Company of Strangers came on strong with their massive show staged in an underground concrete carpark. With surely the longest front row ever (for NZFW)  there was plenty to see. With a huge line up of models –  designer Sara Aspinall with stylist Charlotte Rust and producer / PR Chris Lorimer have put on another fantastic show. With beautiful winter whites, the dresses with asymmetrical hemlines have turned up the  volume and movement this season.  Very talked about the day later has been the double draping of some of the dresses. Just beautiful.

CoS might just have the most covet bomber jacket (the must-have piece so far) with their short leather bomber. With zips and tabs and buckles the grunge factor has been dialled up.  With a beautiful range of colours injected into the mostly black palette – soft greys, bottle greens, deep pinks, soft pinks – and a gorgeous monochrome print just to mess it all up a bit further.

And did I mention the leather? The leather detailing on jackets – full sleeves, panelling on silk jackets – it is a testiment to her tailoring that Sara can make silk and leather work together so perfectly. It is no small feat to combine the two.

Also showcased was the wedge heeled Shiele Boot which is a collaboration between Chaos and Harmony and Company of Strangers. It features a distressed leather heel and a smooth leather toe.  There is a double ankle strap which features an oversized dome clasp referencing CoS other leather pieces, their bags and belts. They worked perfectly with the whole industrial, grunge vibe of the entire collection.