Since the dust has settled on another unforgettable iD Fashion Week in Ōtepoti Dunedin, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
From audiences and designers to retailers and partners, everyone is celebrating a highly successful iteration of the city’s premier fashion event.
This year’s festival wowed 2,400 attendees over two sold-out nights at Dunedin’s iconic Railway Station, showcasing more than 60 designer collections.
The runway featured a selection of New Zealand's top ready-to-wear Winter collections, including crowd favourites such as NOM*d, Carlson, Juliette Hogan, and Zambesi, as well as another cutting-edge lineup of International Emerging Designers Awards finalists.
Emerging Designers finalist Yi Wen Kuo’s experience was a turning point in their fashion journey.
“The supportive and vibrant environment created by iD enabled me to share my work on an international stage and engage deeply with industry leaders, fellow emerging designers and passionate audiences," said Yi Wen Kuo.
"The experience was both inspiring and instrumental in my professional development - expanding my network, increasing my exposure and offering new global perspectives on design.”
A historic first saw high school designers take to the iD runway, offering an exciting glimpse of New Zealand’s emerging talent. Otago Polytechnic Fashion School stole the spotlight this year, with final-year student Ciaran Naylor claiming both First Prize and the Sustainability Prize in the Emerging Designers Awards.
Beyond the runway, the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Toitū Otago Settlers Museum presented two major exhibitions, This is NOM*d and Eden in Dunedin, which attracted significant national media coverage and drew record crowds. Talks, tours, films, and retail experiences also drew large crowds, often reaching capacity.
“In making this media release, we reflect with satisfaction on the success of iD 2025," said iD Co-Chair Sally McMillan.
"Despite many challenges, the local economy, international disruption and the uncertainty at Otago Polytechnic (to name just a few), ID and our many contractors, volunteers and supporters together produced a world-class event. We can’t wait to do it all again in 2027.”
Economic impact estimates suggest iD Fashion Week injects roughly NZD one million into Dunedin’s local economy, sparking a ripple effect across fashion, beauty, and retail sectors. With 35 percent of attendees travelling from out of town and staying an average of 2.6 nights, the event’s boost to the city’s cultural vitality and economic health is significant.
iD Fashion Week 2025 has once again cemented Dunedin’s reputation as New Zealand’s premier fashion destination.
The iD Board has announced that the next iD Fashion Week will take place from the 15th to the 21st of March 2027.
