• 
• 
• 

The Big Idea’s resident fashion designer Margaret Lewis (AKA Knitter at Heart) reports from the runway at Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2009. 

The Big Idea’s resident fashion designer Margaret Lewis (AKA Knitter at Heart) reports from the runway at Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2009. 

Read some of her highlights below, see the Show gallery for more collections and check out the NZ Fashion Week 09 Feature for stories and designer Q&As.

Cybele 'Virtue' Autumn/Winter 2010

Virtue draws its inspiration from the Victorian era - explorers to memento mori to butterfly collecting. With a muted colour palette - black, grey, ivory with russet red and apricot as well as khaki - Cybele plays with a number of motifs.

One of this year's recurring motifs was a lily, printed on stunning silk but also seen in cast glass jewellery made especially for the show by artist Layla Walter. The other, moth-like references in the pintucking on short silk skirts and dresses that fanned out like wings from the body, dusky moth markings on cape-like tops and the moth wings that backlit the runway.

I was hooked at the tights with oval loop cutaways [oh for the legs to carry them off], the armlets and the fluid silk pieces that drape so beautifully.

As expected Cybele's tailoring was a joy - the little black jacket with sculptured ruffles deserves further exploration.

In just six years Cybele Wiren has gone from participating in the group New Generation shows at Fashion Week to being first up on the runway for the past two years.

Andrea Moore 'en plein air'

Linking between a New York blog and an exhibition en plein air were the sources for Andrea Moore's Winter 2010 collection presented at the same time as her Chrysalis collection for Silverdale knitwear.

Knitting is my passion so I was instantly hooked by the big bobbly knit wraps and scarves as well as the colour palette of navy, ink, purple and black that contrasted with the jewel brights of emerald and red. The most covetable piece was a hooded coat with a zip-back opening making it swing in different fabrics from a purple floral wool to embossed black satin

The knits are cashmere and merino and designed for layering. Moore says that with all that's happening in the world it is little wonder that people want to hunker down and cocoon in colder months - this range is designed to bring you out of your chrysalis.

Let them Eat Cake | The Carpenter's Daughter

Making history at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, Caroline Mar encourages us all to eat cake - even including cupcakes in her goody bags. Her show and her range featured plus-sized models and a feast of fashion. This was certainly no ordinary Fashion Week show.

Grinning proudly the models [some of them her clients] came out to an appreciative audience including Beatrice Faumuina, Geraldine Brophy and the carpenter himself. Cheering and clapping the crowd got behind this showing.

Layers, leggings and sheer fabrics featured in the Spring | Summer collection with plenty of white and black and highlights of bright green, orange and cobalt blue. I loved the corsets and the pleated collars – just a hint of Victoriana. Showing her spring/summer collection gives Mar the opportunity to build on the momentum from the showing at Fashion WeekEND last year.

This show strongly confirms what we all know - that women of all ages and sizes want to look sassy, sexy and stylish and after 20 years in the business, The Carpenter's Daughter continues to do just that.

There's an opportunity to see the show again, with another show at Fashion WeekEND on Saturday.

• Fashion WeekEND Survival Tips

If you're planning on going to Fashion WeekEND, here's some survival tips:

- Take a fan [preferably a stylish one] - it can get hot waiting to go into shows.

- Choose your footwear carefully - you'll be standing a lot and you're feet will get sore

- Have plenty of water

- Parking will be at a premium - consider a bus or a taxi

- Be nice to the ushers and security - they've had a long week and the Air New Zealand hosts are all volunteers - they're there for love

- Enjoy the show

Catwalk photos by Michael Ng.