Finance Minister Nicola Willis (centre) wearing a blue dress believed to be from the British womenswear label The Fold London on Budget Day. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Finance Minister says there are "far more interesting things to talk about" than what clothes she wears.
Willis delivered last week's Budget in a blue dress, believed to be the Nouvelle Sculpt Stretch Crepe Dress, from British womenswear label The Fold London, according to the NZ Herald.
Caroline Marr, owner of Auckland-based fashion brand The Carpenter's Daughter, told the New Zealand Herald that Willis' decision not to wear a Kiwi brand during the high-profile moment a signal of "total disrespect" to the local fashion industry.
"We have wonderful designers here, Jacinda [Ardern] got it right by wearing NZ-made as much as possible. Our leaders should also be doing that. Be proud of your nation and what we make here."
Nicola Willis making her speech during the Budget debate. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins
Speaking to Morning Report on Monday, Willis dismissed the question.
"Your audience are smart people. We've got far more interesting things to talk about than what clothes I wear," she said.
"Let's focus on the policies. This line of questioning as far as I'm concerned belongs in the 1950s."
Hutt South MP Chris Bishop defended Willis on social media, and shared what he was wearing to a post-Budget debate on Saturday.
"There's been a lot of interest from the New Zealand Herald as to what our Minister of Finance was wearing on Budget Day, but nobody has asked me", Bishop said.
Focusing on what our Minister of Finance is wearing instead of the outstanding Growth Budget she’s just delivered? Be better. pic.twitter.com/0PMgZa4e8F
— Christopher Bishop (@cjsbishop) May 24, 2025
"This tie, I actually got in France... this shirt is a classic New Zealand 3 Wise Men blue shirt, the suit is from Harford - down on Lambton Quay - and I'm pretty sure it's a Rembrant suit, of course from Lower Hutt, wonderful place. This is a New Zealand Music Month badge... the socks... I think they might be a standard issue black H&M pair of socks, and the shoes... I think they're from 3 Wise Men as well."
Whanganui MP Carl Bates also shared what he was wearing in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday, with the caption: "The reason I am posting this is that we have been under urgency, working hard to deliver our growth budget, but for some reason there was a focus on what the Minister of Finance was wearing."
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