Held in conjunction with Auckland Art Fair and Auckland Arts Festival Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki, the fashion show at Papatūnga was a public performance that brought together three local emerging fashion designers to challenge where and by whom art and design can be experienced.
The performance began on a busy rush hour commuter train service, the 6.20pm Southern Line train departing from Britomart Station in central Tāmaki Makaurau, with a fashion show showcasing the work of Rawiri Brown. Developing his previous design work, which had centred on his hometown of Otaki, Brown’s new collection explored design elements informed by the passengers and interior architecture of commuter trains.
Once the train arrived at Papatūnga, Parnell Station, the performance continued with a second fashion show, displaying a new collection by Emma Jing-Cornall and Taylor Groves. Taking place in the large car park adjoining Parnell Station, Groves and Jing-Cornall’s collection built upon their design methodology of working collaboratively, which they had developed during their study together at Massey University.
About the designers
Rawiri Brown (Ngāriki Kaiputahi, Ngāti Raukawa) is a fashion and textile designer with over 15 years of industry experience. Brown is drawn to textiles and design for their evocative, nostalgic potential and is interested in reinterpreting traditional and ceremonial applications of textiles. Brown was a recipient of a 2020 Tautai Fale-ship residency, through which he debuted his capsule collection Happy Endings at a private showing in Grey Lynn.
Emma Jing-Cornall is an independent designer based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Considering texture, shape and form, her garments take a spirited sculptural expression, designed to be layered and worn multiple ways. Jing-Cornall graduated with a Bachelor of Design with Honours at Massey University Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa in 2020.
Taylor Groves is a fashion designer and maker based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Their designs convey a nuanced, playful sensitivity through garments that embody vulnerability, poise and pleasure. Groves completed a Bachelor of Design with Honours at Massey University Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa in Pōneke, 2020.