Big names of NZ fashion on show

The big names of New Zealand fashion will be on show tonight at one of Invercargill's grandest locations, the Southland Masonic Centre.

Special guest designer Dan Buckley, 35, from top New Zealand fashion label Huffer, has flown in especially for the show, which has been organised by his friend Sharon Sutherland-Smith, of rawblond dzine hair salon.

The pair met this year when Sutherland-Smith spent a day with the Huffer guys as her prize for winning a Schwarzkopf styling competition.

Tonight's show will feature five Invercargill businesses and a special collections from Huffer.

Affectionately named the "I love Invers" collection, Buckley said he had come up with the name because he sees Invercargill as a town with good small-town values.

The collection features a lot of denim for both men and women, he said. They had also used the wood-fibre fabric, viscose rayon, in a lot of their women's clothing.

It allowed them to create designs that draped loosely over the body, yet clung in the right places, Buckley said.

"They're loose and baggy, slinky cuts. Sexiness is a real key part of the women's collection this summer."

Colours included a lot of pale pink florals. "Florals are huge, man, this season."

This is Sutherland-Smith's second fashion show, but this one was a bit more "Auckland-styles", she said.

Other special guests tonight would be Auckland photographer and makeup artist Owen Allison, Schwarzkopf representative Brett Holmes and animal rights campaigner and founder of Paw Justice, Craig Dunn.

About 300 tickets had sold and there would be door sales available for $25, from 7.30pm at the Southland Masonic Centre, Forth St, Invercargill.

- © Fairfax NZ News