Anatomy of a Lucire fashion shoot

Anatomy of a Lucire fashion shoot: Briar Shaw photographs exclusive Fashion Week preview

Lucire previews first autumn–winter 2004 collections in cover story

Auckland, August 17 (JY&A Media) In the run-up to L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week (LNZFW), Lucire's Briar Shaw was granted access to autumn-winter 2004 designs from fast-growing labels Ng, Sakaguchi and Angeline Harrington, to create an exclusive cover story for the magazine, the official internet partner of the collections.

The Auckland-based photographer has created one of the first media previews from the designers' collections—and certainly one that has one of the widest audiences globally, showing at the Lucire web site at www.lucire.com.

Ng, Sakaguchi and Angeline Harrington—all considered rising stars—will stage catwalk shows at the L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week collections next week.

Ms Shaw says she selected the three designers, based in Christchurch and Wellington, because they were considered among the event's most promising young labels.

Make-up artist Anya Renzenbrink, who is eight months pregnant, returned to work with Ms Shaw on the latest Lucire shoot.

The images were shot at Ms Shaw's flat in central Auckland. As she explains, ‘due to the risks of spring weather and pregant make-up artists—inside was a good option.

‘This was a fun shoot to do. Anya is always fantastic to work with: she is one of those people who can talk to anyone in a totally genuine way and make them feel relaxed and good.’

Nicola, the model, had been with her agency for two weeks before taking on the Lucire assignment.

‘Nicola was enthusiastic, even when we started asking her to get up on the narrow window sill and saying, “Just try and look comfortable.”’ Due partly to good fortune, the clothes from the three designers matched the minimalistic interior design of Ms Shaw's flat.

The shoot, now on the cover of Lucire, reveals that Sharon Ng's autumn–winter 2004 collection builds on her love of art and form. Takaaki Sakaguchi has said that audiences should expect a 'magical' winter collection and, apart from the preview at Lucire, is keeping tight-lipped about the rest of his collection.

Last but far from least, Angeline Harrington's ‘Pop Goes the Little Black Dress’ collection for winter has elegant styles, and ‘lines preserved from the ’40s to ’60s, coupled with a smart use of fabrics so that every piece is wearable, washable and easily maintained.’

Lucire counts around 90–5 per cent of its audience from outside New Zealand, making it a valuable exposure medium for local designers who want to export and reach different audiences to print and televised media.

L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week begins on October 19 and runs through October 24 with Newmarket Fashion Friday. The official site can be found at www.nzfashionweek.com.

Ng and Sakaguchi show in separate collections on Monday, October 20, with Harrington on Wednesday, October 22.

About Lucire Lucire, the global fashion magazine, is one of the world’s leading fashion titles online. Founded in 1997, it covers fashion, beauty, travel and lifestyle, with a global perspective for today’s woman. It is known for providing in-depth, quality journalism. The magazine is targeted at the woman who is tired of the offerings from established fashion players, and chooses to be herself. Lucire is available at http://www.lucire.com.

In 2003, Lucire received a Webby Award nomination—the only New Zealand site to do so that year—and became the first fashion industry partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, http://www.unep.org). For the second consecutive year, it is Official Internet Partner of L’Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week.

According to Alexa, Lucire is one of the top-ranked pure-play fashion titles in the world.

About Briar Shaw

Born in Pukekohe and based in Auckland, Briar Shaw is an alumna of Massey University's School of Design and the National College of Design & Technology, now Natcoll.

Ms Shaw has always been interested in taking photographs. However, it wasn't until she was working in a design museum in Switzerland that she decided to make it her career. Her first fashion assignment was for an exclusive shoot for Lucire's fifth anniversary.

Some of her work can be viewed online at http://www.briarshaw.co.nz.

About L’Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week

L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week is designed to showcase to the world New Zealand's "defiantly different" fashion attitude. A number of new prominent, high-profile buyers and media will be invited to attend this year's event together with many who attended last year and are keen to come back. The official web site is at http://www.nzfashionweek.com.

About Angeline Harrington

Since graduating in 1996, Harrington has worked for World and Zambesi and was a finalist in the 2002 Deutz Fashion Ambassador award and participated in last year's Ponsonby Fringe Festival (GPK Venue).

Angeline is motivated by her love of garment construction and the design process and by being in a position to empower women, encouraging them to develop their unique individual style. With strong ready-to-wear collections, precise tailoring and fabrics ranging from dark stark cloth to light feminine geometric designs, the label reflects forward thinking and cleverly constructed pieces.

About Ng

With a twenty-year career in fashion design and garments for sale in some of Australasia's most select retailers, Sharon Ng has established herself as a major New Zealand designer. Ng has worked collaboratively with creative New Zealanders including artists Julia Oakley, Bing Dawe and Ralph Hotere who have designed fabrics for her.

Ng is also committed to making Christchurch a more prolific contributor to New Zealand fashion overall. Her belief in this has seen her establish eight new courses at the Christchurch Polytechnic, including fashion drawing and design, advanced pattern-making and developing fibre skills for craft, as well as regular offers of advice to young fashion graduates looking to start their careers.

About Sakaguchi

After graduating from tertiary studies with a Bachelor of Commerce and a never-fading interest in fashion, Takaaki headed for more studies—in fashion design. He then took a position with the giant fashion house Koshino, where he progressed to the position of chief designer and took part twice-yearly in the Paris collections.

In 1997, having always been interested in the fashion world outside Japan and with a clearly visualized business path, Takaaki chose New Zealand as a base and Christchurch as a launching-pad for his own label, Sakaguchi.

He now works with the influences of both Japanese kimono and western design, a collision which produces a modern study in opposites: graceful fabrics are softly draped, yet corners are painstakingly mitred and stitched to perfection.

Visit Sakaguchi at http://www.sakaguchi.co.nz.

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