We Fought Fashion and Lost: World 1989 - 2005

There's a great exhibition coming up at the Auckland museum (from August 27th - November 7th) of outfits from World, one of the most avant garde design houses in New Zealand. Theatrical, outrageous, eye popping -just a few terms used to describe their collection at last year's NZ Fashion Week. Timed to coincide with this years Fashion Week in Frocktober - the collection will showcase World collections from the past 15 years. You know you've made it when Te Papa buy 10 couture gowns to add to their collection. For Kiwi couture this exhibition is a must see.

In Stacy Greggs book "Undressed" which tells the stories of 15 New Zealand Fashion Labels, you get a sense of the huge impact World had on the Auckland 80s fashion scene. Some might even say they created it. They were the first people to sell coloured denim, printed tshirts and international fashion magazines. World Designer Denise L'Estrange Corbett is now a member of the NZ Order of Merit and a upstanding member of the establishment, but it was not always this way. Their initial funding of $300 was made by putting on dance parties called 'Sex', and they have been pushing boundaries ever since.