A Confident Reintroduction of Culture, Craft and Creative Power
New Zealand Fashion Week returns this year with quiet confidence and a refreshed sense of purpose. The 2025 programme strikes a considered balance between heritage and progress, spotlighting both established heavyweights and future-facing talent. With a compelling designer lineup and a more expansive view of what fashion can be, NZFW is positioning itself not just as a showcase, but as a cultural moment.
The schedule’s first wave of designers spans from long-revered names to fresh voices redefining the landscape. Labels confirmed to show include Claudia Li, Juliette Hogan, Karen Walker, Kiri Nathan, Kathryn Wilson, Knuefermann, Kowtow, and Zambesi, alongside collectives and emerging designers such as Pacific Fusion, Kahui Collective, Rebe, Sonnie, The Keep, Taylor, Untouched World, and Rory William Docherty. These names reflect a dynamic cross-section of Aotearoa’s design identity, one rooted in diverse perspectives and increasingly conscious values.
Adding depth to the runway shows are NZFW-curated presentations and programming that delve into fashion’s wider cultural narrative. ‘Into The Archives’ will open the week with a retrospective runway moment, revisiting standout looks from the event’s twenty-year history. At the other end of the calendar, the ‘Greatest Hits’ show will close the week with a sharp edit of the most memorable looks from the 2025 schedule.
The ‘Beyond the Runway’ speaker series offers a platform for critical reflection and insight, bringing together industry leaders to discuss building a brand in a saturated global market, creating community through fashion, and navigating the ever-evolving definition of success. These conversations bring substance to the week and offer tangible inspiration for the next wave of creative minds.
Emerging talent remains a key focus. The Future of Fashion showcase, presented by DHL, will spotlight new-gen designers, while The Graduate Collections from tertiary institutions and Raise Up’s Walk the Line for secondary students ensure that the pipeline of creativity continues to be nurtured from the ground up.
This year also marks the return of the official NZFW campaign shoot for the first time in over five years. Directed by NZFW board member and creative advisor Dan Ahwa and captured by photographer Mara Sommer, the campaign sets a tone of self-assured clarity. As Ahwa puts it, “The NZFW 2025 campaign is in step with the times. Nothing overly pretentious or intimidating. It’s simply about celebrating the feeling of fashion, whether it’s one of joy or empowerment.”
NZFW 2025 is not trying to replicate international formats. Instead, it offers something distinctly local, stylishly grounded and culturally relevant. It celebrates fashion as a form of expression, a form of progress, and most importantly, as a feeling worth showing up for.
Joining naming right head sponsor Giltrap Group in supporting NZFW 2025 are Hotel Indigo, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Viva, NZ Herald, Lion, DHL, Ooh!media, Eventbrite, Blue Star Group, Heart of the City and ZEIL. Together, these partnerships signal strong commercial confidence in the next chapter of New Zealand’s leading fashion platform.
Together Journal will be on the ground throughout New Zealand Fashion Week, reporting on the shows, standout beauty moments and key news as it unfolds. With a particular focus on fashion for special occasions, we’ll be spotlighting the designers, collections and styling ideas that resonate most with our design-conscious community.
Tickets for select shows are now available, with more to be announced in the lead-up to the event. Fashion enthusiasts and industry insiders alike are encouraged to secure their seats early for the opportunity to experience new collections from some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated designers.
For full ticketing details and to purchase, visit the official NZFW website.
