Eight emerging New Zealand fashion labels to know
image via @daina.hugh/instagram
words by daisy henry and lara daly
The ones to watch at NZFW and beyond.
New Zealand designers have a reputation for punching above their weight. Despite a population of just over five million people (Sydney has more than five and a half million, for comparison), it’s home to some of our favourite fashion labels.
Part of this might be attributed to its abundance of natural resources, like wool. In the 1980s, there were roughly 22 sheep for every person, and despite a dip in production, demand for New Zealand-made wool is increasing. Yet it’s also the strength of Māori and Pasifika designers who sit at the forefront of storytelling and craftsmanship.
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Ultimately, no one reason can explain it. But there’s no question: Aotearoa is rife with talent and New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) brings the best of it under one roof. Running until August 22, the week-long celebration features runway shows, installations and panel talks to platform local creatives.
There’s a growing list of established Kiwi brands we already love, including Twenty-Seven Names, Kowtow, Harris Tapper and Yu Mei. But while we’re visiting Auckland, we’re getting to know more about the small local labels on the up. We have no doubt that in a few years, we’ll keep turning to them, too.
Charli Nikora
For designer Charli Nicholls (Ngāti Tamaterā), Māoritanga is at the core of her label, Charli Nikora. “We forget that there are other ways of dressing other than wearing a classic button-up shirt or blazer,” she says.
“It’s really important for mātauranga Māori to show up in my designs not only through my weaving practices of raranga and whatu, but also through the inherently Māori silhouettes and the idea of wrapping material around oneself.”
While studying fashion design at university in Wellington, Charli spent a semester at Nottingham Trent University in England. “Coming back from overseas and going straight into my fourth year, I had a calling to pursue something really personal and meaningful,” she says. “I wanted to reconnect with my Māori heritage as it felt quite removed from my life.”
During this journey, she learnt to weave by taking local raranga classes and studying how certain weaves were made, in person and in weaving books. Charli’s latest collection, Mana Wahine, is a manifestation of her honours thesis in 14 outfits. “I researched a lot about how colonisation in Aotearoa had impacted Māori handcrafts and kākahu, so I wanted to use clothing as a way of celebrating and reconnecting with mātauranga Māori.”
In addition to featuring in the NZFW opening showcase, Charli will present her work at Te Aho Tapu at Auckland Museum on Friday, August 21.
Daīna Hugh
When designing for her label Daīna Hugh, Lavinia ‘Ilolahia envisions a creative woman. “I often imagine an architect or an artist,” she tells us. “The way artists move and dress fascinates me. There’s this effortless way of dressing that can look minimal or thrown on, but on closer look has refined detailing throughout.”
Daīna Hugh’s latest collection is an evolution of this, examining the meaning of home, culture and technicality. Titled Homeward | Fononga ki ‘api, Lavinia was inspired by the Tongan proverb ‘holomui ki mu’a’. Where ‘holomui’ means reversing and ‘ki mu’a’ means going forward, it captures the idea of looking backwards into the future.
“As a child of the diaspora, home can be complicated,” she explains. “Is home where I grew up, or where my forefathers grew up? That’s what this collection is about. Home is both.”
In the physical sense, it draws heavily on the stacking logic of Tongan traditional dress. “There’s a haphazardness to colour, print and texture clash that feels natural there. I’ve brought that design system into the collection this year, still composed, but with that haphazardness woven through.”
This year, Daīna Hugh will present at NZFW’s Kāhui Collective, an Indigenous collective under the mentorship of renowned designer Kiri Nathan. “Kāhui is such an important part of fashion week because it keeps Indigenous voices visible and central, not on the margins of the conversation,” Lavinia says.
Emma Jing
“Fun, sexy and playful” are three words that best describe Emma Jing. Marking its NZFW debut, Auckland-based designer Emma Cornall will present her latest collection, Local Hero, at The Studio showcase this Wednesday. “I think my best work comes out when I have a clear vision and story I want to tell,” she says.
“Local Hero is the name of the boat my dad built and had while I was growing up,” she explains. “It will be four years in September since losing my dad… and it felt like the right time and place to explore this theme.”
The collection leans into slight nautical themes and motifs – and as Emma hints, it’s heavy on pirates. “I have limited T-shirts printed with ‘local hero’ created by my wonderful friend Sam Knegt. Plus lots of drapey silk,” she adds. Fans of the designer will be pleased to see her signature bubbles and ruffles scattered throughout the collection.
After spending a stint in London, Emma has recently returned home with a fresh perspective on Auckland’s community. “We come from a small place; it’s tight-knit. I have a wonderful community of makers and also really strong women around me.”
