Angus McDougall shares the New Zealand Fashion Week 2026 collections that made him look twice
I have always believed fashion should make you feel something. Occasionally that feeling is, “I need that immediately.” Other times it is admiration, surprise or complete confusion. All are perfectly valid.
I don’t need to want every look in my wardrobe to appreciate the craftsmanship and self-expression behind it. The quickest way to make fashion boring would be to only celebrate clothes we would personally buy.
New Zealand Fashion Week 2026 reminded me how broad our fashion identity has become. From grungy menswear and enormous occasionwear to collegiate nostalgia, Fijian resort dressing and Zambesi at sunrise, these were the collections that stayed with me.
BEACH BRAINS
I love polish, a nipped waist and a little gold hardware, so the deliberately undone Beach Brains aesthetic is not necessarily my personal style. It is, however, very much the style of an audience who completely understood what was being served.
The room was packed, the crowd was vast and the music was almost head-banging heavy metal. None of these things would normally suggest a relaxing evening for me, yet it all worked. The energy built until the finale, when the entire audience was on its feet.
Relaxed tailoring appeared alongside workwear, plaid flannel, oversized coats, loose ties, layered scarves and patent leather. Although it occupied the dedicated menswear slot, Beach Brains designs beyond traditional gender boundaries, something I always love seeing.
I may not be its obvious customer, but it was one of my favourite shows. Sometimes appreciating style means recognising when something is not designed for you but has absolutely nailed the person it is designed for.
CLAUDIA LI
Claudia Li’s A Love Letter to New York was much closer to my natural fashion habitat.
Presented salon-style at The Northern Club, this was not a collection interested in quietly entering through a side door. Sculptural volume and architectural tailoring swept through the rooms in silk duchess satin, taffeta, silk shantung and jacquard.
The palette moved from ivory and black into lavender, cherry blossom pink, duck egg, cream and antique gold. Crystal embroidery and a fully beaded gown added exactly the level of unnecessary fabulousness I consider completely necessary.
Inspired by the city where Claudia built her career and met her husband, the collection followed the moments surrounding a celebration, from the ceremony and dinner to dancing and the slightly less polished journey home.
This was also the launch of Claudia’s made-to-order bridal and occasionwear offering. These were not outfits that asked whether the dress code was formal. They decided it was.
Would I wear the bridal gowns? No. Would I steal the drama, proportions and extraordinary sleeves? Immediately. Subtlety has its place, usually underneath something enormous.
TWENTY-SEVEN NAMES
Twenty-seven Names returned after eight years away, celebrating 20 years in business by sending us all back to school.
Its 2026/2027 Prospectus featured varsity jerseys, Peter Pan collars, bubble hems, books, diplomas and academic gowns. The finale included mortarboards and graduation robes while Sean Paul played. Apparently graduation ceremonies simply needed a better soundtrack.
The sweeter school references are not pieces I would naturally wear, but I loved the complete commitment. A runway is one of the few places where dressing like the head girl, the art teacher and the entire graduating class can make perfect sense.
If you are going back to school, make sure the uniform is fabulous.
BY KAI
Makaira Lee’s debut By Kai collection, When Are You Coming Home?, explored family, belonging and her Fijian heritage. Created alongside her mother, Jeannie, it was one of the week’s most personal presentations.
Cotton and silk resort wear appeared in ecru, khaki and olive, with flashes of canary yellow and vintage blue-and-white florals. Traditional Fijian woven accessories connected the contemporary silhouettes back to culture and home.
Pieces could be worn from the front or back, while draping sat alongside bikinis, cargo pants and utilitarian tailoring. I particularly loved the khaki safari jacket with its Nehru collar and deep-pocketed cargo pants.
I adore a garment that earns its hanger. Versatility is wonderful, especially when the garment works harder than I do.
ZAMBESI
Zambesi’s Song to the Siren took fashion onto the Ōkahu Bay wharf at sunrise, with the Waitematā Harbour providing a rather spectacular backdrop.
Delicate tulle, mesh and silk appeared in seafoam, aqua, mint, cream and black, layered with fluid tailoring, fringing and raffia that moved in the morning breeze.
I am not naturally at my most glamorous at sunrise, but if you are going to get me functioning before breakfast, give me a 200-metre waterfront runway and Zambesi emerging through the morning light.
Some collections I would wear exactly as shown. Others might inspire only a colour, collar or proportion. Then there are those I simply love seeing on someone else.
That is the joy of fashion. It is not a group assignment. We are not all supposed to hand in the same look.
