More often, it recalibrates quietly – through instinct, values and the choices creatives make when no one is watching. The Future Looks Like Home emerges from that kind of moment. It is not a forecast, but a reflection: of where fashion in Aotearoa is heading, and why that future feels increasingly personal.
Ava wears the Daina Hugh Ile Tank, Balgemino Leather Crafted Bodice, Rory William Docherty Neptune Necklace and the Salon Self Raaie Collab Sarong
For photographer, creative director and stylist Anastasiya Konstantine Baranova, the shoot was instinctive from the beginning. With much of the fashion industry away for the holidays and little time to plan, the process echoed an earlier way of working – intuitive, responsive, grounded in trust.
“In classic Anya fashion, I returned to the instinctive, early way I used to work — rallying at the last minute and shaping the photography and styling through some of my favourite pieces and brands I’ve come to know over time.”
That instinct led her back to her hometown and family home in Omaha, where she spent her summers barefoot, salt in her hair, running between land and sea. The familiarity of the place became the emotional backbone of the shoot – not staged or romanticised, but lived-in and real.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ava wears the Rory William Docherty Silk Scarf, Rory William Docherty Neptune Earrings, and AUT Graduate Tanaka Nyhwa Envelop Top. RIGHT: Rachel Mills Dune One-piece, Jasmin Sparrow Spiral Belt, Jasmin Sparrow Coil Earrings, Nikirei Cowhide Leather Top and AUT Graduate Nikirei Cowhide Leather Skirt
“That sense of familiarity and ease became the emotional backbone of the editorial.”
Shot between Omaha and Muriwai – near the home of talent Ava McVeigh – the landscapes weren’t chosen for drama alone. They were chosen because they held history. Because they allowed the clothes to exist quietly, without spectacle. Because they mirrored a broader shift happening in fashion across Aotearoa.
As consumers re-evaluate how and why they dress, local design has taken on renewed significance. This isn’t about trend cycles or seasonal novelty, but about intention – choosing garments that carry story, craft and care. Pieces made slowly, by hands you can trace, by makers whose values are woven into every seam.
Ava wears the Rachel Mills Silk Mesh Tee, Daina Hugh Long Skirt, Jasmin Sparrow Mermaid Earrings and the Jasmin Sparrow Pearl Bra
The materials featured in the shoot reflect this grounding. Raw leather by Nikirei and Balgemino. Shell and pearl jewellery by Jasmin Sparrow, echoing Omaha’s shoreline. Intricate glasswork and weaving by Rory William Docherty. Hand-beaded swimwear by Rachel Mills. Each piece feels considered, personal, enduring.
“The materials were raw and tactile — deeply connected to hand and nature. Every piece felt intimate and devotional, like it had been made with time and intention.”
During the styling process, Anastasiya realised she was unconsciously referencing her mother’s artistic practice. Her mother, surrealist painter Elvira Baranova, often depicts powerful female warriors adorned with beads and gems – figures shaped by strength, femininity and adornment. That lineage became part of the visual language of the shoot.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ava wears the Rory William Doherty Straw Hat, Rachel Mills Embellished Tri Swim top, , Penny Sage Delphine Shorts, Honey Bloom Store Poppy Necklace & Paloma Necklace, RUBY Abi Scarf and the Penny Sage Delphine Shorts. RIGHT: Ava wears the Rory William Docherty Silk Scarf, Rory William Docherty Neptune Earrings, AUT Graduate Tanaka Nyhwa Envelop Top, Rachel Mills Easy Swim Briefs, Jasmin Sparrow Lapis Ring and the Oosterom X Levi Tan Shell Belt
“Leaning into that lineage felt instinctive. ‘Home’ became not only a physical location, but a shared visual language shaped by women, community and memory.”
For Ava McVeigh, the concept of home carried its own resonance. Scouted by Super Management and later moving to Sydney, her return to Aotearoa marked a moment of reflection – both personal and creative.
“After new places, people and experiences, returning to Aotearoa has given me space to reflect on how much I’ve grown,” Ava says. “Wearing the work of Kiwi designers again reminds me where I come from and makes me feel incredibly proud of the culture, creativity and beauty that shaped me.”
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ava wears the Rory William Doherty Straw Hat, Rachel Mills Embellished Tri Swim top, , Penny Sage Delphine Shorts, Honey Bloom Store Poppy Necklace and Paloma Necklace, Archive Deadly Ponies sandals, RUBY Abi Scarf and the Penny Sage Delphine Shorts. RIGHT: Rachel Mills Dune One-piece, Jasmin Sparrow Spiral Belt, Jasmin Sparrow Coil Earrings, Nikirei Cowhide Leather Top and AUT Graduate Nikirei Cowhide Leather Skirt and Daina Hugh Hat
That pride – quiet, grounded, assured – runs through the editorial. It speaks to a generation of creatives who no longer feel the need to look outward for validation, but inward for meaning. Who understand that forward movement doesn’t always mean leaving.
“The Future Looks Like Home became a reminder that forward movement doesn’t always mean leaving things behind,” Anastasiya reflects. “Sometimes it looks like returning – to land, to community, to the ways of working that first taught you how to see.”
At FashioNZ, we see this moment as more than a trend. It’s a recalibration – of taste, of values, of storytelling. Kiwi designers are no longer simply responding to global fashion conversations; they’re reshaping them through a distinctly local lens, creating work that feels honest, intentional and deeply connected to place.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Rachel Mills Dune One-piece, Jasmin Sparrow Spiral Belt, Jasmin Sparrow Coil Earrings, Nikirei Cowhide Leather Top and AUT Graduate and Nikirei Cowhide Leather Skirt. RIGHT: Jasmin Sparrow Oro Necklace, Rachel Mills Paula Swim Top and Easy Swim Briefs
As we move into 2026, this is the fashion story we want to tell. One that celebrates care over spectacle, craft over excess, and community over anonymity. One that honours where we come from while imagining what’s still possible.
The future of fashion in Aotearoa doesn’t look distant or unfamiliar. It looks like home – worn proudly, made thoughtfully, and carried forward with purpose.
