Rachel Hunter, Nicky Watson show too much cleavage, Lucy Lawless all class, Trelise Cooper an inspiration and Neil Finn needs a decent hairdresser

Rachel Hunter, Nicky Watson show too much cleavage, Lucy Lawless is all class, Trelise Cooper is an inspiration and Neil Finn needs a decent hairdresser.

These are some of the comments of by leading New Zealand stylist Stephanie Rumble as New Zealand heads into its annual Fashion Week in Auckland in an election year during an economic downturn.

The focus this coming Air New Zealand Fashion Week is on new collections and designers, who have survived the test of time and have branched out with colour and setting trends.

``Our fashion designers produce amazing garments and set a social agreement of what’s hot and what’s not. In some cases the garments are more suited to art galleries than to the average New Zealand woman, but on the whole our home grown designers get it right’’ Rumble, who recently launched her style company Flair Image, said from Christchurch today.

``New Zealanders have a unique and morbid tendency to wearing far, far too much black. Black does justice only to select few skin tones; it deadens, ages and kills many people’s complexions.’

This is what Rumble says about 15 fashionable New Zealand trend-setters.

Trelise Cooper: She looks amazing and is the epitomy of her label with her curly blonde hair. She always wears her stuff and you can see she lives her dream. She is very mindful of colour and looks amazing as a result. She is also an inspiration to women of all shapes and sizes.

Karen Walker: I have been a fan since her inception. The label is edgy and extremely well targeted. She never presents badly thanks to her husband Mikhail who ensures all publicity and photos are managed to her best advantage. She is well presented and well spoken all of which helps when you are public fodder.

Annah Stretton: A driven and unique business woman who has found a niche that many woman love. Her hair is unique and distinctive but whether the colours suit her is questionable... She is always smiling and is good at what she does.

Tanya Carlson: In recent years she has taken good care of her personal presentation. In the early days she dressed her models well but sometimes forgot about herself. Nowadays she is much more on the ball with what works for her. She keeps it simple and looks good. She has a vintage elegance about her which works with her slight build and face shape.

Rachel Hunter: At times Rachel looks like mutton dressed as lamb. She has an amazing figure but we see way too much of it. As can often be the case with ex-models the tan is too orange, the cleavage is out for all to see and the hair is a little too blonde. Rachel is an amazing woman who has built a fantastic name for herself but needs to remember that she is closer to 40 than she is to 30 and subtlety and class are far more appealing than too much leg and cleavage! Her hair looks fab when it has just been done but not so good when she does it herself - a little less length may help.

Lucy Lawless: She has pushed fashion and style boundaries ever since she arrived on the scene as Xena, Princess Warrior. She has a fantastic body which she maintains. Sometimes again there is a little too much cleavage but unlike Rachel she seems to pull it off. She has class. Her hair looks better blonde – it suits her skin tone more and she looks more feminine. It is also more classy shorter.

Neil Finn: His hairstyle has remained the same for the past 10 year. He is your classic old rocker who is iconic in his music style but has not moved forward in his dress sense. He looks OK but his look does not parallel the music he presents… It’s the hair that needs work, like Rod Stewart he has clung to the style of his more youthful days.

Russell Crowe: He cannot seem to keep it together. His hair looks so much better short! He also suffers from battle of the bulge. When he makes an effort: cuts his hair, looks after his fitness and dresses well he looks great. It seems since his kids have come on the scene he has let himself go – isn’t this the female domain – but he is well known for not caring!

Sam Neill: Knows how to show the camera his best side. Keeps it together and wears structured, conservative clothing that on the whole suits him and looks OK.

Kiri TeKanawa: Blonde, short hair really suits her. The focus is now more on her music and less on her hair. She has aged amazingly and has got a good sense of her own style as she has matured. She gets her necklines right and looks stunning when she steps out – an amazing New Zealand ambassador whom many women will aspire to.

Peter Jackson: Has never been interested in looking good at all. However now a few pounds lighter and with marginally less hair he could almost be passed off as grunge trendy. The clothes have improved but losing a little more facial and head hair (not completely) will not detract from his signature ‘hobbit muffin ’ look but would sharpen up the image to match the mind that he is.. More structured clothing and wearing even the labels Untouched World or World itself would be good for all parties.

Hayley Westenra: Hayley has grown up in the limelight. She has a lovely voice and figure and on the whole looks great. She is a good teen icon as she wears classy and stylish clothing without looking trashy which some teenagers manage with ease.

Temuera Morrison: Powerful face, signature frown. Clothing understated and personality his priority.

Keisha Castle-Hughes: She is young, a Mum and has been in the limelight since she was a child. She is beautiful and a great New Zealand icon. She has worn clothing from New Zealand designers on the red carpet and looks great. She is never sleazy looking and has an element of demure.

Nicky Watson: Oh baby – where do I start? A figure to die for – but it needs only be on show at the beach. She shows way to much cleavage most of the time and must feel cold due to lack of clothing. She could look stunning in the right clothes for her body shape and look.