AUCKLAND - An ethical and sustainable fashion show has opened New Zealand Fashion Week for the first time in the event’s 10 year history. By Rachel Johnson.
Starfish, a local sustainable clothing pioneer staged a show in which each garment has an eco-credential. The collection features eco- conscious fabrics, re-and up-cycled materials and natural textile treatment processes. Additionally, every garment is made onshore in New Zealand from locally sourced materials.
The collection’s fabrics include: bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, merino, denim and silk, as well as a new fabric - Suri, which will make its global debut on the Fashion Week Catwalk. “Suri is a rare breed of alpaca sourced from Canterbury and its fibre is very fine, feels like silk and drapes beautifully”, explained Starfish designer Laura Foon.
Even the collection’s accessories are eco-aware, including organic cotton underwear, clogs made from New Zealand rimu (a large evergreen coniferous tree) and hats produced within the area.
Ms Foon said “to open the country’s premier fashion event says a lot about where fashion in New Zealand is headed.” She added, “The future of fashion is stylish clothes produced in an ethical way”.
Starfish are also excited to open Auckland’s first high-end ethical fashion store which will feature: Starfish designs, Terra Plana shoes, Nancybird Handbags, Kotow t-shirts, Veja shoes and Moki Clogs.
More at New Zealand Fashion Week.
