Dress For Wedding

Was 2017 the most diverse year in fashion yet? Let's hold the applause

Ask an optimistic fashion insider about the state of diversity in the modelling world and prepare to hear a litany of ways that things are looking up.

2017 was the year, after all, that a black model (Janaye Furman) opened the Louis Vuitton show for the first time. That hijabi model Halima Aden broke through on the runways and on magazine covers. That curvy goddess Ashley Graham, who landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2016, climbed onto Forbes’s list of the world’s highest-paid models.

It was also the year that Vogue got its first black editor in Edward Enninful -- and a diversity advocate of a cover star in Adwoa Aboah. That a major luxury fashion house (Versace) put middle-aged models (yes, the supers really do qualify as middle-aged) front and centre on the runway. That a trans model starred on the cover of another edition of Vogue (Valentina Sampaio, Vogue Paris, March 2017).

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This New Zealand label’s first collection sold out in 48 hours

In a blaze of creativity and youthful flair, new label Maggie Marilyn has fast-tracked onto the fashion scene.

“I feel really lucky,” designer Maggie Hewitt of Maggie Marilyn says over the phone. It’s an observation she’s making not because her label was picked up in its first-ever season by luxury retailer Net-A-Porter, or because pieces sold out on the site in 48 hours, but for growing up in a small town in far-north New Zealand. “To have had such a beautiful upbringing in a beautiful country ... the environment and living by the ocean really had an effect on my creativity and my design,” she says. “I hope it gives me a point of difference being so far away from all the craziness.”

With her label now in only its second season, her brand is in its nascent stages. Her point of difference is percolating and growing out of Auckland away from the frenetic fashion capitals and where all of her pieces wardrobe staples with an unmistakable flourish, like flounced skirts and flared sleeves are made.

Having a label made entirely in New Zealand allows Hewitt to have a transparent supply chain and achieve her goal of producing everything ethically. It’s a priority that took root in her upbringing in Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, where verdant farmland meets the Pacific Ocean. “I come from a rural town and I was brought up on a farm,” says Hewitt. “I learnt a deep appreciation of the environment and animals.”

Design-wise, deliberately raw finishes like loose threads on skirt tiers, frayed denim and a predilection for natural cottons and silks recall the relatively unspoilt natural world that encircles the region she grew up in. Peasant blouses have a pastoral hint, while white sheer sleeves call to mind cloud- streaked skies and sea mist that characterise New Zealand’s coastline.

A label that combined a love of art she fostered at fine arts college and a respect for her roots made sense. “I love the challenge of making beautiful garments that are ethical, sustainable and also accessible,” she says. Although her fabrics, except wool, are sourced overseas, she knows exactly where everything is from and how it’s treated, from cotton grown with recycled water to ethical-silk. Keeping production local means she can keep tabs on conditions in the supply chain. “[I like] the idea of making it in the street here in New Zealand and building up the path for other women in the country.”

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This New Zealand label’s first collection sold out in 48 hours

In a blaze of creativity and youthful flair, new label Maggie Marilyn has fast-tracked onto the fashion scene.

“I feel really lucky,” designer Maggie Hewitt of Maggie Marilyn says over the phone. It’s an observation she’s making not because her label was picked up in its first-ever season by luxury retailer Net-A-Porter, or because pieces sold out on the site in 48 hours, but for growing up in a small town in far-north New Zealand. “To have had such a beautiful upbringing in a beautiful country ... the environment and living by the ocean really had an effect on my creativity and my design,” she says. “I hope it gives me a point of difference being so far away from all the craziness.”

With her label now in only its second season, her brand is in its nascent stages. Her point of difference is percolating and growing out of Auckland away from the frenetic fashion capitals and where all of her pieces wardrobe staples with an unmistakable flourish, like flounced skirts and flared sleeves are made.

Having a label made entirely in New Zealand allows Hewitt to have a transparent supply chain and achieve her goal of producing everything ethically. It’s a priority that took root in her upbringing in Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, where verdant farmland meets the Pacific Ocean. “I come from a rural town and I was brought up on a farm,” says Hewitt. “I learnt a deep appreciation of the environment and animals.”

Design-wise, deliberately raw finishes like loose threads on skirt tiers, frayed denim and a predilection for natural cottons and silks recall the relatively unspoilt natural world that encircles the region she grew up in. Peasant blouses have a pastoral hint, while white sheer sleeves call to mind cloud- streaked skies and sea mist that characterise New Zealand’s coastline.

A label that combined a love of art she fostered at fine arts college and a respect for her roots made sense. “I love the challenge of making beautiful garments that are ethical, sustainable and also accessible,” she says. Although her fabrics, except wool, are sourced overseas, she knows exactly where everything is from and how it’s treated, from cotton grown with recycled water to ethical-silk. Keeping production local means she can keep tabs on conditions in the supply chain. “[I like] the idea of making it in the street here in New Zealand and building up the path for other women in the country.”

Read more at:

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The fashion moments of 2017 in pictures

This is a futuristic fashion trend that's taking over from vinyl, which was all the rage last season.

Trench coats, knee-high boots and handbags all made an appearance in shiny see-through plastic.

This might be the most practical look of 2018 - waterproof and easy to clean!

Chanel and Calvin Klein were big champions of this look, along with Balmain and Marc Jacobs.

It's not the most daytime look, but if you're looking ahead to a big event in 2018 then think fringing and feathers.

This glamorous and dramatic look was spotted all over the catwalk and is already popping up on the high street.

You can be on trend without going all out by choosing a feather trimmed bag or skirt, or perhaps a fringed top.

This look was big at Dior, Loewe, Celine and Salvatore Ferragamo.

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Here’s our guide to shimmer in dressed down high shine metallic fashion for the daytime

There is a space-age style revival underway this season and foil-effect fabrics and shiny hues are big news.

Celebrities like Rita Ora have been rocking the glamorous version of the high shine trend on the red carpet

Go for gold on the school run by chucking on an M&S puffer coat or pair statement silver trousers with a crisp shirt and jumper.

Here, SIOBHAN O’CONNOR shows you how to shimmer during those precious few daylight hours.

Rework party pleats by dressing down with an oversized chunky knit.

Tuck in the front to add shape.

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