Dress

Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand on 26 October 2017. She wore this vibrant Kate Sylvester dress and jacket on the day – it was one of the most photographed moments of her leadership. At the age of 37 she was the country’s youngest Prime Minister in 150 years, and only the third woman to become so.

Ardern was the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2017-2023. She deliberately kept certain garments and objects to remember her part in New Zealand history, and to capture elements of New Zealand fashion history.

Throughout her career as a politician and as Prime Minister, she used her profile to showcase New Zealand designers both locally and when travelling overseas. She supported several notable women-owned fashion businesses which were manufactured in New Zealand, including Juliette Hogan, Kate Sylvester, Ingrid Starnes, Miss Crabb (Kristine Crabb), Maaike (Emilie Pullar and Abby van Schreven), and Harman Grubiša (Madeleine Harman and Jessica Grubiša). Sylvester was thrilled that Ardern had chosen to wear her label for such an important occasion.

Political history

Ardern (born 1980) joined the Labour Party at the age of 18. After graduating from the University of Waikato, she worked in a variety of roles including as advisor to Prime Minister Helen Clark, and in the Government Cabinet Office in London. She entered New Zealand Parliament on Labour’s list following the 2008 election.

Ardern was still a list Member of Parliament in February 2017 when she won a by-election in the electorate seat of Mt Albert (Helen Clark’s former electorate).

In March 2017 she became Labour’s deputy leader. On 1 August, less than eight weeks before the 2017 election, she succeeded Andrew Little as the Leader of the Labour Party, and what was termed 'Jacindamania' and 'the Jacinda Effect' ensued.

The 2017 election did not end in a majority, and negotiations resulted in a coalition government. A Labour / New Zealand First coalition was formed with Ardern as Prime Minister and Winston Peters as Deputy Prime Minister.

In 2018, Ardern became the first female New Zealand Prime Minister to give birth (to her daughter Neve) while in office, and only the second to do so internationally.

On 17 October 2020, she led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the general election. During her five years of leadership, Ardern was faced with particularly difficult crises, including the Christchurch terror attacks on 15 March 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic. In January 2023 she resigned as Prime Minister and finished as a Member of Parliament in April 2023.