LELA JACOBS

COLLAR was shaped by many hands — artists, designers, stylists, performers, photographers, producers, friends and supporters — each bringing their own care, craft and generosity to the experience.

To everyone who helped create, build, document, style, light, scent, produce and share this event, thank you. And to everyone who purchased a ticket, joined us across the three sold-out shows, and supported the vision of COLLAR, thank you for making it possible.

A special acknowledgement to THE KEEP , New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group , and the extraordinary collective of people who brought this project to life alongside Lela Jacobs.

We feel incredibly grateful to have shared this moment with you.

Images captured by EMMA WALLBANKS from COLLAR are now online at lelajacobs.co.nz

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Gallerist Tim Melville Tim Melville Gallery wearing Lela Jacobs at the opening of NZ Fashion Week 2026.

Lela Jacobs Lollies jacket and trousers, paired with a hand-painted tie by n. shanley — styled by Dan .

A beautiful coming together of fashion, art, craft and creative collaboration. We’re delighted to see Lela Jacobs represented on the opening night of NZFW.

Thank you to the New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group team for creating a platform that celebrates the breadth and depth of Aotearoa’s creative community

COLLAR — Artist Release

There is something deeply special about seeing this community of makers come together.

Over recent weeks, COLLAR has quietly unfolded through conversations, ideas, materials and making. To now share the names of the artists and makers involved is an absolute pleasure.

Bringing together more than 60 creatives from across Aotearoa, each has responded to the collar through the lens of their own practice. From fashion and jewellery to weaving, costume, textiles and expanded contemporary disciplines, every piece reflects an individual voice while contributing to a larger collective story.

Personally conceived and made by hand, these works celebrate craftsmanship, process and the enduring value of making.

We are excited to share the artists and makers participating in COLLAR.

Join us and the makers for the opening of COLLAR — an extraordinary gathering of creative voices from across Aotearoa.

Wednesday 19 August
HARDcore , Karangahape Road

Tickets link in bio

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Every layer matters.

The U Neck Piece is designed to sit close to the body, bringing warmth where it’s needed most.

Knitted in our signature Possum, Merino & Silk blend.

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COLLAR

60 makers. One form. Infinite interpretations.

From woven fibre to precious metal, stitched textiles to sculptural objects, COLLAR brings together over 60 makers from across Aotearoa, each responding to the collar through the language of their own practice.

Spanning weaving, jewellery, costume design, fashion, textiles and expanded contemporary practice, the exhibition celebrates the richness of contemporary making and the enduring value of objects made by hand.

For one evening, these individual works are suspended together as a single installation—a conversation between material, process and form.

Presented by keep__ during New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group .

Wednesday 19 August
5.30–8.00pm

📍 HARDcore
510 Karangahape Road, Auckland
Located next door to The Keep.

A complimentary drink will be offered on arrival.

Tickets via the link in our bio.

With thanks to Catherine Griffiths , Amber Star, Pegasus Bay Winery , HARDcore and New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group .

Riders on the Storm, 2013.

Long before COLLAR, the collar was already finding its way into the work.

An exploration of the collar as garment and gesture—where clothing becomes sculpture, and adornment becomes a language of its own.

From the Lela Jacobs archive.

COLLAR — presented by THE KEEP during New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group .
Tickets via the link in bio.

Some pieces are worn.
Some become part of who we are.

‘Parts Of’ explored the collar as both garment and gesture.

A collaboration by Lela Jacobs and Shin Hyunmu .

Featuring ningyi_hu and Yuyi Hu .

Shared as part of the wider conversation around COLLAR — a collective exhibition presented by THE KEEP during New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group .

Tickets via the link in bio.

COLLAR

An exhibition of bespoke collars by makers’ hands from across Aotearoa.

Presented by THE KEEP during New Zealand Fashion Week Presented by Giltrap Group , COLLAR brings together an invited group of artists and makers, each responding to the collar as both object and adornment.

Personally conceived and made by hand, every piece reflects an individual practice while contributing to a shared portrait of contemporary making in Aotearoa.

Suspended together as a single installation, the exhibition reveals a rich conversation between material, process and form—celebrating the enduring value of craftsmanship and the quiet poetry of objects made by hand.

Join us for one evening only.

A complimentary drink will be offered on arrival.

Wednesday 19 August
5.30–8.00pm

HARDcore
510 Karangahape Road
Auckland CBD
Located next door to The Keep.

Tickets via the link in our bio.