Off The Runway is a fashion series about the individual style that defines New Zealand cities.
We hit the streets of Christchurch to talk to locals about the stories that make their clothes unique.
Musician and librarian Erin Kimber says that fashion in Christchurch right now is pretty much what it’s always been.
“I like to say Christchurch is just like the cliché. It’s a little bit conservative on top but scratch the surface and it’s dark and dirty underneath,” she says.
Erin’s favourite piece of clothing is a Karen Walker coat, which she bought with her ex-boyfriend’s credit card after he dumped her. She had been eyeing it up for ages and doesn’t regret how she went about it, but did eventually pay back the money.
Meanwhile, clothing from op-shops make up much of Maria Chen’s wardrobe. The architectural graduate says she likes to give clothes a second life as a personal response to fast commercialism.
She also loves one-off pieces and points to a pair of her favourite earrings that were made by a local jeweller in Christchurch.
Bartender and student Joe Brodie feels like he doesn’t fit into the boundaries of any sort of style. He says his look is classic, corporate and street all rolled into one, and he prefers to be spontaneous when deciding what to wear.
He accessorises his look with keepsakes, including a watch from his late grandmother and shoes that were a gift from the woman that ran the Argentinian orphanage he worked at last year.
“It’s a little bit of a reminder of some of the better things I’ve done with my life.”
Story produced by Hannah Herchenbach.
Video shot by Julian Vares and edited by Luke McPake.
This content is brought to you with funding support from NZ On Air.
