Feature: Firefly At Air NZ Fashion Week

This was Firefly designer’s Lisa Payne’s third season and first showing at Fashion Week, but with such an assured offering it was hard to tell.

Strongly influenced by Victoriana, she opened her show with two divine full length frock coats reminiscent of the days of “Dueling for your honour”; one in black wool which had layers of oversized ruffles cascading down the back of the ‘skirt’ and the next in plush heavy velvet. Shorter jackets were fastened with many hooks and had a vaguely pirate air. Velvet paneled waistcoats with built in ruffled undershirts were a romantic but edgy lead-in to a velvet pant, this not skinny as you’d expect, but definitely more relaxed taking the collection seamlessly to a more urban street-wear feel, with hoodies and granddad pants.

The real standout of this collection were the few pieces of menswear that the designer sent down the catwalk – an oversized duffle coat that I want for my husband, great pants, a more boxy jacket worn with a finely ruffled shirt. Interestingly enough, this is the designer’s first menswear collection but she told us backstage that this is most definitely her passion and that she enjoys designing for men more than for women but “women buy menswear”. Sensible girl – she’ll go far.

Jackie O’Fee

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