When Untouched World took to the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria, it was a showcase of creativity, heritage and sustainability. At the helm of the styling was Dan Ahwa, one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices in fashion who spent months working alongside the brand, including founder Peri Drysdale, to translate its ethos onto the runway.

Dan’s involvement began back in April, in his role on the NZFW board working with designer liaison Rebecca Lawson to secure brands for the fashion week schedule. Untouched World expressed interest and the show was confirmed by May, giving him two and a half months to shape its creative direction in collaboration with creative director Lucinda Le Heron and head designer Moira Te Whata.

“It was Moira’s first fully fledged collection for the brand,” Dan says. “We wanted to highlight the new spring/summer range in stores now, but also weave in a couple of heavier pieces from next winter, plus two iconic knits from the archive.”

True to Untouched World’s pioneering reputation, the collection introduced an innovation: the first Aotearoa-made garments using Brewed Protein by Spiber, a fibre derived from sugarcane with the luxurious feel of silk, cashmere, or wool.

Linen was another focus – not only central to the collection, but as a motif for the show itself, draped across the runway backdrop and echoed in living linen plants lining the catwalk – a tribute to the humble fibre.

For Dan, understanding the brand’s DNA was key and a trip to Untouched World’s Christchurch HQ was essential.

“Meeting machinists and textile specialists, and seeing up close the quality control and commitment to reducing waste was important to help contextualise my approach to the styling and creative for the show,” he says. “Premium and purity were words that I focused on when connecting the threads that are required to bring a show like this to life.”

That philosophy flowed into the styling. Models wore harakeke braided into belts and placed in their hair, crafted by Lauren Gunn of salon colleen using Davines products. The hair was strong but understated – individualised single and double braids that enhanced without overshadowing the clothes. Aleph’s Emma Peters created fresh, natural skin with a soft flush, “as if they’d been outside all day.”

Footwear came courtesy of Bared, a B-Corp certified brand whose boat shoes, boots, loafers and heels balanced utility and polish. Dan also paired the collection with accessories local makers who align with the values of Untouched World, including Balas Jewellery, jeweller Phillipa Gee from The Poi Room and Liz Mitchell felted wool bags.

The looks themselves echoed another theme underpinning the collection: nature within urban spaces. Inspired by Lucinda and Moira’s research trip to Copenhagen, subtle Scandinavian references filtered into the presentation, creating a dialogue between global ideas and local grounding.

“I liked the idea of the guys feeling rambunctious, not too perfect, slightly dishevelled with shirts untucked and socks roughly scrunched around ankles,” says Dan. “One of my favourite looks for women was worn by model Aileen Chen: a knit top worn with shorts and a dress unbuttoned all the way to act as a soft summer coat with boots felt rebellious too."

“Rewearing and mixing old and new was important as well to acknowledge the history of the brand's heritage, and it was really special to include two pieces of knitwear from the archives: the closing knit worn by model Zjana Daisy was my favourite, a brown knit polo top featuring a pattern of swirling korowai, paired with a summer skirt from the new collection.”

Soundtracking the collection was a carefully plotted progression, beginning with Weyes Blood’s Movies, moving through Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting, Thom Yorke’s Suspirium and closing with Enya’s Orinoco Flow, a favourite of founder Peri.

“Music is to me the most important part of producing and creative directing a show, because it needs to be in sync with the world or character I'm building,” says Dan. “It's also what I listen to on repeat in the lead up – it helps inspire the mood and what I want to convey.”

It was Peri, who founded the brand over 40 years ago and continues to champion sustainable fashion today, who received the most personal tribute of the afternoon. “I’d suggested to the team that it would be lovely to have one of the models come out and give Peri her flowers – literally, to say thank you to her for her dedication to paving the way for a truly sustainable industry and for teaching us to have a better relationship with fashion and how we consume,” says Dan.

“Before sustainability became a buzzword, Peri had already pioneered so much innovation in this space, and continues to do so.”

Including sweetpeas in the hair, and tucked into some of the model’s outfits, was a subtle tribute to the founder – they are her favourite flower. “It was a charming detail that helped elevate the show and make it feel truly personal.”

The NZFW show was a balancing act between Untouched World’s trusted heritage and its evolving future. For Dan, the process was about bridging that gap. “It was about connecting what we’ve always loved about the brand with a new audience – honouring the legacy while creating something fresh.”