For the 13th consecutive year, the Zonta Club of
Metropolitan Dunedin paired up with Dunedin's fashion design
and retail sector to raise a substantial amount for charity.
Jude Hathaway reports.
The enthusiasm was evident as rain-washed patrons poured in
to the Kensington Army Hall in Bridgman St for what for many
has become an annual fix of extraordinary fashion.
The Zonta Club of Metropolitan Dunedin once again pulled off
an entertaining sartorial event, proceeds from which this
year will go to its chosen charity, Endometriosis New
Zealand.
The audience of about 350 was primarily there last week for
an overview of fresh summer lines served up by Dunedin's
astute fashion design and retail fraternity.
As expected, it was a rich serving of women's, men's and
children's outfits that were marched down the catwalk by Ali
McD models - the children with escorts taken from army ranks.
Since its inception, the show has championed the region's
remarkable design talent.
In her summer "Jewel" range, show stalwart Charmaine Reveley
showed sleek, sophisticated garments alongside those with a
girlish innocence, all reflecting her ongoing love affair
with exceptional fabrics, while Tanya Carlson with her "Still
Life" summer was in top form with tailored summer suiting
through to sundresses, all with that subtle sexiness that
sets her design oeuvre apart.
Company of Strangers' Sara Aspinall succinctly describes her
exciting "Songs Of Love + Hate" summer collection as being
"as much for the whip-smart and worldly as for dreamers and
hopelessly romantic".
Right on!
For this show Tamsin Cooper created a pert and pretty
presentation by teaming her swathe of new summer accessories
with dresses from The Vintage Dress Company.
And from Queenstown, Claire Brinsley's Claire Bloom fashion
range, inspired by Italy and the 1960s film La Dolce
Vita, exuded her signature soft, feminine styling, this
year in vibrant colours interspersed with elegant black and
neutral tones.
Marie Strauss' individualistic style shone through in her
outfits from her Dada range, these offset by eye-catchers
from imported French, Italian and Belgian labels and the New
Zealand big names she stocks at her Dada boutique.
Indeed, the tenacity of the Dunedin boutiques was felt across
the board.
Garments from a significant line-up of top labels exuded
style and quality.
These were shown by longtime Zonta show supporters Waughs,
Belle Bird and White By Design, and were matched by
European-influenced Deval and newcomer Storm.
The children's store Miracle turned on an entertaining
presentation, thanks to the free-wheeling whims of the
diminutive models who took little guidance from their patient
escorts.
And it was good to see a menswear dynamic in both the Wall
Street Mall and Arthur Barnett presentations, along with
women's lingerie fashions and footwear.
Once again an inspirational selection from the Otago
Polytechnic School of Design intrigued, while Zaibatsu Hair
Art's presentation added dramatic notes, the elaborate
hairstyling set off by equally splendid outfits.
Jaimee Smith and her Zaibatsu hairdressers and Aliana
McDaniel and the Ali McD School of Makeup team prepared the
models for the catwalk, while Victoria Muir of Sequel Events
and her team ensured, as always, that the show ran with
satin-on-satin smoothness.
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