Otago Polytechnic fashion design student Georgia Ferguson
(20) is about to spend a semester studying in Milan, having
qualified for an exchange programme on the merits of her
Spectrum collection. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Christmas will be an Italian affair for Dunedin tertiary
student Georgia Ferguson, who is urgently learning the language
after qualifying to study at an international design school in
Milan.
Miss Ferguson (20) will leave Dunedin for Italy on January 10
and spend a semester studying at the Istituto Europeo di
Design (IED).
The second-year Otago Polytechnic fashion design student will
return to Dunedin in early August to finish her degree.
Although excited about the opportunity, Miss Ferguson was
''apprehensive'' about her limited Italian.
''The classes are all in English but I have been busy
studying the language because I know I will be expected to
undertake an internship with a local designer,'' she said.
She had never been to Europe and hoped to work for an Italian
designer as an intern while studying.
Miss Ferguson planned to complete a master's degree overseas
once she finished at Otago.
The polytechnic started an exchange programme with the IED in
2006, which had since seen 10 Otago and five IED students
swap cities for a semester.
Miss Ferguson is the 10th Otago fashion student to study in
Milan through the programme.
Fellow second-year student Olivia Moon (20), of Christchurch,
was the polytechnic's first interior design student to go on
the exchange and will leave New Zealand for Milan on February
13.
She said it was a ''dream come true''.
''... there will be a lot of project-based work, which I am
really looking forward to,'' Miss Moon said.
Both students had to organise their travel and living
expenses.
Tuition fees paid to Otago for their degrees covered IED
costs.
Otago Polytechnic head of design Caroline Terpstra said she
was immensely proud of both students.
''Olivia and Georgia both show exceptional promise as
designers in their respective fields and are deserving
recipients of these coveted scholarships. I am thrilled for
them and I'm sure they'll make the most of this exciting
opportunity,'' she said.
rosie.manins@odt.co.nz
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