Top Graduates to Showcase Inspiring Collections

TOP GRADUATES TO SHOWCASE INSPIRING COLLECTIONS ON iD RUNWAY

Hand-made lace, innovative textiles, layering, traditional tailoring, and intricate detailing are part of the inspiring emerging designer collections chosen for next year’s iD Dunedin Fashion Week.

Six stand-out fashion graduate collections from the Otago Polytechnic School of Design have been selected from a field of 22 on display at the recent Collections 15 runway show to launch their careers at next year’s iD Dunedin Fashion Show on Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19 2016.

Sharlee Ghent, 38 (originally of Whanganui, now based in Dunedin), Andrea Short, 21 (Dunedin), Britt Pooley, 22 (originally of Christchurch, now based in Dunedin), Kenya Quin, 21 (Dunedin), Amy Dunn, 24 (Dunedin) and Joseph Hollebon, 22 (originally of Christchurch, now based in Dunedin) will showcase their final-year collections alongside high-profile New Zealand fashion designers, international and national guests, and emerging international designers. Since 2002, the event has included a special section for graduate designers – attracting top talent from Dunedin’s prestigious fashion school.

Ghent uses an eclectic mix of textiles – a piece of lace mixed with leather, cloth, beading – to create a collection with an emphasis on draping and texture, while Short’s handmade lace and rusted fabrics tell a story of the process of time and decay. Short’s graduate submission was accompanied by a book of poetic writing and textiles.

Pooley’s ‘The Next Day’ is an artefact collection composed of five contemporary tailored coat designs and a body of writing, inspired by musician David Bowie and French writer Albert Camus.

Quin’s collection ‘In the Making’ is a visual representation of mental illness in the creative industry combined with an expressive textile manipulation of embroidery showing the idea of craft therapy, a healing creative outlet. Dunn’s intergenerational collection, inspired by the ‘wardrobe swapping’ relationship between mother and daughter, includes garments that are timeless and easy to wear, with a focus on fluid natural fibres and subtle geometric prints. Hollebon’s androgynous collection has a deceptive simplicity, with details that will surprise iD audiences.

Two of the graduates – Short and Quin – were also part of the contingent chosen to show in Shanghai Fashion Week in October, while Quin also spent a summer in Donghua University in Shanghai as part of a design exchange.

One of this year’s selectors, Dunedin-based fashion designer and iD committee member Sara Munro from Company of Strangers, says this year’s collections were of a high standard, with cohesive, commercial ready brands that were fantastic on the catwalk.

“This year’s selection include well considered collections with a great choice of fabrics and textures, some amazing displays of fabric manipulation and print work.

“It was extremely difficult to get the selection down to just six this year, as the standard was so high. iD audiences can look forward to collections that will surprise and inspire.”

The six 2015 graduates join a proud history of graduate collections at iD, with many talented newcomers going on to high flying fashion careers. Duncan Chambers-Ross, who showed as one of this year’s graduate collection, went on to win a spot on hit TV series, Project Runway, while Daniel Kwok has gone on to launch his own label. 2013’s Rakel Blom, who also won the iD International Emerging Designer Awards, has recently launched her new label while based in the UK, while Fiona Clements’ (2012) new eco label Senorita AweSUMO, has shown at previous iD shows. Others include Anjali Stewart (2005), who is now designer and partner with popular label twenty seven names and Amelia Boland (2011) who showed her graduate collection at Nolcha Fashion Week in New York and is now producing a line of handmade leather bags.

Professor of Fashion at Otago Polytechnic’s School of Design, Dr Margo Barton, says this year’s crop of graduates were incredibly talented and she was looking forward to seeing them at iD.

“The talent this year was exceptional with so many outstanding collections. The creativity and technique on display, the detailing, the fabrics and passion for their craft across all of these designers shows that the future of fashion in this country will excite and stimulate fashion lovers.”

ENDS

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