Track the trends seen at NZFW thanks to Georgette Pollock
Track the Trends
By Georgette Pollock-Johnston (Styled By Georgette)
Throughout New Zealand Fashion Week designers graced the runways with their highly anticipated (and beautiful) collections, the array of colours, textures and styles provide endless inspiration. Westfield stylist Georgette Pollock, @styledbygeorgettepollock has narrowed it down and captured four easy-to-wear trends for the season ahead. Read on to help you find the perfect ensemble at Westfield.
Image credit: Georgette Pollock
New Zealand Fashion Week always tells us something about where we're headed, not just on the runway, but in our actual wardrobes. As a colour analyst and stylist, I'm less interested in what looks good under the lights and more interested in what's actually going to look good on you.
I love the designers who give us a beautiful colour moment. Colour makes your brain light up. It's what catches your eye and what stays with you long after the show ends.
These are the four trends I saw plenty of, and the best part is, you won't have to look far to find them.
Soft Power Tailoring
Image credits: The Graduate Collections, street style, Twenty Seven Names
Sharp shoulders and structured blazers have been dominating for a few seasons now, but the shift I saw on the NZFW runways this year is a softening.
Tailoring will still be doing the talking, just with more relaxed lines. Think a blazer with a bit of drape instead of a rigid shoulder, or trousers that skim rather than cling. I'm already seeing this play out in stores with that unstructured trench coat silhouette showing up everywhere. People are belting them too, which adds shape back in without losing that relaxed feel.
Soft tailoring is far more forgiving across different body types, and it opens the door for colour play that structured tailoring doesn't always allow.
If you're a Soft Summer or Soft Autumn, this trend is basically speaking your language already. But even my brighter seasons can lean into it by choosing a fabric with a bit of movement and letting the colour do the sharpening instead of the cut.
This is exactly the kind of piece worth trying on in person rather than guessing online. A Saturday spent looking through the stores at Westfield will tell you far more about the way a jacket actually falls on your body to ensure the perfect fit.
Discover soft power tailoring at Westfield Newmarket today
Sheer Layers
Image credits: NZFW opening show, street style, By Kai
Sheer fabric has been building for a few seasons, and it had a real moment at NZFW.
What I think will be particularly interesting this season is how sheer layering starts to merge with more delicate, lacy pieces underneath. Think lace trims and delicate edging on slips and dresses, with a sheer layer over the top so the detail still comes through.
It's that soft, romantic quality where you're seeing two textures working together at once, and it's something I'm already noticing in stores. A sheer overshirt thrown over a simple singlet, or a fine sheer knit layered over something more structured underneath. It's a trend about texture and depth, not exposure.
This is one where colour analysis genuinely matters more than usual. Sheer fabric shows your colour twice: once in the layer itself and again where it meets your skin.
Westfield's mix of brands makes it easy to play around with a sheer piece over a few different base colours and see what actually works before committing.
Discover sheer layers at Westfield Newmarket today
Pastel Palette
Image credits: The Graduate Collections, street style, Caitlin Crisp
Pastels have been building for a while, and I think this could be the year they properly arrive at NZFW as a genuine colour statement worn confidently across different silhouettes.
In stores right now, I'm seeing a lot of baby blue, and I think that's a colour that's going to stick around.
This is exactly why colour analysis matters so much right now. Not all pastels are created equal. A warmer, clearer pastel will do far more for my Springs, while softer, more muted versions are where my Summers are going to shine. Autumns might fi nd their version in warmer, more grounded interpretations of the trend, while Winters can look for those icy pastels that hold a little more clarity.
The trend itself isn't the hard part. Finding your version of it is. That's the whole job, and it's a lot easier to do when you can hold a handful of seemingly similar shades up against your skin and actually see the difference.
Discover pastels at Westfield Newmarket today
Crafted Texture
Image credits: Khadi Beyond Borders,By Kai, Kahui Collective
The last trend I want to flag is less about colour and more about texture, and it might be my favourite of the four.
Crochet, hand-knit detailing, raw or frayed edges, visible stitching used as a design feature rather than something to hide. There's a real craft-forward, considered feeling building in New Zealand fashion at the moment. We have such a strong tradition of makers here, and I love to see that reflected on the runway.
Texture is one of the easiest trends to wear regardless of your season because it adds interest without necessarily adding more colour. Let the texture and colour work together instead of making the texture do all the heavy lifting.
Texture is also something you really need to see and touch, so this is a trend I'd want you to shop in person. Having the range at Westfield means you can compare those fabrics, weights and finishes side by side and see how they actually work on you.
Discover texture at Westfield Newmarket today
What ties these four trends together, for me, is that none of them are really about being on trend for the sake of it. They're about softness, dimension and craft, worn in a way that flatters the individual rather than following a single silhouette or colour story.
That's always been my approach to styling, and it's genuinely exciting to see New Zealand Fashion Week moving in that direction too.
If there's one thing I'd want you to take away from NZFW this year, it's this: the trends are only ever the starting point. Your colours, your proportions, your personal style, that's what turns a trend into something that actually looks like you. And if you want to get a head start, Westfield is a great place to find your next look.