I have officially touched down in Auckland for New Zealand Fashion Week, and I'm beyond excited to see the homegrown talent on the schedule. 

First things first, I caught up with some of my favourite designers to chat about how they stay organised in the lead up to show day, what their biggest piece of advice would be for budding designers and what the inspiration is behind their new collections.

RACHEL MILLS

Tell us a bit about the brand - How did it all begin and how did you know the time was right to start?

It began somewhere around twenty years ago when I would hack into mum’s box of fabric, cutting shapes out that I thought would work only to find out otherwise. I’ve been making clothes for as long as I can remember, thanks to my mother and my gran. Following high school, I studied a year of graphic design then completed a fashion design degree. I always knew I wanted to start the brand but fresh out of university, I knew I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t confident enough in my skills and I didn’t have enough industry knowledge. I ended up working as a pattern maker at Karen Walker for four years. It was there that I was able to refine my skills and learn a great deal about the industry. Just over a year into the job, I decided it was time to start planning the brand so I moved back in with my parents and rented out a small studio space.

Describe the brand in 5 words

 Functional. Reactive. Thoughtful. Considered. Self-assured

What has been the biggest challenge to date? and your biggest highlight to date?

The biggest challenge was deciding if / when to leave my job. It’s a really tricky thing to know when it’s time to move on to a new challenge but also feeling like you owe a great deal to a workplace.

The biggest highlight to date was being awarded the AMP x Rothbury Regional Scholarship. Not necessarily for monetary value, but more so knowing there are people who believe in me and what I’m doing. It’s a huge confidence booster.

What has been the one piece of advice you received that has stayed with you through the years? And what one piece of advice would you give a budding designer?

If you want it to happen enough, you will make it happen. For budding designers, this loosely translates as; work as hard as you can, intern as much as you can, and absorb everything you can.

What's the inspiration behind your collection for NZFW this year? What can we expect to see?

The inspiration comes from a movement that embodies frivolity and glitz but only lasted a few years. I have reinterpreted this into something that has more staying power, more functionality, more adaptability and is kinder to people and the planet.

How are you finding the lead up to the show and how are you handling the stress and workload? Will you be working on the range right up to the last minute?!

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it has been stressful. If I don’t get the work done there is no one to fall back on! I try to handle it by knowing when it’s time to call it a night even if there is more work to be done, knowing when I need to spend time with friends or family and knowing when I need some time to myself. I’m very lucky to have the most supportive dad, mum and boyfriend who will always lend a hand when called upon.

The range itself is pretty much there. The thing about a presentation rather than a runway show is there is so much more to organise, and I think that’s where the last minute stress will be. I’m having to learn all about how something functions within a space and the way people interact with it, the lights and how they reflect off certain surfaces, audio files, capacity, etc. These are all things that are incredibly difficult to visualise without being in the space. I’m just hoping I’ve spoken to enough people who work in these fields for it to all come together.

How do you stay organised through out the pre fashion week craziness & how do you manage your workload? - fill us in on your personal tips. 

I’m the type of person who loves routine but what I have learnt from starting my own business is that no two days are ever the same. I’m learning to take each day as it comes and to be more flexible.

I write list after list, complete with check boxes. I have such an awful memory that I will never remember anything if I don’t write it down, and until it is written down, I will stress out that I’m going to forget.

What does a typical day look like over NZFW? 

This is my first time showing so I’ll just be taking the days as they come. I’ll be showing at the very beginning of the week, which means there will be more time afterwards to enjoy the pace of the week without having anything hanging over me! I’m looking forward to seeing friends in the industry show, and the rest of the time will be filled with buyer and media viewings.

How are you planning to celebrate post show?

I feel like I’ve been so consumed in getting ready for the event that I haven’t even had the time to think about afterwards! It sounds super lame but two things that I’ve missed doing in the past month are cooking my own dinner and getting to bed before 11pm. I think there will be enough partying across the week to make up for it.

ELISABETH FINDLAY FROM ZAMBESI 

Tell us a bit about the brand - How did it all begin and how did you know the time was right to start?

 We established Zambesi in 1979 whilst we were operating as a multi-brand boutique and recognized the opportunity to create an identity of our own.  It was instinctive and it felt like the perfect time to begin.

