Kiwi buggy brands to showcase style at NZ Fashion Week

In a first for New Zealand Fashion Week, buggies will sashay the runway as part of the annual Mum and Kids Show.

An expected crowd of 600 will see phil&teds' mod™ and Mountain Buggy’s cosmopolitan™ luxury roll down the catwalk to the tunes of renowned Kiwi artist, Anika Moa.

Jane Hills, textile designer for the award-winning juvenile product brands, says the event - now in its third year - will highlight where luxury fashion meets nursery.

“Purchasing a buggy is no longer just about practicality, with many parents looking to retain a sense of self through style.

“My goal is to really push the boundaries and revolutionise the fabrics and prints for the company’s brands - ensuring our products are fashion forward and appeal to a wide audience, both female and male.”

Hills says fabric inspiration for the cosmopolitan™ luxury was drawn from high end fashion, on-trend timeless geometric prints, and includes soft charcoal melange fabrics. phil&teds’ mod™ prints are derived from the classic modernist art movement, and the likes of Mondrian.

“While classic modernism works consist of regular geometric shapes and lines that all match up, our mod™ buggy designs are juxtaposed with mismatching lines and shapes - staying quirky and fun - true to the phil&teds brand.”

Hills says both buggies are great examples of function and aesthetics working hand in hand.

“Technology and tools are great for design, yet creating an identifiable style is about being unique whilst remaining true to the heritage and DNA of a brand.”

With a background working in fashion and interiors, Hills believes working with buggy fabrics is much like working on a fashion garment.

Similarly to clothing lines, colour inspiration is often drawn from Paris’ renowned Premiere Vision and Textile View colour forecasting.

“Together with global trend ideas from international high end luxury brands, we create mood boards for colour and concept development. From here, visions quickly become a reality.”

Coco Chanel famously once said, ‘Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.’

“These buggies make a fashion statement in their own right, but more than that, they empower parents to adapt & survive and retain a sense of self. Allowing parents to continue doing what they’ve always done - shop, lunch, run and live life without limit - in style,” Hills says.