Italian invitation for fashion graduates

29 Apr '10

2 min read

Graduates from Otago Polytechnic's School of Design continue to shine on the international stage, with two recent fashion graduates selected to contend for a prestigious Italian design award. Now they just need to fund raise to get there!

Sophie Brooke Hardy and Roxanna Zamani will travel to Gorizia in northeast Italy at the end of June to take part in the Mittelmoda Fashion Award, one of the world's most coveted prizes for emerging designers.

Both designers completed their Bachelor of Design (Fashion) at Otago Polytechnic in 2009, with Zamani also achieving a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in textiles in 2007.

Their selection places them in an elite group of just 29 finalists, selected from over 700 applicants internationally by a jury of leading industry professionals including: Elio Fiorucci, Fashion Designer; Beata Aurell, H&M; Francesca dell' Antoglietta, Levi Strauss; and Italia Srl and Francesca Chicaro, Benetton Group Spa.

As well as an overall award worth 10,000 euros, award categories include creativity, research, innovation and for the most “global” collection. Prize winning collections are exhibited during Milan Fashion Week, September 22-29 2010.

Otago Polytechnic has a long history of success as finalists in this award. Hardy and Zamani are the seventh and eighth finalists, with the first Otago Polytechnic candidates earning their spots in 1999. The success of the Fashion programme mirrors the growth of Design at Otago Polytechnic with the School now hosting more than 300 students from around New Zealand and the world, and offering degrees in Fashion,Product, Communications and Interior Design.

Margo Barton, Academic Leader and Principal Lecturer (Fashion) School of Design, Otago Polytechnic says she is “absolutely delighted and not surprised at all by the selection of Sophie and Roxanna for Mittelmoda 2010”.

“Both their collections were standouts as graduation collections last year as well as at this year's iD Dunedin fashion week events and I know that they will hold their own alongside the other designers competing at Mittelmoda this year. Their individual design handwriting and the strong design stories behind both of their collections will set them in good stead for thriving careers, and I am hopeful they will make some exceptional contacts for design positions in the fashion design world.”

The pair are now looking for opportunities to help fund their trip, and welcome any expressions of support.

id Dunedin Fashion Week