NZFW 2025: Archives, Debuts and the future of New Zealand Fashion

This year’s New Zealand Fashion Week in Tāmaki Makaurau unfolded as more than a showcase of clothes on the runway; it was a celebration of memory, ambition, and cultural storytelling. Across six days, the schedule balanced looking back at the icons that built Aotearoa New Zealand style identity with championing the designers shaping its future.

The week opened with Into the ArchivesHarris Tapper’s debut: Two Decades of NZ Style, a rare retrospective that traced the garments shaping Aotearoa New Zealand fashion identity. Among the most talked-about pieces was the iconic Zambesi look once worn by Taika Waititi, a reminder of how New Zealand design has long held its own on the global stage.

From there, the focus shifted to fresh energy. Harris Tapper’s NZFW debut stood out for its sharp, pared-back silhouettes that spoke volumes in their restraint, an arrival that positioned the label firmly on the radar. Kathryn Wilson reaffirmed her reign as the country’s footwear leader, transforming everyday essentials into elegant, wearable statements. And Adrion Atelier, also making its NZFW debut, brought forward a vision rooted in refined tailoring and the promise of legacy, pointing to an exciting future for New Zealand design.

Photos: fashionquarterly/Instagram

Collaboration took center stage midweek, with Karen Walker x Adidas blurring the lines between sport and luxury. Walker described it as “a celebration of ease and energy,” and the collection’s effortless cool made it a crowd favorite. Later that day, Zambesi returned to the runway, once again proving why its dark, layered aesthetic remains a cornerstone of New Zealand fashion.

Photos: nzfashionweek/Instagram

Great Hounds brought an entirely different energy, experimental, chaotic, and unapologetic. The show split opinion, but its raw power was undeniable, pushing the week into bolder territory.

Photos: M + AD

The final day shifted focus to the next generation. Graduate designers from Whitecliffe, AUT, and Massey University presented collections that were risk-taking, unpolished, and bursting with urgency. Then came Pacific Fashion Fusion, a collective showcase that wove cultural heritage into every stitch. “This is the heartbeat of New Zealand fashion,” one designer said backstage and it rang true.

In the end, NZFW 2025 wasn’t just about spectacle. It was about balance: honoring legacy, giving space to new voices, and reminding the world that New Zealand fashion continues to evolve on its own terms.

Photos: Fashion Journal

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Editor: Felicity Field