S T O L E N G F C L U B . N Z F W . 1 2 .

Before the craziness of NZFW began I had the pleasure of popping into the Stolen Girlfriends Club studio to preview their new AW 11/12 collection titled "Here Lies The Bones". There's something about seeing the garments sitting neatly on their racks and being able to touch and feel each one, inspecting them closely to discover tiny little details you would have missed on the runway, then seeing them come to life on each model and look even better then you originally thought. I suppose that's the beauty of hiring attractive models, right? Things to note are the insane and extremely intricate lace pieces, faux fur bucket bags and hats, padded leather laptop cases that double as a side bag and Stolen Girlfriends Club's second consecutive year collaborating with It shoe designer, Jeffrey Campbell. The result I saw was a chunky wooden platform boot and customized Doc Marten's with a silver chain trim that I can see hoards of girls wearing down Oxford Street. A special thank you to Marc for taking time out of his busy schedule to show us around his showroom.

Two shows that drew the most interesting and fashionable crowds during NZFW was Ruby and Stolen Girlfriends Club. I wasn't sure if I was more interested in people watching or watching the show. Stolen Girlfriends Club are renowned for their unique and unpredictable shows, so I knew we were in for a treat when I arrived at a brightly lit and grungy warehouse. Staying true to their reputation, SGC surprised everyone by sending their models down a runway made entirely from metal scaffolding and concrete floors in what looked to be 80's prom gowns. With Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' blasting in the background, each model paused, ripped off their gowns, and revealed sexy sheer dresses from Stolen's "Here Lies The Bones" AW 11/12 collection. A very cool way to grab our attention to say the least. What we saw was a collection that stayed true to the their grungy, sexy and down right cool aesthetic, with skull printed denim, oversized knits, corset leather shorts and mammoth faux fur jackets and skirts. Delicate sheer lace dresses and free flowing skirts and dresses added an element of sexiness, with knitted beanies and chunky boots giving this collection it's SGC edge. Faux fur bags and oversize backpacks made their debut and I couldn't help but think how much Mandy from Oracle Fox needed these in her life. I for one am already envisioning how many things I could shove into this backpack for summer. Loved how Stolen Girlfriends Club Marc Moore and Dan Gosling closed the show by carrying a life size cardboard cut out of their missing Creative Director Luke Harwood down the runway, reinforcing just how unique and quirky this NZ trio is worldwide famous for.