When fashion mogul Dame Pieter Stewart​ launched what would be, the first New Zealand Fashion Week in 2001, her goal was to give home-grown designers a platform on a large scale.

Since then, fashion week has become a must-see event in Aotearoa, launching countless careers and brands, while showcasing the talent of Kiwis to the world.

Twenty years on and after selling the event to businessman Feroz Ali​ in 2021​, Stewart is ready to hang up her couture for philanthropy.

“I would very much like to take on a couple of governance roles. I’m also looking for charity organisations which I can be of use to,” she says.

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“But I’m mainly just waiting to see what pops up, because it’s only been a short time since I stopped running the business.”

The 76-year-old, prior to becoming the powerhouse behind fashion week, was involved with numerous charitable and community service groups, specifically in relation to paediatric cancer.

“I had to stop all of those things when fashion week became all absorbing for me. I’m hoping to get back into philanthropy because it’s where my interest lies,” she says.

The last fashion week was held in 2019 before the pandemic…