NZFW Report: The emerging fashion graduates to watch
photography by radlab
words by lara daly
The future of fashion.
One of the final runways on the New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria schedule was arguably our most anticipated: The Graduate Collections. Held inside a converted shed by the waterfront in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), the showcase featured the works of 18 fashion students across Aotearoa’s top design schools; Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Massey University and Whitecliffe College.
The graduates selected for this Saturday’s runway had a big act to follow. Now in day five of NZFW, the entire week has been a rolling high, celebrating some of the country’s top fashion talent including designers such as Claudia Li, Harris Tapper, Karen Walker and Zambesi.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
As a publication focused on highlighting emerging talent, we’ve long believed that fashion is at its most creative (and scary – in a good way) at the graduate level, when designers are untainted by commercial viability. Kiwis famously ‘punch far above their weight’ in this industry, and the students we saw today are no exception. While the entire showcase was impressive, here are five that caught our eye.
Quinn Kueppers
Massey University Graduate
Fashion Journal: What was your inspiration behind your collection, ‘Dauerhaft’, at NZFW?
Quinn: My parents are immigrants from Germany. In 2023, I visited a former East German prison with them which housed political prisoners and ‘social dissidents’ during the Cold War. It haunted me but then inspired me to research more about the GDR [German Democratic Republic] and authoritarianism, and how queer people formed alternative communities under oppressive systems. I wanted to embody a quiet, persevering spirit in my collection.
What was the most challenging part of the process while creating your collection?
Most challenging for me was the research and design process. Since I was referencing sensitive topics of injustice, suffering and human rights abuses, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t using these references irresponsibly. I spent a lot of time researching the East German Stasi uniform. After lots of design explorations and many iterations, I found deconstructing the uniform by displacing the collar around the body across jackets, coats and trousers was an effective way to communicate my ideas within this collection, but without glorifying what the uniform stood for.
Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
I would love to work in the design or patternmaking team of an established brand. Eventually, I’d love to start my own label, but for now I want to keep learning and up-skilling.
Who is exciting you the most in NZ fashion right now?
Adrion Atelier, I love his expressive silhouettes.
Where can we follow your work?
Abygail Santillan
AUT Graduate
What was your inspiration behind your collection, ‘Deterioration’, at NZFW?
My inspiration was exploring the concept of deterioration and how that could be portrayed through fabrics and techniques. My collection portrays how beauty is seen in the broken. By inviting you to feel the commotion of materiality, I aim to acknowledge that all things grow, age, and decay over time.
What was the most challenging part of the process while creating your collection?
Definitely all the contrasting techniques I used while working with denim. I had many ideas I wanted to try out during the earlier days of my collection, so picking which ones communicate well with each other was definitely a struggle, since I loved learning about lots of types of fabrication.
Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
I hope to see myself with a blooming brand that truly represents myself. Hopefully I’ll be able to travel and live overseas while still perfecting my craft.
Who is exciting you the most in NZ fashion right now?
Where can we follow your work?
Giulia Zigliani
Whitecliffe College Graduate
What was your inspiration behind your collection, ‘Chiaroscuro’, at NZFW?
The initial concept was evoked when I discovered the work of photographer, Mario Giacomelli, specifically; ‘Io non ho mani che mi accarezzino il volto’ (1961-63). The jovial images of young priests distorted my idea of dichotomy between pleasure and piety. I wanted to reflect on my separation from organised religion through my child and adult relationships, offering a reimagining of spirituality that is rooted in nonconformity and the reclaiming of self-expression.
What was the most challenging part of the process while creating your collection?
Time management. As part of my ethos, I included slow fashion practices like natural dyeing and hand embroidery into the collection which fulfilled my values as a designer, but created a lot of stress around completion. Particularly the embroidery – I was overwhelmed at first but soon the process became a therapeutic outlet.
Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
I’m hoping to work internationally for designers that share the same environmental and social values I have, so I can continue to develop my skills within my passion.
Who is exciting you the most in NZ fashion right now?
I’m so excited by the current surge of emerging designers coming out of Aotearoa, who finally have spaces to explore their creativity. My favourite more established designers are Being, Fbpd [Emma Wallbanks] and a new one for me, Skrimshand. All are very inspiring to me as a young designer.
Where can we follow your work?
Niamh Bilsborough
Massey University Graduate
What was your inspiration behind your collection, ‘Motherland’, at NZFW?
I visited my ancestral home of Scotland and while on the Isle of Skye, I felt an unexpected connection to a place I’d never been before. This sparked an interest in exploring the connection between women and nature.
What was the most challenging part of the process while creating your collection?
I had a really clear narrative I wanted to convey through my collection, so it was important to translate this into garments in a sophisticated and subtle way, this was the biggest challenge. Part of my inspiration came from a selection of preserved moss samples I had collected, I wanted to recreate the same depth and texture within my garments.
There was a lot of trial and error, challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone and develop new techniques. That experience was essential to the development of my collection, I wouldn’t have achieved the same outcome without going through that challenging and time-consuming process.
Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
My plan is to travel to Europe to complete my Master’s. During my studies, I particularly enjoyed my trend forecasting elective and I’d like to explore opportunities to develop this further.
Who is exciting you the most in NZ fashion right now?
The new generation of New Zealand designers, I’m really excited to see the collections of my fellow graduates. But also Amelie Knits, Wixii and Harris Tapper.
Where can we follow your work?
Rose Alisha
AUT Graduate
What was your inspiration behind your collection, ‘Artefacts of the Feminine Ego’, at NZFW?
My collection draws inspiration from an intimate examination of the feminine psyche and the impact of people-pleasing on the inner self. Through distressed, hand-dyed and buried silks, cottons and corsetry, I crafted garments that embody the fragile balance between vulnerability and resilience.
What was the most challenging part of the process while creating your collection?
While the technical demands of patternmaking and meeting deadlines were challenging, the hardest part was balancing personal life alongside the design process. By integrating my own emotions into the concept, I was able to transform struggles into a driving force, carrying me through late nights and the inevitable challenges of bringing a collection to life.
Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
In five years, I hope to establish my label, Bodies of Solace, across Australasia, with ambitions of reaching global audiences and creating garments that feel like extensions of the wearer’s identity.
Who is exciting you the most in NZ fashion right now?
What excites me most in New Zealand fashion right now are the designers who are shameless in their creativity and unapologetic in pushing against industry norms. An OG example within Aotearoa is Stolen Girlfriends Club. Right now I’m especially inspired by the designers I studied alongside. I’ve been loving watching them carve their own paths and emerge into such a demanding industry.
Where can we follow your work?
To explore more emerging New Zealand designers, head here.
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