Last year’s Wellington Fashion Festival was marred by news of 9-11. This year, everyone—from the new mayor to fashionistas—got into a celebratory mood

by Edward Hodges

Photographed exclusively for Lucire by Karl Priston

O ONE REALLY compares the 2002 Wellington Fashion Festival with the inaugural Fashion Four event which Simone Knol and Jack Yan covered for this magazine. Instead, the comparisons are with 9-11—Wellington Fashion Festival kicked off in 2001 on September 12, 2001, and with New Zealand a day ahead on the time zones, most people went to the Kirkcaldie’s breakfast in a daze.
   Regardless of whether you used 2001 as a comparison point or not, 2002 was the most celebratory, fun and impactful WFF since proceedings began. Extended to an entire week's festivities and coordinated largely by Sally-ann Moffat, who filled in for boss Karen McDonald who went on maternity leave, WFF ’02, showcasing the spring–summer 2002–3 collections, kept the entire capital city in a fashion mood continuously.
   With the programme launch hosted by the new mayor, Kerry Prendergast, a few weeks before, proceedings properly got under way with a free show, open to the public, at the Last Footwear Company, which showcased the Birkenstock range. The fun show was modelled by Last Footwear Company staff and friends, dragged in a security van and wearing prisoners’ jumpsuits loaned to the show by the local police. While Ambrose Hill, McDonald's son who, at several months old, was already attending fashion shows, was less than impressed by the sirens, most of the audience gathered at the Last Footwear Company's Cuba Street store were entertained by the stylish sandals.

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