“You're all works of art here tonight,” declared Jessica Palalagi on Friday night, as she officially welcomed well-dressed guests to the The 2022 Arts Foundation Laureate Party. 

The kaiwhakahaere matua (general manager) of the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi  was dressed in an outstanding custom-made ensemble by FOU, perfectly embodying the dress code she had requested of the artistic crowd: “Dress: Like you’re away from your screen for the first time since 2020. Like the best going-out version of yourself. In whatever you want, plus your dancing shoes”.

Held at the Aotea Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau, the event and awards ceremony revealed this year’s seven Arts Foundation Laureates which included Tame Iti (wearing denim and his signature hat), Hone Kouka (wearing orange and a striking white hat) and Lindah Lepou (in her own designs, of course; accepting her Queer Laureate award in bare feet).

Artists are typically well-dressed with an appreciation for craft, design and self-expression, and so there was plenty on display from Jacqueline Fahey, Maungarongo Ron Te Kawa (in a sparkly crown), Lisa Reihana, Richard Orjis, Shane Cotton and Lissy Robinson-Cole and Rudi Robinson (wearing a cape by Lissy’s late father, the iconic designer Colin Cole). 

Other well-dressed guests included filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley, race relations commissioner and arts foundation trustee Meng Foon, writer and Ensemble contributor Saraid de Silva, Nigel Borell, Hall Cannon, Starving Artists Fund designer Natasha Ovely, Elyssia Wilson-Heti, Kaan Hiini and many more. 

The biggest ‘trends’ of the night? Plenty of contemporary jewellery, and the colour orange, seen on host Tanea Heke (in Kate Sylvester), Judy Darragh (in a fabulous suit), actor and model Roxie Mohebbi (in Wynn Hamlyn) and educator and creative advocate Sarah Longbottom (in an orange dress she’d bought to match her orange sneakers).

Abigail Dell'Avo photographed some of the stylish guests and their ensembles - keep scrolling for more.