Cybele delivers at Fashion Week's first show

The Dominion Post

LADYLIKE PRINT: An outfit from the Sable & Minx Winter 2010 collection at New Zealand Fashion Week

New Zealand Fashion Week 2009

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PERFECT PAIR: Richie Rich and Pamela Anderson take to the runway at the end of their A*Muse show at New Zealand Fashion Week.

Lonely Hearts at NZ Fashion Week

JOHN SELKIRK/Dominion Post

FEMININE AND DRAMATIC: A model wears an outfit from Cybele's Winter 2010 collection.

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The first show of New Zealand Fashion Week was always going to be a big draw.

Cybele Wiren sent elfin models down the catwalk in fluid, beautifully draped clothes, in a palette of inky blues and nudes.

For Winter 2010, Wiren said she found her inspiration from the formality of the Victorian era and the sculptural qualities of flowers and insects.

Standout pieces from the collection included skirts and dresses which were panelled and fluted to resemble the petals of a lily.

The lily was also strongly evident in prints – a navy silk mini-dress is bound to be a bestseller for the designer.

The collection also featured incredibly fine merino-knit sweater dresses and beautiful wool jackets with high-necked collars.

Meanwhile, fashion editor Carolyn Enting looks at last night's New Zealand Fashion Week opening bash, a war brewing over models and a fashion emergency for a certain well-known designer:

WHAT'S HOT: A sexy gold-and- black halter-neck gown designed by TVNZ's Close Up crew, last-minute  entrants in the Moet & Chandon  Couture Challenge. They beat  designers Huffer, Sera Lily and  Stitch Ministry in the 'sew-off'.  Each had two hours to create and  sew a garment inspired by Moet  and its muse Scarlett Johansson.

WHAT'S NOT: Dirty clothes. A model was "grossed out" when she had to try on a bloodied garment at the fitting of a designer best known for her catwalk stunts. A stray pair of scissors was said to be to blame.

QUOTES OF THE DAY: "The designers will be gutted," Fashion Week's Myken Stewart said when the TVNZ team was announced winners of the Couture Challenge. "Maybe I should stop saying, 'I have never sewed in my life before'," said Close Up reporter Daniel Faitaua, who was taught yesterday how to thread a needle and sew on a button.

WHISPER: Model wars have been raging between stylists and designers fighting to book the same six international models from IMG.

FASHION EMERGENCY: Celebrity guest, MTV Asia's Denise Keller, arrived in Auckland yesterday but her bags didn't. Her personal assistant and minder raced to Smith & Caughey to buy underwear, while designers were called upon to supply a selection of lavish gowns for the Asian superstar, including shoes by Sarah Riley and Kagi jewellery. She settled on a yellow Louis Vuitton number.

CELEBRITY FRONT ROW: On the red carpet, All Blacks Dan Carter and Richie McCaw popped a jeroboam of Champagne to open the Moet & Chandon Fashion Week lounge an hour before the official Air New Zealand Fashion Week function. Guests of the latter included Keller and All Black Jimmy Cowan. The honour of opening Fashion Week was given to Neville Findlay of Zambesi in recognition of the label celebrating 30 years in business.

BEST GOODY BAG: Only one goody bag on offer yesterday, and it was a recession special. At the Lonely Hearts fashion film installation, guests received peanut slabs and a poster. The real goodies start flowing today . . .

ON THE CATWALK TODAY: Cybele, Sable & Minx, Twenty- Seven Names, Juliette Hogan, Basquesse, Annah Stretton, Alexandra Owen, Diet Coca-Cola Little Black Dress Show, and Zambesi.

WHO'S SHOWING TOMORROW: Nom*d, Sera Lily, Andrea Moore, Silverdale by Andrea Moore, The Carpenter's Daughter, Salasai, Trelise Cooper and Kate Sylvester.

- with The Dominion Post

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