Cut from a different cloth: The story behind Phoebe Willis’ sailing-inspired showstopper at New Zealand Fashion Week
When Phoebe Willis began a textiles project at school in April, she had no idea it would take her from the boat ramp to the fashion ramp — or that a dress made almost entirely from sailing materials would turn so many heads.
The young 420 sailor from Murrays Bay Sailing Club swapped her sailing gear for something altogether more dramatic on the final day of New Zealand Fashion Week on Saturday, taking to the catwalk in a striking ball gown fashioned from fibreglass, Dyneema and retired sails from the boats that have shaped her sailing journey.
And while the dress began as a school assignment, it quickly became something much bigger.
Willis was among a record 78 young designers aged 13 to 18, selected from 108 entries, for Raise Up NZ's Walk The Line show at Shed 10 — the biggest youth-focused runway in New Zealand Fashion Week's history. Her sailing-inspired creation stood out enough to earn one of just five Honourable Mentions on the night.
"I definitely wasn't expecting the dress to get the attention it did," Willis laughed. "To be awarded an Honourable Mention really was unexpected, but the social media coverage and reaction that followed took me by complete surprise!"
For a sailor, perhaps fittingly, the outfit was anything but conventional.
Phoebe Willis on the New Zealand Fashion Week catwalk. Photo / NZFW
The strapless, structured corset was built from fibreglass, giving it a rigid, sculptural shape, with blue piping tracing its edges and seams in a nod to sailing rope and rigging. Instead of a conventional zip or lacing, it was tied together with Dyneema — the ultra-high-strength rope used throughout sailing for rigging and halyards.
The voluminous skirt was made from real sailcloth, incorporating sails from Optimists, Starlings and 420s. Sail numbers, markings and a bold red star remained visible in the finished design, while the stiff technical material was transformed into the sweeping folds more commonly associated with a traditional ball gown.
The look was finished with jewellery made from sailing shackles on one wrist and sailing rope on the other. Doyle Sails supported the project by supplying the 420 sailcloth used in the design.
Willis spent several hours a day on the outfit, that included a corset built from fibreglass. Photo / Supplied
"It started as a school project in my textiles class, where we were asked to design something unique," Willis said. "For a long time I was completely stumped — I had no idea what to do — until one of my teachers asked me what I loved most.
"Suddenly it was easy, because the answer was always going to be sailing!"
That connection mattered to the 15-year-old.
"I used sailcloth from all of the boats I've sailed throughout my career, because it has had special meaning in my life and the project was really a self-expression piece."
The project became a labour of love. Willis made her first stitch at the beginning of Term Two and spending "too many hours to count" on the outfit.
Her progress stalled when she and 420 helm Amber Hughes travelled to Europe for five weeks on their first international campaign together, but she managed to complete the dress just in time for Fashion Week.
Comfort, it's fair to say, wasn't part of the design brief.
"Sitting down certainly wasn't an option once I was wearing it," Willis admitted.
The judges, though, were won over by one of its less practical qualities.
"They said they loved it because they could hear it before they saw it," Willis laughed. "It sounded a lot like a pre-start routine at a regatta!"
Phoebe Willis (right) and Amber Hughes in the 420. Photo / Looma Pictures
For Willis, the project also brought together two interests that have been part of her life for as long as she can remember.
"I have always loved fashion — ever since my grandmother taught me to sew when I was really young," she said. "I would love to bring both passions together; to be a sailmaker and work in a sail loft one day."
The response to her dress may have opened another door, too. North Sails reached out following the attention generated by her design and offered Willis a placement with the company whenever she wants it.
"That's probably the best part of this whole experience, and I am incredibly grateful for their support," she said.
It would be a natural fit for someone whose route into sailing was itself somewhat unconventional.
Willis only started sailing at 11 — "late", by her own admission — after previously pursuing martial arts, where she became one of New Zealand's youngest black belts. When that club closed, she joined the Learn to Sail programme at Murrays Bay Sailing Club.
Willis and Hughes have already packed plenty into their first international campaign together, finishing 36th at the 420 World Championships in France, before placing 23rd in the under-19 women's category at the Junior European Championships in Lithuania last month.
"It has been the highlight of my sailing career so far," Willis said. "Gaining that international experience, meeting so many people, and taking it all in was unforgettable."
The sailing-inspired creation earned Willis an Honourable Mention. Photo / NZFW
And while she has now proved she can turn sailing equipment into runway fashion, it's on the water where Willis remains most at home.
"I have always preferred sailing double-handed," she said. "I love the teamwork and being the muscle in the boat, so much more than sailing by myself."
The next goal is already in sight, with Willis and Hughes hoping to perform strongly at the New Zealand Youth Championships at her home club from 26–29 September, and to earn selection for the Youth World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, in December.
After that, Willis will need to find a new helm, with Hughes set to age out of the 420 class.
But whether her future takes her into a sail loft, onto the racecourse, or — ideally — both, Willis insists "it will involve sailing".
After all, for her, the sport will never go out of fashion.
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