A new 'underground fashion week' has risen from the ashes

A new fashion week has risen from the ashes after New Zealand Fashion Week's cancelled plans early this year and an all-around bleak climate for retail continues.

Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa, an event billed as "Tāmaki Makaurau's underground fashion week" is about to wrap its first multi day event on Friday. Dozens of designers, dancers, musicians and other artists showcased their work across the five day event in Auckland.

The three organisers, all women under the age of 25, were frustrated by the lack of places to showcase New Zealand's creative scenes so they started their own event. It focuses on up-and-coming New Zealand designers and, unlike typical fashion weeks that are often closed to the public, Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa made fashion inclusive and accessible to the public with general ticket sales.

"I am a design and fashion student and the only runway shows I have been able to attend are the ones I put myself," said Billy Blamires, 21 and a Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa co-founder, "because I can't afford to go and see fashion week which is ridiculous."

Blamires, along with Sophia Kwon, 21, and Nina Bailey, 24, were inspired to launch Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa when New Zealand Fashion Week announced in May that it would not host its scheduled event in August. Instead, it would be held every two years.

"When you have dreams of being a creative and have all these ideas and what your life will be ... then you become one and it is just bleak and no opportunity," Kwon said.

Slumped retail sales has been a fixture of 2024, with big fashion names such as Kate Sylvester, shutting entire businesses or reducing storefronts.

But Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa was anything but bleak. Hundreds of people attended the events from Monday through Friday. Dozens of other creatives from videographers to photographers to DJs to dancers rallied together to pull off the event and share the story of New Zealand's emerging fashion brands.

Grace Wei from Wei Wen sent models down the runway in her signature knitted and crocheted designs.

"Honestly, the weeks leading up to it, I was so stressed, like out of my mind, with knitting and crochet. It takes a long time to make even one piece," said Wei, 20, who is based in Auckland and applying to fashion schools in London.

"When I saw the results and the reception from the audience, I was so grateful. I had never seen that many people so hyped to just be looking at people's work," she added.

Jenny Ruan with her brand Zheyi Ruan was selected to showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week this year before it was cancelled. The collection she had planned was instead shown at Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa this week.

"As someone who can struggle to get my work out there, Ahua encouraging me to push my pieces to the public was the breath of fresh air I needed," she wrote in an Instagram message to RNZ, calling the event a "collaborative community rather than a judging panel."

Her collection was inspired by the rich textures, patterns and colours of 1980s Italian paisley print wool scarfs. She used 3D design software to place and cut the upcycled textiles she had sourced. "... these textiles were rarities collected over the years, I am only given one chance to get it right," Ruan wrote, about each cut she made.

The co-founders have plans to create a documentary from footage shot at this week's event as well as a magazine.

"Ahua has bloomed and blossomed into something so beautiful," said Bailey. "We are so proud of her."