Runway for Research

A feast of fashion launches an in-depth view of nature’s food

Pulsing rhythms and applause accompanied 29 glamorous models as they displayed creations from 15 of New Zealand’s elite designers and weaved a path amongst more than 200 guests, beneath the glittering chandeliers of Auckland’s iconic Northern Club earlier this month.

Runway for Research, the brand new charity fashion event organised by the Liggins Institute Trust, in association with M Factor Events, raised more than $30,000 for a research project at the Liggins Institute.

The project will probe the composition of breast milk to understand how nature provides newborns with a unique food that reflects mothers’ diet, physiological and emotional health – and the impact this will have on the children’s development and adult health.

ONE-News co-anchor and MC for the evening Wendy Petrie introduced the research’s leader, Institute Deputy Director Professor David Cameron-Smith, to explain why the project and the work of the Liggins Institute is so important.

“Something happens to women – and men – when you nurse a baby,” he said. “There is no doubt that, when that baby looks at you, there is a moment, a thought, a process that really connects with your soul. At that point, you know you will do anything you can to make sure that baby is well nourished and will have the best possible start to life.

“But breast feeding is one of the most difficult and complicated things for all women. The way we breast feed in the 21st century is different from how it was done in the past. Today women must make choices around feeding and these choices, such as working lives, impact on both mother and baby.

“Liggins research is focused on what happens to babies, but it is also concerned about what happens to mothers. We will look at stress hormones in milk – something that has never been investigated before – and ask whether these affect the development of baby’s immune system. We shall also investigate genetic material in the milk which conveys messages about the maternal situation to the baby.

“We aim through our research to get the next generation of women to get the next generation of children off to the best start. There is still so much we do not know about early life nutrition, weaning and what provides optimal nourishment over the first 12 to 18 months of life. These questions will be a focus of on-going future research,” he concluded.

Throughout the evening, guests placed bids on a dazzling array of donated items and experiences including fertility treatment valued at $11,000 (for approved couples) donated by Fertility Associates’ Auckland Clinic, $5,000 of skin treatments at Clinic 42 Auckland, travel and holiday packages in Fiji and Queenstown, a tour of the House of Lords in London with member, renowned scientist and TV presenter Professor Robert Winston; and many other sought-after items, in a silent auction conducted via a mobile app.

Download the Runway for Research Programme below to read more about the function, the featured designers, supporters and sponsors who contributed to the event.

The Director, staff and students of the Liggins Institute sincerely thank the Liggins Institute Trust Board and volunteers who put this event together and for their on-going support and advocacy on behalf of the Institute.