Merino Show -NZFW 2011

Untouched World presented their collection first this afternoon at the Merino Show. 

With an emphasis on winter warmth, the show was opened with a Panel Pocket Coat made from Mountainsilk™ Sport.

The red coat with grey tights was super stylish, and was followed by many other standout pieces.

Tailored straight legged pants came in a 7/8 or full length in the collection, and the majority of the fabrics used throughout were Ecopossum™, Mountainsilk™, Airewool™, and textured merino.

- Untouched World                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Up next was designer Miranda Brownʼs Conscious Cloth range.

Dedicated to the now extinct Laughing Owl and the Huia, the collection emphasised that creatures and the environment need our consciousness, and we need to be more aware of how we are in the world.

Oranges and reds came through strongly in the collection, and the two beautiful aforementioned birds graced numerous outfits - like a yellow dress and tights with a pink owl print on the front.

One shoulder dresses were popular at Miranda Brown, a particularly stylish one being a striking green dress paired with fluro tights.

Miranda Brown

The designer used plenty of NZ woven merino throughout - Miranda believes using Merino wool gives value to an excellent primary resource here in New Zealand. Merino wool is a strong natural material that is both recyclable and biodegradable.

The winter collection from Life of Riley showed third, titled ʻDaydream Believersʼ.

With flower bouquets in hand, models walked to ʻHey Mickeyʼ and ʻKids in Americaʼ, emphasizing the fun and excitement in the clothes.

Life Of Riley

The majority of the styling was very simple, and the designer chose to pair woolen socks with heels - a chic and warm choice for the winter months.

Slight draping was prominent in numerous pieces, and featured on sleeves and bodices. 100% merino made up the majority of the looks, with viscose and chiffon being added here and there for that something extra.

Starfishʼs collection was featured next, with lots of layering coming through early on. Stripes were a bold choice for a number of the tops shown, with the rest of the looks having earthy tones of brown, cream, orange, and black.

Starfishʼs sparkly black fabric was featured on socks and scarves, tying in the designerʼs main collection with the merino one. Models donned flat casual shoes, walking with their laces undone, with an emphasis on relaxed cool-ness.

Lastly, spectators watched a short video presented by Taylor, which gave us a little preview of what was to come.

Taylor

Models then walked slowly out to the runway, with the first look and multiple others featuring a long cloak (with a train!).

And while Iʼm unsure of the practicality this train will hold, it certainly looked great on the runway!

The collection was strictly limited to blacks, whites, and greys, and the use of merino wool, silk organza, lycra, and leather was consistent throughout.

With collections like these, who says you canʼt be warm and chic!

- Lena Aseeva

Imagery - Michael/NZFW