Fashion company Starfish lost a third of its business when the Christchurch earthquake struck.

When a biochemist could not find the right skincare products to suit her, she took matters into her own hands. Now Olga Garkavenko has a blooming cosmetics business.

From icy to indigo, there's a shade to suit.

Actress/stuntwoman Rachel King likes to mix up her style so it's both feminine and fun.

Australian Fashion Week is about so much more than what's on the runway. Viva gives us the lowdown.

Battered satchels, fleetingly fashionable designer clutches, elegant classics ... We should acknowledge that bags are a crucial barometer of our times.

Fashionable events worth checking out this week.

Viva sniffs out the latest perfumes.

Burlesque star Lili La Scala, aka Felicity Wills, shares her passion for vintage style with Viva.

For those who love idiosyncratic and quirky style but with an elegant edge, Marni is a label worth a look.

The apple often doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to stylish mothers.

Here's a small selection of some of the good buys available in gift sets, and a few items that spell out their message of love loud and clear.

Think of women's clothing and Iran and the unappealing image that springs to mind is probably the shapeless, black coverall of a traditional chador.

John Key has revealed Prince William's bride Kate Middleton wants to visit New Zealand as a priority on her married life agenda, and says the royal ceremony was "a bit like a normal Kiwi wedding".

The wait is finally over. The dress has been revealed, and the hair, make-up and shoes. And it did not disappoint.

Her outfit was as closely guarded as the bride's, right up until the morning of the royal wedding.

Bronagh Key may be wearing Trelise Cooper, but there is another NZ fashion designer stamping her mark on the royal wedding too.

The founder of a fast-growing beauty chain says women just want to look better.

Dressing actors for Auckland Theatre Company's period piece Mary Stuart doesn't mean slavish adherence to Tudor fashion.

Finding clothes that fit and don't make people laugh becomes the bane of every pregnancy. You have a tight budget with a baby on the way but still need to be able to go out in public.

Songstress and mother Jackie Clark is doing her bit to help families hit by the Christchurch earthquake.

Kate Middleton may have been using venom from New Zealand bees as a face treatment ahead of her wedding.

When the financial crisis hit, fashion said farewell to the froufrou. Three years on, sleek silhouettes, muted colours and an austere androgyny continue to dominate the catwalks.

More and more fashion designers are creating their own prints: Viva finds out the story behind the fabric.

The lost art of embroidery, once the sign of domesticity and an accomplished gentlewoman, is examined and celebrated by artist Deborah Crowe with a display at Objectspace.