that are joining this year's lineup: the very well-established luxury eco label Untouched World and newbie MisterR, whose Christchurch store was destroyed during February 22nd's devastating earthquake which claimed 182 lives.  

World class - Autumn/Winter 2011

World promised a decadent spectacle and the Auckland-based "factory of ideas and experiments" more than delivered yesterday with a hugely upbeat, extremely well-edited show that left its audience gagging for more. On the menu over high tea at The Langham hotel: a high camp hotpotch of Forties-look womens suiting in leopard print and tweed, madras mens suiting, disco diva silk patio dresses in eye popping kingfisher blue, canary yellow and bubble gum pink – the latter colour picked up in a brilliant mens anorak - and adorable accessories and styling. The latter included wool-wrapped eyewear, woollen bow ties, polka dot umbrellas, patent pumps with ponyskin mohawks on the heels, detachable silk fringing and Bride of Frankenstein coiffures. It’s been two years since World last showed at New Zealand Fashion Week – with the previous show another four years before that - and the event has definitely been the poorer for it. The collection was called ‘Wasted Days, Wasted Nights’, but it was no wasted afternoon for World. The show earned a standing ovation from the table of American VIP delegates, that included Coco Perez blogger Clif Loftin and Real Housewives of New York City stylist Derek Warburton, with Warbuton later Tweeting, “Okokok HAUTEST show of week!!!!!! @world own it B&TCHES!!!!!”. See frockwriter's Posterous for a full picture gallery. And below, for a video of the final walkthrough. 

London Fashion Week, New Zealand Fashion Week - and a sneak peek at World Autumn/Winter 2011

 

Another day, another Fashion Week. Yes, New York Fashion Week wraps today, giving the most gung-ho fashionistas/os the chance to hop the red eye to London for tomorrow’s kickoff of London Fashion Week, which runs September 17-22. Here is the British Fashion Council schedule, with some collections at Somerset House and others off-site. Here is the digital schedule of shows to be live streamed. And here is the On/Off schedule (an off-schedule event staged in Bloomsbury). Vis-à-vis Australians, jewellery designer Jordan Askill will present a film on Friday 17th at 15.00, with sass & bide showing at 17.45 that day and UK-based Richard Nicoll and Antipodium showing on Sunday 19th at 19.30 and Tuesday 21st at 09.30 respectively. While LFW is in full swing, New Zealand Fashion Week will kick off in Auckland (September 21-25). Frockwriter will be attending for the second time as the guest of the organisers. Click here for the NZFW schedule, which includes Zambesi, Nom*D, Karen Walker, Trelise Cooper and World, with New York’s Nicole Miller this year’s international ringin. What’s Miller doing downunder?

Woollahra Council agrees it should lighten up, but issues dotwa on subversive Kiwi paintjob

On May 19 frockwriter mentioned the trials and tribulations of Kiwi fashion brand World over a recent polka dot paintjob of its Paddington, Sydney boutique. The company is being pressured by Woollahra Council to take the dots down. Well it seems the story has travelled a little further afield. On June 2nd, it made the local rag The Wentworth Courier. And last night it was picked up by Channel Ten prime time news (above), which reports it will cost $1000 to remove the dots - and that the Council moved on the matter after a complaint by just one person. Talk about customer service. Most amusing: comments by a local galériste who says the store should be applauded for being part of a new, post-Howard, rage-against-beige World order. And Woollahra Mayor Andrew Petrie, who is on record agreeing that the Council needs to lighten up.

World's spot of bother in Woollahra

Those kooky kids over at World have come to blows with Woollahra Council, which apparently doesn't have much of a sense of humour. The Auckland-based fashion brand, which bills itself as a “factory of ideas and experiments” (the dress, below, is from their AW10 collection) and operates eight stores in NZ and Sydney, has come to the attention of the council regarding a paint job that was recently given to its Paddington, Sydney store. As it emerges, multi-coloured polka dots are illegal in Sydney's trendiest shopping strip. In a letter dated May 17th, Craig Jenner, Woollahra Municipal Council’s Team Leader – Compliance, gave World’s landlord 28 days to nix them.


both images/world

Here are a few terms of the order:

1. Restore the subject premises to the condition in which they were before work was unlawfully carried out by:

(a) Removing from the shop window the multi-coloured polka dots and:

(b) Painting the walls to the façade of the shop in a uniform colour, to remove the unauthorised multi-coloured polka dots that have been painted onto the front façade of the shop adjacent to Glenmore Road.

The letter goes on to say:

1. Condition 9 of development consent DA625/2004 requires the exterior colour scheme for the subject premises to accord with the requirements of Part 5.2.9. of the Paddington Development Control Plan 1999.

4. Council is satisfied that the multi-coloured polka dots displayed on the window and wall surfaces of the building are an advertisement. “Advertisement” is defined in Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 1995 as “a display by the use of colour, pattern, symbols…for promotional purposes… whether or not the display includes the erection of a structure of the carrying out of work”.

6. The advertisement does not satisfy the exempt development criteria for a flush wall sign or a window shop front sign, or the criteria for advertising in Heritage Conservation Areas, as specified in Woollahra Development Control Plan Exempt & Complying Development 2005.

It is not the first time that the council has taken issue with a fashion retailer in this vicinity.

In 2004, Woollahra Council deputy mayor Keri Huxley described the green used by World’s neighbour, Scanlan & Theodore, for its new Sydney flagship on the corner of Oxford Street and Glenmore Road, as a "hideous" and "particularly disgusting colour".

