Record entries for Canterbury Collections

Media Release – August 5, 2004

Record entries for Canterbury Collections and Awards

A record number of entries have been received for the annual American Express Canterbury Fashion Collections and Awards to be held in Christchurch on November 4.

A total of 26 top designers will be vying for the prestigious awards in Canterbury's showcase fashion event. Twenty-three designers entered last year.

The razzle-dazzle fashion show is a feature event of the fortnight-long Showtime Canterbury celebrations.

More than 400 guests will view the sell-out show at the Christchurch Art Gallery. Around 500 will attend at the after show party.

Christchurch relaunched itself last year to the forefront of the country's fashion industry with the collections and awards event.

Among the awards this year are rewards for lifetime achievement, for high fashion, elegance, new designer, fashion icon and for best designer.

Takaaki Sakaguchi won last year’s best designer award, which is voted on by the public. Emily Drysdale (Untouched World), Malaika Grove and Vicky Wynn-Williams (Tango) and Cheryl Vuillermin (Lumiere) are among other designers entered this year.

Awards organiser Denyse Saunders said Canterbury’s stake in the world of fashion design will come under the spotlight with the awards night.

``We’ll have all the season's new designs and it’s always exciting to see the latest ranges of what our region’s chic designers have created. ``We have a lot of fashion shows in New Zealand which is great but this event actually recognises the achievements of our best talented designers with 14 special awards.’’

Among the models to strut their stuff this year is Kiwi Carolyn Kirby, a leading Australian-based model.
The awards event last year put Christchurch back on New Zealand's fashion map and to the forefront of the national industry.

Ms Saunders said she was very happy with the high calibre of designers showcasing their new range.

``This will be one of the major events on the New Zealand fashion calendar with 26 collections vying for 14 awards on the evening. It is a celebration of the Canterbury fashion industry and we will again showcase the best of the best.”

“Due to our success last year we have been asked to launch the Showtime Cup Week with our fashion awards.

Buyers and fashion enthusiasts from around the country will get a chance to view the designers’ summer collections during a fashion trail around Canterbury’s leading fashion designers and retailers on November 7.

ENDS

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