New Zealand Fashion Week 2026 schedule: First look at designers, group shows and off-site showcases
Who is going to show at the biggest week in New Zealand fashion?
Caitlin Crisp, Twenty Seven Names and the Kāhui Collective are among the names set to appear at New Zealand Fashion Week 2026, organisers announced today.
NZFW, which will return to Shed 10 from August 17 to 22, has released a first look at the schedule for the most high-profile week in New Zealand fashion.
Crisp will present the first solo designer show of the week. It comes after her headline presentation of resort wear at the first-ever Christchurch Spring Fashion Festival, presented by NZFW in November.
The show will be her solo debut at the main event, but not the first time her designs have shown on the runway. In 2018, Crisp presented a collection full of frills, gingham and feathers during the graduate show.
It’s long-awaited, Crisp tells Viva. In 2021, she planned to make her solo debut before Covid-19 forced the event’s cancellation. She watched eagerly last year as the event came together.
“If I could have shown at NZFW in Auckland last year I absolutely would have ... My son Charlie was born very close to [NZFW].
“He was only 4 months old at the Christchurch Spring Fashion Festival, but we made it work. So I’m excited to be back and to be able to give a lot more energy and resources toward it.”
There were big swings on the runway last year – Karen Walker created chaos with an obstacle course and a hobby horse athlete, Harris Tapper debuted off-site with candlelit romance, and MaeSteal closed the week with a high drama presentation of dance and voguing.
For her debut, Crisp also wants to make an impact.
“We have a plan A and B. Both are great and bring a little more than ‘just’ a runway show. There’s always a little added pressure being the first up but it’s such an honour and shows how far we have come as a brand in the NZ fashion scene.”
The designer promises a “feminine and fun” showcase for her debut.
Other major labels confirmed include Juliette Hogan, Kathryn Wilson, Taylor, and children’s wear brand Sonnie. Twenty Seven Names will also be making its return to NZFW, the first solo showing for the brand since 2018.
Cashmere knitwear label Elle & Riley will also debut this year.
The opening show will once again be curated by stylist, journalist and NZFW creative director Dan Ahwa.
Ahwa spearheaded last year’s opening runway Into The Archives, which showcased notable designs from the last 40 years of New Zealand fashion. The show sought to provide context for the runways that followed later in the week, and enlisted many familiar faces as runway models, including Taika Waititi, Bic Runga, Lorraine Downes, Albert Cho, Manahou Mackay and Jordan Daniels.
While details for this year’s opening event are yet to be revealed, Ahwa will also turn his eye to contemporary fashion later in NZFW. For a showing titled The Studio, he will curate timely collections from next-generation designers like Harris Tapper, Rebe, Longform, Penny Sage, Fringes, Bronwyn, Rhoda Nunn and more.
Several group shows have been confirmed for 2026, including the Kāhui Collective, which brings together Māori, Pasifika and indigenous labels. Pacific Fusion, Ponsonby store The Shelter, youth-led show Walk The Line and Australian retailer The Iconic are also on the schedule.
The Future Of Fashion Driven By Giltrap Group returns this year, inviting next generation designers to showcase their work, with one designer then awarded a full year fashion scholarship (including a cash prize and industry mentoring).
Viva, as NZFW’s exclusive media partner, will present two Greatest Hits shows, showcasing the best looks of the week.
Off-site events are also on the programme, with Christchurch-based streetwear label Tough taking over Karangahape bar and restaurant No. 7 for a food and fashion event with chefs from Londo restaurant in Ōtautahi.
NZFW executive director Liam Taylor says to expect more announcements soon for this year’s event, which is supported by both Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and the Government’s Events Boost Fund.
“Off the back of last year’s event, we’ve had an incredible response from designers looking to present collections on the runway, which shows us that New Zealand Fashion Week remains an incredibly important platform for them,” Taylor says.
Tickets for NZFW will go on sale on May 6 at 9am.
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