Polytech fashion collections unveiled

Otago Polytechnic's fashion design students showed off their collections on Saturday night. Sarah Harvey talks to four about their work.

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Altered Ego

Bailey Meredith: (22) third year
Hometown: Hamilton
Collection name: Altered Ego

Description: Basically it is about the dark side of a woman and what qualities women who express this dark personality have.

They are usually strong, seductive, sensual and confident.

I have used these aspects in my collection and each piece portrays one of those features.

The collection is high-end tailored womenswear; it is a high-class collection.

There are full-length dresses and tailored jackets and a lot of backless garments, and texture.

I used a lot of leather and silk, luxurious fabrics.

I also used raw hide which is leather with the hair or fur still on it.

It is all black, I wanted to work with texture and silhouette rather than colour.

What has been the best thing about the course?: Over the past three years I think the best thing I have learned is who I am as a designer. The lecturers are really supportive of your development as a designer.

What has been the hardest thing?: Again, I would say it is the whole learning who you are. It is a huge learning curve.

What are your plans for the future?: I have just accepted a job as assistant designer for Waughs.

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Possession Obsession

Sophie Hardy: (23) third year
Hometown: Invercargill
Collection name: Possession Obsession.

Description: My collection is based around people who are obsessed with collecting things - obsessive-compulsive people - and in particular stamp collectors.

I read books on the subject and I went into the Dunedin Stamp Centre. Collecting is so precise and they are so particular. I guess you would call it geeky. I also looked at the concept of repetition. I integrated all of these ideas into a range of high-end fashion.

I used quite a wide range of materials. Mainly natural fabrics such as cotton, silk and leather.

I have to admit I used leather mainly because I wanted to use the laser-cutting machine, and I used it to cut out stamp shapes for a dress.

The collection is mainly dresses, shirts and jackets.

I used a progressive colour palette, so the range goes from white, to light pink, to darker pink, to red, to black.

What has been the best thing about the course?: It is good being able to see how everything works, from the concept through to the completed garment and the marketing.

What has been the hardest thing?: There is so much work. It was pretty intense, especially the past couple of months. But, it was definitely worth it in the end.

What are your plans for the future?: I am hoping to get a job in a workroom working with a designer, either in New Zealand or Australia.

 

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Dazed and Confused

Elise Barnes: (19) second year
Hometown: Invercargill
Collection name: Dazed and Confused.

Description: My theme is deconstruction. I have taken a police shirt and other working shirts and used them to create different pieces.

It is all about taking pieces that are made as one thing and reusing them, and it keeps it sustainable.

I have made dresses out of the shirts and the finished pieces can also be deconstructed to be more or less formal.

I found most of the shirts in op shops apart from the police shirt: I have some contacts in Invercargill.

What has been the best thing about the course?: Everything you learn is applied in the projects you are set. I also got a chance to go to New Zealand Fashion Week. (Elise was awarded the Young Designer award at the Hokonui Fashion Awards which meant she was flown to the fashion week.)

What has been the hardest thing?: It is all pretty full-on. But I have been sewing etc since I was in the third form, so it is all being put to good use.

What are your plans for the future?: I am definitely going to have my own label.

 

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Meat?

Lorna Sekone-Fraser: (21) third year
Hometown: Invercargill
Collection name: Meat?

Description: It is about women being seen as pieces of meat.

It is more a question to society as to whether we still think women are pieces of meat when they dress scantily.

The idea came from the scandal with the Australian rugby league players.

The collection is all silk and is encrusted with diamantes.

Most of the pieces have leg-of-lamb sleeves, a play on words.

There are dresses, tops and pants.

The colours are red, to look like blood, and flesh tones, to look like skin.

What has been the best thing about the course?: I have enjoyed the organising side of things. I helped with the iD Dunedin Fashion Week, the Zonta show and helped organise the fashion part of the overall polytechnic exhibition.

What has been the hardest thing?: Dealing with people who don't contact you back (while trying to organise events).

What are your plans for the future?: Ultimately I would like to become a buyer for Farmers. I have worked there in my holidays and talked with their buyers. Next year I am going to do a postgraduate course in business enterprise.