Sustainability meets style at ĀHUA Underground Fashion Week
Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa is a platform for starving creatives to come together, showcase their creativity and satisfy their hunger for being seen. This is the third season of ĀHUA. And as for last Tuesday, their third show, Second Bloom, a handful of emerging designers came together to document the journey of a wilted garden blooming and rising back to life.
Fable Creek
Ella Fidler
Opening the show was Fable Creek by Ella Fidler, with the kind of whimsy that walked straight out of a fairy tale. If cottagecore and dark academia had a child, Fable Creek would be born on the day Ella sat down and began their fashion journey. In this collection, Fable Creek incorporated fairy fantasy with wings spread across garments.
Inspired by nature and the cultural art scene around Wellington, Ella composed a colour palette that is signature to Fable Creek. Think mineral brown laced with a contrasting lively spring green — a colour story that evokes quiet elegance and the romance of nature’s rawest form. Having seen their first show at Āhua, this was the continuative exploration of fantasy characters leaning towards mystical beings like goblins, fairies, and Greek goddesses. 
Draping traces back to the ancient civilisation of Greece and Rome, as well as South Asia cultures where folklore often speaks of goddesses adorned in flowing garments, embodying elegance as romantic as a flower garden. Inspired by this timeless symbolism, Ella explored different draping styles—gathers to pleats—creating structures that feel natural and sophisticated, garments that flow with movement. Crochet wings with fairy lights were an innovation with a draped dress. Fable Creek embraces body curves with a silhouette that cinches at the waist and flares out at the bottom. Ella loves knitting; perhaps it requires patience and practice. Their knitwear varied in different styles and textures, ranging from a fuzzy crop top that looks raw and unrefined and a well-done open lace full sweater. These contrasting components amplified the diversity in the collection and how waste material can be used differently.
As fashion waste continues to rise in Aotearoa, many emerging designers reimagine sustainability through innovation, giving them a second chance to be loved. Ella Fidler embraces textile waste as part of their practice. And so, Fable Creek, once again, featured a collection that was made entirely out of fabric remnants. As the saying goes: one man’s trash is another’s treasure. In Ella’s hands, even a yarn scrap becomes a story worth wearing.
Moth
Moana
Conceptually, Moth symbolises a transformation and an intuitive journey; just like Moana has woven an unrefined but yet honest collection. Approaching sustainability through a different lens, Moth uses fabrics with intentions and care, creating garments that will last until the day that they decompose and return to earth.
Moth collection was what I would call a down-to-earth endeavour. Eclectic in its range, divided by colours and material but united in the feeling, it is a tangible exploration of memory and emotions. The hand-woven white lace shawl, inspired by her grandmother’s house, was made from New Zealand wool that was grown and processed locally. Moana designed with instinct, allowing her intuition to lead the way. Each fabric was crafted and cut intentionally, leaving no scrap behind. The collection told the story of beaches and childhood; the ocean, sand, and the women who shaped her life.
Take the matching jumpsuit, for example: tied together by a shawl, it was a reflection of an unbroken bond between sisters. The mirrored burnt orange and aubergine hues spoke of the two peas in the same pod, complementing each other, completing what the other lacked. Moana loved a shawl and a cloak. Nothing beats a cosy, big garment that wraps around you on a cold day. The statement piece, the Waves Cloak, was entirely made from linen deadstock fabric. Raw hems clashed against the crisp lines of the Salk Rocks top, mimicking the gentle rise and fall of ocean tides in a quiet, seaside romance. Mastering the art of colour composition, Moana painted a warm, tranquil picture of a glorious morning down memory lane.
Culture plays a significant role in Moana’s storytelling. Born and raised with Māori tikanga, her respect for nature and the community was deeply ingrained, both genuine and raw. She works exclusively with natural fibres and dyes, believing that intention we often too silent. This collection is a quiet reminder that when you listen inward, the path becomes clear, even if the outside world is too loud to hear it. 
Equilibrium
Olivia Ferguson
Taking us back to nostalgia, Equilibrium by Olivia Ferguson proposed a collection that reflects different characters of children's dress-ups, evoking a whimsical world of imagination. Maximalism, at its core, allows us to immerse ourselves in a fantasy full of joy and madness, exaggerated forms, eclectic patterns and colours that transfer to self-expression without boundaries. In this collection, play becomes power, and chaos is carefully curated to reflect the beauty of creative freedom and the emotional depth hidden within the seemingly naive.
Initially, Equilibrium’s collection reminds me of Harris Reed’s vision on fashion: Romanticism is dark, sultry and gothic. Overlooking gender as a whole, fluidity moved into the undefined shapes during dress-up play—clothes without fixed points, engulfing and draping small bodies in whatever story they imagined. The clothes never seemed quite to fit, but it was the essence of gothicism, a detailed lace bikini over a dramatic velvet black gown with sheer skirts underneath. Equilibrium blurred the line between subcultures, bohemian to clown, creating each garment like a collectible item. The clown was one of the most prominent outfits that spoke to me, laced up a deadstock velvet corset with matching stripy straps and green plaid dupion silk bubble skirts. It was fun, playful and flirtatious. Olivia explored Western cowboy style: a bodyless dress with tassels at the bottom. A suede vest and denim jeans finish with an open-cut linen pocket. To finish, a white wedding dress made from herringbone cotton fabric and a vintage tablecloth, reminiscent of a desire for romance and a celebration of a childhood dream.
Inspired by Marine Serr, Equilibrium used upcycled material and deadstock fabric as part of its practice. Taking a different path from the favoured earth-tone palette of other designers, the collection married playful colours with flirtatious silhouettes, playfully disrupting conventional aesthetics through unexpected structures and forms.
Winnie Catherine
Winnie Catherine
Intentional corporate wear is making a comeback in the fashion industry, steering away from the millennial era of casual workwear. Whether soft features or powerful silhouettes, each piece is a statement of self-expression at the office. Winnie Catherine takes a distinct path, shunning away from micro-trends in favour of elevated basics designed for the modern working woman.
The brand redefined traditional corporate silhouettes while honouring its roots. Picture a classic pinstripe blouse with a statement bow tie, paired with silky, tailored trousers. Chic and structured, yet softened with a touch of playfulness, Winnie Catherine’s designs struck a balance between elegance and practicality.
Specialising in office wear, Winnie drew inspiration from the hardworking women in her life—those who’ve spent decades making ends meet with grace and resilience. The collection reimagined fashion from the 1950s and 1890s. Think form-fitting, high-neck bodices layered over classic button-ups, flared sleeves, and A-line maxi skirts. Prioritising comfort without compromising style, the garments were crafted from breathable cotton and soft wool, perfect for long office days and the after-hours moments that follow.
To end the show, Winnie made a statement that strayed away from the previous modest style. A see-through dress with puff sleeves. Flirtatious, inviting, and playful. Still upholding the ‘90s element, the maxi dress was paired with white, below-the-elbow length gloves.
Her latest collection felt like a heartfelt love letter to women: a celebration of their strength, beauty, and the endless inspiration they provide. It was also a tribute to the support they have shown Winnie throughout her fashion journey. In her own words, “If you’re making clothes for women, why wouldn’t you take inspiration from them first?”.
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