Questions are being asked about New Zealand Fashion Week's budget after ONE News discovered some designers were given a helping hand to take part.
Billed as the biggest week in fashion, designers are expected to fork out big money to have their clothes showcased on the catwalk.
It costs around $24,000 to have garments feature on the main stage of Fashion Week and that's before the cost of hair, make-up, models and lighting.
But ONE News understands organisers have flagged that fee for some designers, negotiating heavily discounted rates for key figures in the industry.
It's a move which has seriously annoyed some in the fashion community, particularly those who have paid the full price to display their creations.
But the organiser claims no one is getting a free ride. "They all pay. One way or another, they all pay," said Dame Pieter Stewart.
"If a designer comes to me and wants to talk about it and see what they can do, I'll talk about it."
Fashion Week is run as a private business by Dame Pieter, who has never revealed the full cost of running the event, or how much business it generates.
"Well I can tell you it's going towards the event. All sponsorship money is going towards the event," she said.
"The designers' fees have never reached more than 10% of the total cost of putting on the event."
Neville Findlay of Zambesi said Fashion Week "always assist us in every way they can".
"They certainly make it attractive for us to go down there," he said.
"We're happy to support them and they've supported us."
That support comes at the expense of sponsors - including public funded bodies like Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, which provides ratepayer money to NZFW.
After repeated requests from ONE News, ATEED finally released a statement, saying the organisation gives fashion week $225,000.
The council-run organisation said it is up to NZFW to decide how to spend that money but Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer said that's not good enough.
"What ratepayers need to see is some transparency and accountability as to where their money is going," he said.
"Local boards, not-for-profits, community organisations, have to tell us how they're spending ratepayers' money.
"The same should apply for NZ Fashion Week, particularly as it's a private venture."
But Findlay said that's just the way the fashion industry works and when it started Zambesi had the same things to contend with.
"Maybe things aren't fair out there in the world," he said.
"I guess when you've been around for a while you have some sort of advantage."
The number of top designers taking part has dropped in recent years, and some are questioning if the discounts are a sin of desperate times.
"You often find right at the end, when you've got a schedule together, that you might need a certain hole filled and you go out to do that," said Dame Pieter.
It's little comfort to those who have paid top dollar to be part of that schedule.