This story is part of Ensemble's fashion week coverage, supported by Viaduct Harbour.

It's all too easy to get swept up in the fun glitz of fashion week and lose track of costs.

The cost of putting on the shows themselves, the cost of the outfits of those in the crowd, but also the costs outlaid by those giving their time to walk the runway, showing the front row to their seats and those readying the models backstage.

Because we're nosy parkers, and value honesty, Ensemble is asking people from different sides of NZ Fashion Week to share the things they're opening the purse strings for as the week unfolds.

First up influencer Aki Curtis, who creates fashion content under the moniker The Sleek Avenue. She tells us about her NZFW prep, and reformed approached to fashion week financials.

Name: Aki Curtis

Age: 38

Occupation: Content creator

In what capacity will you attend NZFW?

Official ambassador for The Sleek Avenue (my social handle, haha). I’ll be attending four shows this year, which is cut down from my traditional NZFW schedule.

This fashion week is also a little bit unusual for me in the sense that I will be splitting my time between fashion week, content production work and IVF appointments!

Have you attended NZFW before?

I had been attending every NZFW since 2017, until Covid lockdown. It feels great (and a little nostalgic) to be back, getting to know the new generation of New Zealand designers. Exciting!

Do you have any reflections on your spending during past fashion weeks?

In the past, I could spend $15k on clothing in preparation of a fashion week without hesitation, especially for Milan and Paris.

Nowadays, the idea of spending $1000 is enough to make my eyes pop. I still love luxury fashion but instead of buying just for an occasion or for the sake of trends, I’m buying with the mindset of personal style compatibility, versatility and longevity of the items.

Also, since I’m married, most of my money is now used toward building a more comfortable future with my hubby. Although I can’t just throw a few grand on a bag before thinking about the family needs, I’m living a more meaningful life.

No regrets on those beautiful bags and shoes I bought throughout the years though!

How would you describe your financial situation generally?

My relationship with money definitely has changed since I got married in 2020 as I feel more responsible when it comes to my outgoings.

We have no debt at the moment which is very privileged in the current climate, and we are still able to live comfortably as a consequences of good budgeting. “Budgeting” is not a glamorous word but the outcome is a stress-free life. Highly recommended.

How have financial considerations influenced your approach to NZFW this year?

I’m doing IVF at the moment and (I’m just going to be upfront), it’s about $20K each round therefore I don’t have the luxury to splurge on new clothing very often – and that’s not a bad thing. I really loving the challenge as it pushed me to think outside of the box and be creative with the clothes I already have.

This NZFW for me is about showcasing the best of NZ and international labels that I already have – rewear, repurpose, and be an example of how versatile and useful a good capsule wardrobe can be and how it has helped to achieve effortless everyday looks.

This experience has also made me reflect on my spending habits and rethink my wardrobe as in what more I would like to add to my investment wishlist, what to not buy again and what to advocate to my social media audiences when it comes to curating a sustainable capsule wardrobe.

Time wise, splitting time between medical clinics and fashion week is… fun times, but thankfully I live in town so I can walk to the venue very easily.

Have you been gifted anything for NZFW?

I’m loaning one outfit from a showroom, does that count?

How much have you spent on preparing for NZFW?

This might come as a surprise since I love beautiful expensive things – my answer is zero.

This is simply because I have accumulated a lot of beautiful clothing and accessories since working in the industry for seven years. During this time, I have always been advocating for fashion investment pieces that are timeless and versatile therefore I want to be an example of that, showcase how my clothing can be re-wear, restyle and repurpose.

Please list what you spent in the week before fashion week.

Cafe and restaurants: $300 – catching up with some friends in fashion, talking about collaborations and plans.

Uber: $36 – I was late for meetings, oops.

I have double checked my bank statements, there’s really nothing else apart from rent and groceries. I live in town so I walk pretty much everywhere. I actually live a pretty modest life even though it doesn’t look like it on my Instagram.

Moral of the story, don’t trust social media ha.