Fashion Quarterly

letter from the editor

What is it we want from fashion, and what does fashion need from us? The most treasured, and well-worn, pieces in my wardrobe are those with a personal story. There’s the Marilyn Sainty shirt with purposefully wonky buttons, found in a Red Cross Shop (I later discovered a colleague had actually donated it). The Church’s brogues that I agonised over buying for months; so well made that my future grandchildren will hopefully still be wearing them. The various vintage Karen Walker pieces I’ve scoured Trade Me and eBay for over the past 10 years. The list goes on, but the point of them all is this: they’re garments with a history; fashion with heart. That idea was what sparked this issue, our first for 2020 and the new decade. How can…

style

FINE PRINT Ingrid Starnes’ evocative new hero print – a lush, painterly floral created in collaboration with New Zealand artist Kirstin Carlin – is sure to become a collector’s item to treasure forever. This statement dress and the rest of the collection will feature a new numbered labelling system, ranging from single editions to no more than 100 per style. Described as an alternative to over-production, it’s an approach that reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to meaningful fashion. In other news, Ingrid Starnes is set to open a new store within the Commercial Bay shopping precinct in downtown Auckland. Ingrid Starnes dress, $999. Visit ingridstarnes.com…

golden age

Times of dramatic change, call for dramatic dress. In the 1920s, as in the 2020s, the world was in a state of flux. Instead of fretting, Jazz Age women celebrated their newfound freedoms in loose-fitting dresses, with a higher hem for kicking up their heels in. Flappers, in particular, stayed out late dancing the Charleston in sleeveless shifts – golden threads twinkling through a smoky haze, strings of beads tapping and short bobs bopping to their new beat. New Zealanders could hear the hedonism as it roared through newly introduced radios and gramophones. Cinemas, known affectionately as ‘picture palaces’, brought with them shining images of Hollywood style. Dowdy lace was out and slinky satin, channelling a young Joan Crawford and a sophisticated Louise Brooks, was in. Loose dresses with Art Deco-inspired…

grace period

Button up, because we’re going back to the 1800s. Blame it on the wealth of historical films hitting cinemas – Greta Gerwig’s captivating update of Little Women, Autumn de Wilde’s Emma, and the trailblazing Harriet by Kasi Lemmons – or perhaps it’s just all a reaction to minimalist tech-bro design. Inspired by the Victorian and Regency periods, the look is sweet, sumptuous and a little homespun – with voluminous sleeves, Liberty-esque prints and could-be-heirloom jewellery. It’s also not totally saccharine: after all, Little Women’s Jo March was a protofeminist and (depending who you ask) a queer icon. EMMA GLEASON READ: LITTLE WOMEN First published in 1868, Louisa May Alcott’s book was ahead of its time and is loosely autobiographical. Which March are you? DO: CRAFTS Why go outside, when you can do something cute and…

full circle

PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL JAMES ROOKE STYLING LEIGH MATHESON MODEL ANGELA ZHOU FROM 62 MANAGEMENT HAIR & MAKEUP SOPHY PHILLIPS…

couture de force

France’s bad boy of fashion Jean Paul Gaultier has always loved a party. That’s why when he decided to retire on the eve of his 50th anniversary in the industry, he staged his own funeral for everyone to enjoy. The provocateur’s last Paris haute couture showcase, spring 2020, opened with Boy George’s stirring rendition of ‘Back to Black’ as six masked pallbearers danced a sleek black coffin onto the stage. Supermodels of shows past, Erin O’Connor, Estelle Lefébure, Yasmin Le Bon and more, congregated in veiled mourning as Karlie Kloss, wearing a wreath bearing the words ‘fashion for life’ in French, creaked opened the casket. To understand this final act, we must go back to Jean Paul’s dramatic start. From a young age, the couturier was captivated by theatrics; attending the ballet…