Huxley was unable to veto the colour however, because it was included in the building's development approval.

World's response?

“We are outraged the council is so ignorant and lazy!” World director Francis Hooper told frockwriter.

“If they just took the time to ask us why?! World wanted to make a statement for the season, to bring colourful cheer to the neighbourhood, to take away the doom and gloom and recession fever that has gripped the city. All the locals love it! We have become a mini tourist attraction. We have only had positives from everyone. Even our landlord has commended us on uplifting the area. It’s obvious this wonderful spotty art is just a temporary installation. Trust the council to bully a small business out of business. Arse holes!”

Did Armani crib Elton John's sunglasses from World?

terence koh/matt williams via purple diary


“The accessories - and the crystal suit - are fantastically camp. Elvis Presley might be long gone, but there's always Elton John”. So wrote frockwriter in September 2008 after visiting the Auckland HQ of NZ fashion brand World and being dazzled by the mad Swarovski crystal-embellished suits and accessories of its 'There is no depression' Autumn/Winter 2009 collection. The collection, which had just walked the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week, had been inspired by 1970s fashion icon Tina Chow. Well blow me down with a burlesque feather if Elton John didn't turn up at last week’s Grammy Awards for his duet with Lady Gaga in a pair of dead ringers for World’s fly-like crystal-studded sunglasses.

Frockwriter missed the broadcast of the Grammys and didn’t really pay much attention to the since widely distributed wider angle shots of the duo on stage.

But we did do a double take when we spotted this very clear Purple Diary shot, above, of Canadian artist Terence Koh "wearing Elton John’s Armani Privé glasses during Lady Gaga and Elton John’s Grammy rehearsals". Koh created the spectacular piano on which the duo performed their duet.

Whether or not it's due the different angles of the two photos, there does appear to be some slight discrepancy between these glasses sported by Koh and those finally worn by Elton John on stage (below). Perhaps Armani created several versions for him to choose from.

Given that World was referencing a 1970s New York fashion scene icon for its collection, perhaps the designers had an archival shot from that era on their inspiration board that season.

But then, perhaps Armani’s haute couture atelier had a shot from World’s show on its own, who's to say?

In any event, reports World, their glasses have since been purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria and are currently on display in Melbourne.


getty via daylife


world aw09/anzfw


self portrait at world

World wide web

lunch @ laduree, paris. march 07

World's Francis Hooper (^) DJs on Auckland's George FM every Saturday from 11am-1pm - there's another hour to go of the Feel Good Show. I'm listening in from Sydney - ditto Bryanboy from Manila.

Chow down with World

world AW09 muse tina chow/andy warhol

Although I missed the World show last week, I managed to play catchup with the World crew while in Auckland. And as if NZ's self-proclaimed "factory of ideas and experiments" wasn't camp enough, Bryanboy came along for the ride.

No limo for BB on this occasion however - he had to put up with the back of World co-founder Francis Hooper's delivery van. And look I did offer to swap, but Hooper was adamant.

"No - you're the girl" Hooper told me, even if many may well dispute this.

I don't recall hearing many complaints however.

Bryanboy's travelling companion was the dashing World menswear designer Benny Castles (below). Evidently Castles made quite an impression - BB told Kiwi blogger Isaac Hindin Miller that Castles was his "favourite" person he had met at the event.





First up was dinner on Sunday night at a cute Asian fusion resto concept called Chow down on the Viaduct Harbour (that's Hooper, centre ^).

Apparently there's more than one Chow in NZ and it was kind of apropos, given that World's There is no depression in New Zealand AW09 collection had in fact been inspired in large part by the late New York fashion icon Tina Chow.

After a four year hiatus from New Zealand Fashion Week, during which time the company focussed on its now eight-unit retail chain and showing at both the Tranoi menswear and womenswear trade shows in Paris, World opened the event last Tuesday.

By all accounts it was a spectacular opener, featuring the brand's trademark quirky take on English tailoring, electrically-hued menswear - and winding up with a showstopper of a Swarovski crystal-encrusted finale.

A significant component of every World show has always been the dedicated beauty concept created by long-time collaborator, the NZ-born, but now New York-based hair and makeup artist Brent Lawler - one of New Zealand's most successful style exports.




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world AW09 runway shots/michael ng

Yesterday BB and I trekked over to the World headquarters, which is located inside a deconsecrated church on Pitt Street.

Looking through the collection at close range, I thought a couple of pieces were particularly strong.

I loved the black puff-sleeved power suit with tulip skirt that had been teamed with a crystal-encrusted 'octopus' top - the classic World net T-shirt with ridiculously long sleeves which scrunch up your arms.

For the show, the look had been styled with crystal-studded ankle boots, a crystal-studded disc hat and some pretty fabulous insect-look crystal-studded sunglasses:



Of equal note, the Kelly green cashmere cocktail sheath with extravagant pussybow neckline and fur-covered skirt which has editorial written all over it.

Made for the New Zealand market using faux fur ("We'd have our locks glued if we used real fur here" noted Hooper), pending interest from Europe, notably the brand's nascent Russian client base, the faux fur garments may be destined for an eventual luxe makeover:



According to Castles, both NZ's Te Papa museum and Australia's National Gallery of Victoria have expressed interest in acquiring some of the crystal pieces.

The accessories - and the crystal suit - are fantastically camp. Elvis Presley might be long gone, but there's always Elton John.

Not to mention Bryanboy.