Tuesday 22nd September...arrived at 8pm. Show was meant to start at 8pm. Whilst waiting outside the Sky City Theatre I realised that pretty much everyone was running late... slowly but surely the cool Zambesi followers arrived in groups of black, different textures and tones of black, different ways of wearing black, but black was definitely the key theme (as expected!). What's so gorgeous about the styling is the asymmetrical layers that people put together, and however androgynous the Zambesi brand is, there is always an element of femininity that runs alongside the hardness. As on Monday night, I noticed an incredible amount of chunky shoes and boots worn with tiny shorts/and dresses - tonight they took on a tougher, harder edge with buckle detailing and studs and straps.

Call from Julie - they're in and they're upstairs. To the third floor I go! Unfortunately I chose the wrong lift, ended up going to pretty much every floor including the two underground carparks (with a very drunken man desperately looking for the casino). As the lift door opened at the party - the sea of black had taken over and multiplied, the whole place was packed and the atmosphere was fantastic! Found Julie, and as we made our way to the bar for a glass of wine, I realised that my red bobble hat was pretty much the only colour there!

The show ended up starting after 9pm, but it was worth the wait. From the moment the first model came onto the stage and the loud atmospheric music began, I was glued, and to make the perfomance even better, I was sitting next to Auckland based stylist and manager of Gubb and Mackie tailoring, Mr Robert Niwa, who kept me entertained all night with his fashion chat and thoughts on the show. We both agreed that the Russian-style fur hats and knee high leather boots worn with washed printed draping dresses were a hit. I loved the mix of the military tailoring with the soft feminine shapes and the attention to detail was outstanding, even down to the sparkles on the converse boots.... it was all mesmerizing, and as a show it was beautifully done. There were claps and cheers throughout the performance and it was obvious the show was a success.

No after-party tonight, as a lot of people were exhausted from the first day and dying to get to bed...myself included! - Kate Sylvester tomorrow - can't wait! x