Describe the brand in 5 word

Strong-  independent – and open to interpretation.

What has been the biggest challenge to date? and your biggest highlight to date?

Our biggest challenge is making each collection better than the last!  One of the biggest highlights to date was he Summer 1997/98 runway show at Sydney Fashion Week and it was the beginning of many shows to come, both in Australia and New Zealand.  

What has been the one piece of advice you received that has stayed with you through the years? And what one piece of advice would you give a budding designer? 

Never Give Up.   Don’t be afraid.  Keep up the Quality.       

What's the inspiration behind your collection for NZFW this year? What can we expect to see?

The inspiration behind all Zambesi collections begin with fabric selections.  For our A/W 2018 collection expect to see metallic foiled canvas, Japanese fleece sweat shirting, quilted textures, sheepskin and punctuations of yello.

How are you finding the lead up to the show and how are you handling the stress and workload? Will you be working on the range right up to the last minute?!

Cool, calm and collected.  Yes we will be working up to the last minute!  

How do you stay organised through out the pre fashion week craziness & how do you manage your workload? - fill us in on your personal tips.

We have produced many shows over the years, which has given us experience and confidence.  We have a dedicated talented team here at the workroom and they are ready,  willing and able to assist in managing the workload.  Pacing ourselves and working as a team is the secret of our success. 

What does a typical day look like over NZFW?

 We will be styling the looks on Friday and we have fittings on Saturday & Sunday.  Monday is the day for the Mercedes-Benz Presents designer show which is us of course at 8.30.pm.   Tuesday we begin the sales campaign with many of our loyal clientele.  

How are you planning to celebrate post show?

We are having an after-party for invited guests.

WYNN HAMLYN

Tell us a bit about the brand - How did it all begin and how did you know the time was right to start?

 The label is 3 years old. I used to have a small studio I worked in after work and weekends. A friend worked at a store and said if I got a small collection together he might be able to get me a buying appointment. I did and they bought it. 

Describe the brand in 5 words

Feminine, Classic, Subversive, Simple

What has been the biggest challenge to date? and your biggest highlight to date?

 The biggest challenges to date have all been business related. Having a great label is one thing but making it into a sustainable business is hard in this industry. The biggest highlight to date was a good showing at NZFW 2016.

What has been the one piece of advice you received that has stayed with you through the years? And what one piece of advice would you give a budding designer? 

The best advice I ever got was to talk to people. Call people, ask them how they did things, go for coffee. The knowledge and bits of info you pick up all helps. The other advice I would give is don’t be afraid to be commercial. That’s not to say don’t be directional that’s equally as important but you do need pieces that will sell. That’s what will keep a brand alive.

What's the inspiration behind your collection for NZFW this year? What can we expect to see?

 Inspiration came from one of the bizarre intricacies of the fashion industry. The schedule of when we sell collections and when they go into stores. We start selling summer clothes in August and Winter clothes in January (The exact opposite season).  Rather than changing the fashion schedule to align closer to our seasons - we are changing the climate align with industry. So this collection looks at a dystopian world where there is every season all the time and we need to dress accordingly.

How are you finding the lead up to the show and how are you handling the stress and workload? Will you be working on the range right up to the last minute?!

The workload is always busy and slightly stressed. But that’s the nature of it and Im happy to be part of it. Even if we were super prepared we would still play and change stuff right up to the last minute – so yea we will be down to the wire. But overall very happy with how the collection is looking and the plans for the show

How do you stay organised through out the pre fashion week craziness & how do you manage your workload? - fill us in on your personal tips. 

 LISTS! Everything goes on a list or it doesn’t get done. My desk is full of old lists and as I get busier they get more detailed and crazy

What does a typical day look like over NZFW? 

 I do emails in the morning before anyone arrives. Then we all talk about what there is to do and try and help each other out. The day generally involves some aspect of driving and answering phone calls

How are you planning to celebrate post show?

We will be at The Shelter post show – One of Wynn Hamlyn Stockists in Ponsonby. And following that sleeping, staying healthy for a busy selling period

Keep an eye out on my Instagram for all my outfit updates + highlights from the NZFW shows this week. xx