An editorial celebrating the designers presenting at Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa.
Āhua continues to champion the creative voices shaping contemporary fashion in Aotearoa. Bringing together established labels and emerging designers, the week offers a space where individuality, craft and storytelling take centre stage.
This editorial captures a preview of the designers presenting this season through the lens of photographer Katie Begbie and styled by Levi Tan. From sculptural tailoring and minimalist silhouettes to garments rooted in cultural narrative and experimentation, each designer brings a distinct perspective to the runway.
Below, explore the designers showcasing their work at Āhua.
Oosterom’s collection draws inspiration from the work of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, translating the mood and texture of his paintings into layered garments that balance structure and softness. Rich textures, deep tones and subtle colour accents echo the painter’s exploration of light and depth, while the silhouettes remain rooted in the brand’s wearable wardrobe philosophy.
Credits
Full look: Oosterom
Jewellery: Silk & Steel
Shoes: Bared Footwear
Adrion Atelier explores the quiet dialogue between structure and fluidity through garments that blend soft tailoring with subtle deconstruction. The collection references workwear silhouettes while maintaining a refined elegance, allowing the wearer to shift between strength and ease.
Credits
Full look: Adrion Atelier
Jewellery: Silk & Steel
Mitchell Vincent’s work centres storytelling through clothing, drawing on whakapapa, cultural heritage and slow fashion principles. Designed in limited runs and crafted with ethical textiles, each garment becomes part of a wider narrative celebrating identity, connection and contemporary life in Aotearoa.
Credits
Full look: Mitchell Vincent
Earrings: Mitchell Vincent
Boots: Bared Footwear
Jojo Ross presents a collection shaped by a deeply personal chapter — the birth of the designer’s first child. The garments reflect a search for calm, clarity and comfort, offering softened silhouettes and minimalist forms that evolve into darker, more surreal textures and prints as the collection transitions into winter.
Credits
Full look: Jojo Ross
Jewellery: Silk & Steel
Glasses: Mykita
Shoes: Bared Footwear
Fringes brings an experimental approach to garment construction, exploring silhouette and detail through pieces crafted largely by hand. As an emerging designer, the work reflects a balance between conceptual design and the practical realities of building a fashion label.
Credits
Full look: Fringes
Belts: RM Williams
Jewellery: Silk & Steel
Glasses: Mykita
Boots: Bared Footwear
Zoe Langley represents a new generation of designers emerging in Aotearoa fashion. Producing her collections entirely by hand, her work reflects a deep engagement with the craft of garment making while developing a distinctive design voice early in her career.
Credits
Full look: Zoe Langley
Jewellery: Silk & Steel
Boots: Bared Footwear
Directed and Styled: Levi Tan
Photographed: Katie Begbie
Hair and Makeup: Émillie Thorp
Styling Assistant: Katniss Tao
Mixed Media: Lily Savage
Model: Hannah Watene, 62 Management
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