Diamond in the rough

Kate Sylvester "Diamond Dogs"
Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2009
Wednesday 23 September

Kate Sylvester showed her Winter collection "Diamond Dogs" in a dingy warehouse on a dark and rainy night; an apt tribute to "black lips" Parnell-ite Judith Baragwanath.

With a seat-slip that credited Metro gossip columnist Felicity Ferret (albeit misspelt as defunct shopping site Ferrit) as "creating a legend", you know this will be a cigarette-and-chardonnay fuelled sort of collection; the sort of clothes an Auckland icon would find herself waking up in the morning after.

The collection was styled with the black lipstick and heavy gold chains and badges of Baragwanath, styled by Karen Inderbitzen-Waller, with pulled back hair styled by Wella and makeup by MAC.

Below, a dress pays tribute to "black lips" and recalls Kate Sylvester's Dali and Magritte surrealist art-inspired collection a couple of years back with eyes and lips on garments.



Badge pins were given as goody bag gifts to the front row guests inside black Diamond Dog boxes.



The show also included Kate Sylvester lingerie, including cross-dressing on men.

My two favourite looks were the plaid school uniform-esque tunic with a gold belt buckle...

...and the feathered tulle, with a man's cardi insouciantly thrown over for the walk of shame home the next day.

So throw on your furs and your leather.



Young girl, they call them the diamond dogs.

Designer Kate Sylvester

Words Megan Robinson
Photos Kevin Robinson