Twenty-eight design graduates from some of the world’s most prestigious fashion schools descended upon Dunedin for the 13th annual ID Emerging Designers’ Awards last Thursday night. Entrants from as far afield as Austria and Israel brought inventive and masterfully constructed pieces, hoping to attract the attention of some of this industry’s top professionals. Events coordinator Victoria Muir remarked on the high quality of contestants this year with guest judge Hilary Alexander, exclaiming, ‘The winning collection was [both] inventive and incredibly clever, blending together traditional hand techniques with new technology.’
Charlotte Leask
Peroni first prize winner, Carolina Barua, with S’swell
The Australian contingent for this year successfully swept away the majority of the prizes with Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology graduate Carolina Barua edging out fellow entrants to claim the Peroni first-place prize of NZ$5,000. Her collection, entitled S’swell, featured a range of spectacular garments that strongly focused on elements of historical dressing. An apron in gold silk dupion, Victorian undergarments edged with delicate ruffles, refined proportions and lenticular printed pieces proved a crowd favourite.
Charlotte Leask
Caffè l’Affarè second prize winner, Patricia Kepalaris, with Urban Blight
Second place and NZ$3,000 were awarded to Patricia Kepalaris from Sydney’s University of Technology with her post-apocalyptic-themed collection entitled Urban Blight. Her punctuation of bold accents throughout a very utilitarian range assisted in highlighting the strong structures throughout. Graphics of industrial spaces and her clear plastic trousers piped with a striking orange were features of note.
Charlotte Leask
Strawberry Sound third prize winner, Natalia Grsybowski
Rounding out the night for top prizes was fellow Sydney UIT graduate and crowd favourite Natalia Grzybowski. Her cohesive collection took advantage of perennial floral prints that assisted in re-imagining the stoic structures of a cyborg. Sublimation printing provided the process in which designs were purposefully positioned, enhancing specific areas of the garments’ form. Sharply cut dresses with peplum details in an array of silks, chiffons and bonded cotton formed a striking and refined collection.
Charlotte Leask
Above and below left Chris Ran Lin. Below right Renana Krebs.
Charlotte Leask
Tanja Bradaric and Tara Ohmae, Renana Krebs, and Chris Ran Lin
Other award winners included Tanja Bradaric and Taro Ohmae from the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, for the most commercial collection of the night. The Charles Parsons prize was received by Renana Krebs from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, and Chris Ran Lin from RMIT was awarded with a direct entry into the international Mittelmoda design competition held in Gorizia, Italy.
The panel with the unenviable position of judging this year’s contestants included internationally renowned journalist Hilary Alexander, French-based designers Lutz Huelle and David Ballu of Lutz Huelle, and Australian fashion authority Nicholas Huxley. Dunedin’s own Margi Robertson (Nom D) and Tanya Carlson also lent their expertise to this mix. In describing the criteria for winners Alexander explained, ‘Overall, the award winners scored highly in all areas we were looking at: creativity, innovation, wearability, fabrication and catwalk appeal.’
Charlotte Leask
Above Jojo Ross
Phillip Hawkins, Grace Averis and Jojo Ross
The event, which heavily involves the students and staff of the Otago Polytechnic school of Fashion Design, also maintained a presence centre-stage with 2011 graduates Phillip Hawkins, Grace Averis and Jojo Ross presenting their individual ranges. Hawkins showcased a range of sublime metal accents arranged artfully atop of structural beds of silk whilst Averis merged the fantastical with the contemporary providing a collection that was wholly wearable. Meanwhile, Ross developed a series of conceptual pieces that incorporated string art techniques set upon black and silver undergarments.
Models were provided by the Ali McD modelling agency with Dunedin-based salon Klone doing the hair. A team sponsored by Revlon provided make-up.—Eeli Y
Charlotte Leask
Above Phillip Hawkins. Below Grace Averis.
Charlotte Leask
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