Top Teen Talent at Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards

10 October, 2013

Top Teen Talent to Shine at Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards

A ‘big break’ is up for grabs for one of the 35 finalists in the fifth Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards this Friday 11 October at Auckland’s Centennial Theatre.

The awards showcase garments which the budding designers have been working on since the beginning of May.

The overall winner will take home a two-year scholarship to Whitecliffe College of Art and Design as well as a range of other prizes which will help him or her on the way to becoming a celebrated Kiwi fashion designer.

The first stage of judging has already taken place, with the final decision to be made on the night based on how the outfits look on the runway.

Newmarket Business Association Project Manager and organiser of the event Donna Corbel says judging has been extremely difficult as the calibre of finalists this year is very high.

“Each year the contestants’ entries keep getting better, and 2013 was no exception, these budding designers have come up with fantastic ideas well beyond their years,” she says.

Sixteen 15-16 year-olds will have their garments judged in the junior category, and nineteen 17-18 year-olds will have theirs judged in the senior category. These 35 finalists were chosen from more than 200 initial entrants into the competition.

2010 NYFD winner Blair Wheeler is in his third year of studying fashion at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design and has the honour of creating the dress for MC Shannon Ryan to wear at the awards. Wheeler says he wouldn’t be where he is now without competing in the Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards.

“Winning the competition gave me a fantastic opportunity to pursue my passion and helped me make a name for myself in the Auckland fashion community,” says Wheeler.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing another of my creations up on the stage, although this time I won’t be as nervous,” he says.

Judging the competition are Linz Ariell and Liz Farr from Whitecliffe, Vicki Taylor of Taylor Design, Emily Miller-Sharmer and Deanna Didovich from RUBY, Greg Holland from Greg Holland Fine Jewellery, Paul Huege de Serville from Servilles, Marie Easton-Myers from Business World Travel, Cleo Magazine Editor Megan Bedford, and Di Goldsworthy from the Newmarket Business Association.

Corbel says Newmarket is proud to be hosting such an event.

“Newmarket is New Zealand’s fashion capital, so we’re all about encouraging new talent that one day can have its place in the Newmarket retail community,” she says.

“I hope to see the winner’s designs in Newmarket’s stores one day,” says Corbel.

Awards Show:
Centennial Theatre, Auckland Grammar School, Mountain Rd, Epsom
7:00pm – 9:30pm

Ticket Details:
Adult: $30.00
Child: $20.00 (14 years and under)

About The Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Award
Launched in 2009, the Newmarket Young Fashion Designer award has served to fast-track some incredible up and coming talent and helped to get their careers off to the best possible start.

ENDS

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