Tough Auto
A lot of eyes are on Tough Auto ahead of its NZFW debut on Wednesday night. Headed by designer Dominic Estall, the Auckland-based label recently took home Fashion Quarterly‘s ‘Bag Designer of the Year’, and the momentum is building.
Despite the attention, Dominic has been deliberate in keeping the label’s collection small, focusing on quality. Currently, that’s a limited number of premium leather goods including belts and bags, alongside a curated selection of ready-to-wear.
Consisting of what is essentially one men’s and one women’s look, it represents an ongoing commitment to hero materiality, form and function. “It feels important to cement what Tough Auto stands for,” he adds.
Dominic makes the clothing and accessories in-house, working mostly with leather. “One unique aspect of the leather garments and accessories I’ve made is that they never leave this country,” he explains. “The leather I source is from New Zealand cattle – it’s tanned and dyed and then made into a garment here.”
While New Zealand is, and likely always will be, at the core of the brand, it has the scope to reach anyone who appreciates quality and craftsmanship.
Adrion Atelier
Although Adrion Atelier is an emerging label, South African-born designer Adrian Williams has years of experience. Having previously worked with Yu Mei and Entire Studios, he brings his technical and creative vision together under the banner of his own brand.
Having first debuted at NZFW in 2025, Adrian is gearing up to present his new collection, The Dying Crafts, as part of The Studio showcase on Wednesday. “This year’s collection feels like a natural progression, moving beyond the garment itself to focus on the people, skills and communities behind the making process,” he explains.
The Dying Crafts was developed in collaboration with artisans and makers, bringing together techniques such as quilting, pleating and ceramics. “I wanted to celebrate the knowledge and skill behind these practices while questioning what we lose when they disappear.”
This passion for craftsmanship is what drives Adrian’s work. “I design for people who are drawn to clothing with a sense of individuality and intention,” he says. “People who value the way something is made as much as the way it looks.” The result is a collection that celebrates self-expression through colour, movement, textures and proportions.
Oosterom
Designer Nicole Hadfield is the brains behind slow fashion label Oosterom. Based in Auckland, she operates predominantly on a made-to-order model, producing limited runs of the brand’s staple pieces, like its Crinkle skivvy and Painter’s shirt.
“Working with our local machinists – our production team is literally 10 minutes down the road – means we can make small drops, respond to demand and be much more considerate about what we’re producing,” Nicole says.
This week marks Oosterom’s second time showing at NZFW, following its debut in the 2023 Next Gen show. Nicole tells us her new collection, Cloud Watching, is all about play. “I was inspired by my two children and their fearlessness and openness to creating without needing to know the end result,” she shares. “I wanted it to feel joyful and a little bit unexpected, while still feeling recognisably Oosterom.”
The resulting collection builds on the label’s signature uncomplicated silhouettes, with playful elements layered in. Think silk ruffles, handmade lace from Paris, sheer pieces and lots of silk organza. “I design for a woman who knows who she is, lives a busy life and still wants to look effortlessly put together.”
Jing Hé
Few emerging designers can count Charli xcx and Lorde among their customers, but Jing Hé is an exception in more ways than one. “Having both Charli and Lorde wear something I made in my little studio feels honestly surreal. It’s very much a ‘Girl, So Confusing’ moment,” she says.
After studying fashion design at Massey University, Jing took on intermittent freelance lingerie design work before launching her eponymous label in 2022. “I had to figure out almost everything myself, from production and sourcing to pricing, shipping, marketing and actually running a business,” she reflects. Now, Jing is based in Shanghai, with production split evenly between China and New Zealand.
Jing’s latest collection is a personal one – she developed it while looking after her father while he was unwell. “I spent a lot of time going back and forth to the hospital while working on the collection,” she says. “I think that experience unintentionally found its way into the clothes.”
Compared to Jing’s earlier work, which had a darker, monochromatic edge, her recent designs feel soft and delicate. “There’s a sense of tension and fragility in the collection.”
Fringes
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), designer Finn Mora-Hill is the one-man team behind Fringes. “It’s just me working out of my garage studio in my flat,” he tells us.
The label’s humble beginnings started at the skatepark in high school, where Finn would make T-shirts for his friends. “I was kicked out of class by the teacher and consequently found an old, neglected screen-printing studio that no one knew how to use. I spent most days abandoning classes to go and create prints, exploring texture and learning about the craft.”
Fringes has since evolved to a workwear approach, alongside its signature screen-printed pieces. “I have so many influential, trailblazing women in my life who I look up to, so it’s for them,” he explains.
Now, Finn will present his latest collection, At Odds, at The Studio showcase during NZFW. Inspired by the work of female aviators, he gravitated towards cottons and linens during production. He also used a lot of buttons. “There are around 7000 in the whole collection. As a textural element, I found it really interesting.”
Find the full NZFW schedule here.
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