Creativity, colour ignite the show

The collections ran from the spectacular to the elegant, through avante-garde to down-home chic, the audience ready from the start to celebrate the designers' creativity and individuality at what will go down as one of the landmark shows in the iD Dunedin fashion event's exciting 11-year history.

Her sheer presence was enough, but the warmth and enthusiasm of notable British designer Zandra Rhodes that came through in her pre-show chat with presenter Carol Hirschfeld set the mood for the night.

The show was fast-paced with the 35 Ali McD models handling the long runway with relaxed poise.

As always, the fashion collections were the stars, and with established designers showing alongside relative newcomers the outcome was, as always, a heady mix.

It's right that Margarita Robertson's strong, internationally embraced Nom*D showed first, signature aspects of the winter Turncoats range including the revamping of Victorian nightgowns into pristine white church blouses.

Nom*D's palette was brightened by purples, reds and metallic details.

Major pieces included men's and women's covetable overcoats, tunics, kimono-sleeved coats, tunics and dresses heavily styled to maintain the brand's mystique.

Continuing to be designed out of the Carlson studio workroom in Auckland by Dunedin's Cara Cotton, Cherry Cotton Candy showed all the exuberance and sassy chic that first caught the imagination of the fashion world six years ago.

Pieces included a feminine black velvet dress, a bright floral pin cord jacket and shorts, a metallic-finished jacket, a velvet duffle coat and leather Top Gun jacket.

Caterpillar boots and socks toughened up the catwalk presentation.

The prolificacy and creativity of designer Sarah Aspinall came through clearly in her debut showing of her Company of Strangers Misery loves Company range.

With its "bogan-esque" and motorcycle innuendo, the collection freewheeled through leather cropped jackets with fringing, basic black vests and a tuxedo jacket with a down-on-the-farm plaid back, to feminine dresses in lace, wool silk and cotton mesh.

Adding further exuberance were Aspinall-designed scarves, panelled leather and silk leggings and bags. Donna Tulloch's Mild Red collection, Money Laundering, is again a fabulous pairing of woven garments and knitwear, all showing the strong, architectural signature shapes.

Luxurious coats, vests, overdresses, jackets and her jodhpur-style Money Bags pants were given concentrated styling for the runway, colours such as deep chocolate, charcoals and black set off by vibrant red and her new-season P Tartan print.

Screen-printed bags added piquancy.

A sophisticated corporate presence came in the first-time showing of the respected and long-established Rembrandt menswear brand.

While adding a new dimension to the show, it also brought the latest in jacket and trouser styles in the classic tailored, cashmere-blend suits, along with a glimpse of good-looking casual separates, overcoats and casual jackets.

Charmaine Reveley's Free Fall winter collection was alive with vivid colours, including electric blue, avocado, red and charcoal.

Classically-styled dresses with that Reveley touch were pivotal.

Some were sequinned.

Others were in luxurious lace or featured her latest screen prints.

Her coats and jackets, with their classy, classic demeanour, completed her erudite 2010 story.

Anjali Stewart and Rachel Easting and their Twenty-seven Names' latest collection Butter Not Bombs drew on the '60s for inspiration, but seen on the catwalk were sharp, contemporary designs with wide appeal.

Standouts included a soft pink blazer and caped trench coat, a little black silk lace dress and another in burnt-out velvet.

The generous chunky knitwear was another crowd-pleaser.

Although now domiciled in Auckland, it would take more than a bit of distance to keep Tanya Carlson away from the show of which she has been a part from the outset.

And this was signature Carlson.

Her strong tailoring juxtaposed with soft shaping and whimsical lace creating a provocative mix.

Foil-printed lace and georgette garments brought metallic glam, a black broderie anglaise coat soft femininity; and a new take on the shaped jacket with removable peplum was good for the soul.

The capsule collections while smaller, were equally as exciting in their flair, individuality and punch.

It was great to see Auckland-based Vaughan Geeson back in Dunedin, which was a springboard for his career in the late 90s.

His namesake womenswear collection is a celebration of feminine elegance, beautiful pieces such as the little black mesh dress, and the exceptional and sensual ruffle-fronted dress epitomising this.

Another newcomer was designer of Lou and Ash crocheted and hand-knits, Dunedin's Ava Sanders.

This champion of "slow fashion" showed the warmth and vibrancy she is bringing to winter with her contemporary takes on a traditional craft, the blend of great looks and practicality a revelation.

Her considered choice of fabrics and eye for details gave Annette Cadogan's Iris label its quietly cool appeal, as did its palette of charcoal, dark chocolate and black.

A real eye-catcher was the black merino fleece coat.

Equally impressive was Jane Cunningham, whose dramatic namesake collection showed historic nuances of the 1700s.

These included tailcoats and waistcoats, topcoats, tunics, individual collars, ruffles and pleats and an ingenious skirt with a button-off pleated panel.

New Zealand inspiration mixed with European influences came through strongly in Nicola Reilly's fashion forward 2010 Enduring collection for her Elusiv menswear range.

Tailored jackets, fitted jeans and pants and vests showed that assured approach which sets Elusiv apart.

And the inimitable flair of established Dunedin designer Cheryl Burtenshaw shone in her latest BurtenShaw range, which included cleverly constructed checked skirts, jackets and dresses in red, black and taupe checks with quirky detailing.

Bringing edgy style was Lela Jacobs in women's garments that featured soft feminine lines and men's with strong masculine shaping.

Dramatic neckpieces, ties and straps were intriguing details.

The vitality and creativity of the collections of the Otago Polytechnic School of Fashion graduates is always a show-stopper and so it was this year in those presented by Roxanna Zamani, Sophie Hardy, Bailey Meredith, Siobhan Moroney and Brigid Steeper.

Yet another treat came with the parade of outfits from the five winners of Thursday night's Emerging Designer Awards.

But the best was left until last, the Zandra Rhodes' collection that spans four decades, stunning the audience with its evocative colour-blends, flowing, fabulous hand-printed fabrics and wide-ranging feminine styles.

The models entered into the spirit of the collection, their movements fluid, their steps light as they dropped petals along the catwalk in their wake.

Classic vintage kaftans showed alongside her lauded one-sided dress and wide-sleeved handkerchief skirt dresses.

Narrower ruffled and flounced dresses in dramatic black and metallic gold came from later ranges.

The big, bold jewellery pieces of British sculptor and jeweller Andrew Logan gave the collection its own light show.

This was a breath-taking glimpse of the rich, colourful world of Zandra Rhodes that with a generosity of spirit she brought to Dunedin to share.

It takes a rare talent to bring a Dunedin fashion crowd to its feet.

But Zandra Rhodes did it, two nights running.

Therein lies her magic.