Designer: Anjali Stewart & Rachel Easting
Based: Wellington

Established 2 years ago, twenty-seven names (formerly known as love-lies-bleeding) is a fresh, new label that has hit the ground running. With art and fashion degree backgrounds respectively, designers Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart cite contemporary art as the basis for their collections. Designer: Anjali Stewart & Rachel Easting
Based: Wellington

Established 2 years ago, twenty-seven names (formerly known as love-lies-bleeding) is a fresh, new label that has hit the ground running. With art and fashion degree backgrounds respectively, designers Rachel Easting and Anjali Stewart cite contemporary art as the basis for their collections.Their ambition and commitment propelled them onto the New Zealand fashion scene and after having existed for two years, their label can already be found nationwide, and in nine stores across Australia. In 2006, the pair were awarded a place in the Deutz Fashion Design Ambassador Award. The label debuted in a group show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2007 where the collection received both national and international interest.

Due to international copyright law love-lies-bleeding was required to continue working as twenty-seven names. The new label name reflects and thanks the twenty-seven people who have contributed so far.

Their fourth collection "Jacques Attack!" centers around two main themes; all things marine and all things French. While both of these ideas have kitschy associations like ice cream sundaes and the Eiffel Tower, they also have dark, seedy underbellies which the collection exposes. A mash up of innocence and experience, the seemingly incongruous themes which inspired "Jacques Attack!" are united by the collections bold colour palette of red, white and blue; the colours of the French flag and the trademarks of the traditional sailor suit. Following on from their winter season, the styling of "Jacques Attack!" is early-90's, inspired by Seinfeld's not-so-obvious fashion icon, Elaine.

The muse even features in a print, posing under the Eiffel Tower with an anonymous lover - an ironic nod to the "romantic" side of Paris. Twenty-seven names continues to play with themes of androgyny, while tying together the formal and informal; the serious and the humorous.

Photo by Michael Ng/Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008

21/09/08