Cue the patter of clacky heels, New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria is back—finally.
Post-two year break, its 2025 return is all the more anticipated, and naturally, we’re all the more organised.
Handpicked shows, pop-ups, places to hide inbetween—we’ve got everything you need to stack your day between trips to shows at Shed 10.
Here’s everything you need to see, eat, shop, and as we find out, swap, this New Zealand Fashion Week.
What To See And Do At New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria 2025
The Graduate Collections Runway Show
Saturday 30 August | 2:00PM
Your ticket to “I knew them before they got big” smugness is The Graduate Collections: pocket-sized capsules by Aotearoa’s best university talents. They pack a punch: we’ve seen everything from a bauhaus chair-inspired dress to ethereal headwear.
Aleph Beauty Pop Up
18-31 August
Image Credit: Aleph | Supplied
Ever wondered how *that* rosy Aleph Radiance Balms shimmers up on your cheeks? Or just what The One moisturiser feels like (spoiler alert: like silk, it’s a Beauty News favourite after all).
Take yourself to Ponsonby for a little snoop around Aleph’s very own pop up at 8 Brown Street, now until 31 August. In true Aleph style, it’s an oh-so-pretty and tactical affair—a welcome pause from the rush of New Zealand Fashion Week, we say.
Plus, score beauty aurea points when you spot their tints and pouts on the NZFW models.
From Fast to Regenerative: Redefining Fashion in Aotearoa in an Age of Speed - presented by Mindful Fashion NZ
Wednesday 27 August | 5PM
Another one of NZFW 2025’s bingeable panels is Mindful Fashion NZ’s Redefining Fashion in Aotearoa in an Age of Speed—something we all have a part to play in. It’s a frank chinwag about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. Full steam ahead in this revolution, we say.
New Zealand Designer Breakfast at The Shelter
Saturday 30 August | 9:30AM
Image credit: @connorjaward for Jojo Ross via The Shelter | Website
Nourishment in all its forms, you’ll enjoy a sleek breakkie while you pester your favourite designers with all your burning questions at this breakfast and panel. Adrion Atelier’s Adrian Williams, Jojo Ross, Claudia Li, Vicki Taylor herself—they’ll all be there.
You’ll go home inspired, full, and no doubt with a new little something (your tickets are redeemable on an in-store purchase).
Zambesi 'Instrumental' Runway Show
Thursday 28 August | 8:30PM
The gloriously acerbic Grand Dame of NZFW, Zambesi just knows how to put on a show. Cutting silhouettes, rebellious tones, and some of the best styling know to New Zealand Fashion Week (and, we hear, grooming from our friends at Shark).
They’ve chosen some outlandish venues in the past, and we’re excited to see what they do to Shed 10, fashion week’s official 2025 space. Simply put, you don’t want to miss this one.
Kowtow presents New Zealand Designer Clothes Swap
Friday 29 August | 4:00PM
Not just any rummage-and-see, this is a curated take on a clothing swap. One that’s absolutely worth skiving off work for.
To participate, drop up to five pieces of New Zealand designers’ garments to KowTow’s boutique. If they’re accepted, you’ll get tokens to use on the day. Be one of the first 100 through the doors, and you’ll get a goodie bag to go with your sleek, new-to-you threads.
Future of Fashion Showcase Delivered by DHL
Image Credit: Zehi Ruan and @passionfruit.jnr | Instagram
We rate both the pun and the kaupapa here. The Future of Fashion Showcase is a collective show of relative newcomers—all chosen entirely on the brands’ potential for scale. A fitting lens given NZFW’s focus on renewal for 2025, we say.
It’s a pick and mix where the new guard of accessories, swimwear and ready-to-wear come together deliciously.
Claudia Li Runway Show
Wednesday 27 August 11:00AM
Image Credit: Claudia Li | Instagram
If Claudia Li’s pieces could talk, a whispered “kapow" would be their catchphrase. Bold, sculptural, yet utterly refined, they belong in museums. Until then, a ticket to their NZFW 2025 show will do—or a stalk through Simone Biles and Ashley Park’s Instagrams.
Seriously, it’s an exciting return to runways for Claudia Li. The first in three years, and—after close to a decade in New York Fashion week—the first ever in New Zealand.
Juliette Hogan Runway Show
Tuesday 26 August | 6:00PM
Image Credit: Juliette Hogan via NZFW | Supplied
While Juliette Hogan needs no introduction, you should be circling their runway show if A) there’s a wedding on your social calendar, B) it’s your wedding or C) you’ve got corporate hallways or a strip of Ponsonby road to strut down. The flounce on her maxi skirts and dresses are no joke—as is the labels’ impeccable choice of fabrics. Go in, be mesmerised, and come out with the most versatile outfits in mind.
Knuefermann Runway Show
Saturday 30 August | 6:00PM
Ponsonby’s patron saint of raven tones, Knuefermann, is back at New Zealand Fashion Week. Well, specifically at Auckland’s famed Northern Club, for a runway where champagne flows—a fitting way to wind down the Saturday. It promises to be as slinky as her iconic (and we don’t say that lightly) Senna dress.
Where To Eat And Drink During New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria 2025
Where To Eat
The maxims that make a NZFW-friendly spot are fair and few: a solid nook in which to debrief, snappy service, and somewhere easy on the eye for an obscure outfit detail snap.
For lunch, congregate around Origine’s pistachio-tiled tables for 1) excellent photo lighting and 2) an express dinner lunch for $45. A duck parfait, a main, and chocolate mousse will set you right.
If it’s back to the media room for you, a grab-n-go kachipuri from Ima Cuisine is your best bet for a one-handed eat.
Come evening, pull the curtain across your plus booth at Nightcar, as you debrief the day over noodles, refreshing @overheardatnzfw's instagram for the latest.
Where To Drink
There's a ruddy good wine bar a few meters from that Insta-famous, neutral-toned, O'Connell Street facade that the IG girlies command as their backgrounds. It's called Ground Wine Bar and offers the best selection of wines by the glass (or by the bottle if a show went 1.5 hours over time).
Otherwise, we have it on good authority that both Amano and Kingi serve breakfast martinis.
Hero Image Credit: Daf Nimkovsky | Instagram