Individuality Flourishes in Student Fashion Design

Hawke’s Bay’s emerging fashion talents basked in the limelight this week, wowing a capacity crowd at EIT’s annual showcase of student design.

Staged in EIT’s Trades Building, fashion show was the culmination of the year’s work for ideaschool’s fashion apparel students.

The final-year students explored diverse influences in their designs.

"Their work wasn’t predictable," says programme coordinator Cheryl Downie. "We encourage them to find their own design aesthetic and to develop that. Rather than follow fashion trends, they may choose to respond to historical, cultural or other influences."

Hayley Fulton of Napier, for example, believes a social revolution is upending preconceived ideas of what ‘normal’ should be. Her black and white androgynous designs challenged the notion of socially acceptability, inviting people to wear what they want without being judged.

Also from Napier, Wendy Woolward drew inspiration from her childhood. Growing up in the ‘70s, she says she loved denim and frayed fringing, her home-made summer school uniforms and her mother’s love of flowers.

Incorporating aspects of American Indian and African tribal cultures, Ella Kaijser’s bold and colourful collection was triggered by her parents’ photos and stories of their travels in the ‘80s. Ella is from Hastings.

A love of historical fashion, the avant garde and costume were the main influences in Jackie Chapman’s Back to the future collection. "I like the idea of merging the past and present," the Hastings student says.

From Hastings, Amber Whitaker reinterpreted the classic fairy tales of Snow White, Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood in her collection. "I took the original concepts of the fairy tales and put a modern street wear look to them and also added a goth and punk twist to make them a bit more alternative."

Rachel Hawkins’ three-piece collection began with an exploration of futuristic fashion. "I was drawn towards cyberpunk fashion, a mixture of apocalyptic and futuristic detail," the Hastings student says. "I felt like my garments were more costume than commercial and so instead of the customer I developed characters that encompassed the feeling of the garment."

Targeting believers in unisex clothing, Te Orihau Karaitiana of Hastings celebrated the memories of loved ones who have passed in his collection Stand for Something.

Jamie Hooker’s collection was inspired by the Hindi Festival of Colours, ‘Holi’. From Napier, Jamie created her own textiles by overlaying bold prints with subtle sheers.

For her Dark Haut Monde collection, Nikki Long of Havelock North says she evolved 19th century Gothic aristocratic fashion, centred on androgyny and elegance, into her own classic, tailored and elegant style.

Rai Tahana-Reese of Napier manipulated elements in her collection to convey feelings of isolation and entrapment – "the horror of being alone in a single mind, with no control of your actions".

The pop culture of the ‘90s influenced Milly Macphail’s collection. "I really enjoy the way the 90s’ fashion was fun and flirty, and woman were breaking away from the typical sweetheart looks and wearing more outrageous and daring outfits," the Napier student says.

Building an individual design aesthetic helps students develop into all-rounders which makes them more employable, says Cheryl Downie.

"In fashion today, you have to be multi-skilled, a problem solver who can think outside the square."

For first-year students, the end-of-year show was a further opportunity to exhibit designs debuted at the Hawke’s Bay Spring Racing Carnival.

Fashion in the Field was a new event for the fledgling students, who in the past have had to punch above their weight competing against designers nationwide in the Auckland-based Cult Couture.

The students excelled in the Young Designer section of the local event -- Simone Germain placed first while stable mate Emily Murdoch gained second place.

One of the judges, Sally-Ann Mullin, editor of Fashion Quarterly, was intrigued by Simone’s entry – an outfit that transformed with a flash of cape to reveal a fitting one-piece in the form of an ice-cream cone.

Students across a range of EIT programmes helped with the ideaschool fashion show.

Trades students set up the staging, hairdressing and body and beauty students helped styled the models and contemporary music performance students introduced the two halves of the programme with drumming performances.

The show was also filmed by screen production students, one of whom – Ali Beal – was the event’s MC.

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