Hard acts to follow by NZ Otago fashion graduates

13 Dec '10

3 min read

Five fashion graduates from the Otago Polytechnic School of Design, selected from a field of 21, will launch their fashion careers at the 2011 iD Dunedin Fashion Show. Their work will be unveiled on the platform of the Dunedin Railway Station on Friday 8 April and Saturday 9 April 2011.

Key Points

• Sara Dooley (22, Timaru), Rachel Webb (20, Tapanui), Amelia Boland (23, Nelson), Liz Ung (28, Dunedin) and Elise Barnes (20, Invercargill) will showcase their final-year collections alongside other established high-profile New Zealand, emerging international and new generation designers. Since 2002, the event has included a special section for graduate designers.
• Collection highlights show the use of a diverse range of textiles and recycled fabrics including a macramé dress accessorized with possum fur and leather, knitted textiles, beautiful appliquéd and hand dyed fabrics, gorgeous embroidery, quilting and a collection adorned with ruffles, lycra strips and knotted knit fabrics.
• iD Dunedin Fashion Week has helped launch the fashion careers of a number of Otago Polytechnic graduates including Anjali Stewart (2005), designer and partner with popular label “twenty-seven names”; Charmaine Reveley (2002), who manages her own successful label; Sara Aspinall (1998), with her label “Company of Strangers”; Tara Viggo (2005), now working for British fashion designer Giles Deacon in London; Roxanna Zamani (2010), bridal section winner at Mittelmoda in Italy and overall winner in the Fashion TV Online Designer Awards in 2010; and Sophie Hardy (2010), winner of the lifestyle section in the Fashion TV Online Awards in 2010 and now working for Dunedin based label Nom D.
• Watch out for more information on the 2011 iD Dunedin Fashion Week including details of International Emerging Designer Awards finalists, special guest designers, judges, VIPs and release dates for ticket sales.

Charmaine Reveley, fashion designer and external moderator
“This year the graduate collections are amazing, with a great mix of menswear, use of textiles and a creative design focus. Each year the Otago Polytechnic graduates produce collections showing a unique sense of individual style and design aesthetic. They have international appeal, are polished and have real commercial capabilities.”

Margo Barton, academic leader and principal lecturer (fashion), School of Design, Otago Polytechnic:
“In the past graduates have had a once in a lifetime opportunity to show alongside fashion royalty such as Zandra Rhodes, Francis Hooper (WORLD), Cybèle Wiren and including those from Dunedin such as Nom*D. It's an honour for graduate designers to be selected to show as part of iD Dunedin Fashion Week, opening doors to help launch their fashion careers. The collections will stand-out on the runway and the public will be able to experience firsthand the calibre of fashion talent coming out of the Otago Polytechnic School of Design.”

iD Dunedin Fashion Show