Emerging Designer Awards finalist Hani Sagiv, of Israel
(third from left), makes finishing touches to model Tom
Parsons. Other models are (from left) Rachel Anson, Eva
Duncan, Iacinta Lucas and Ariana Knox. Photo by Jane
Dawber.
Rehovot, Israel is a long way from Dunedin, New Zealand,
especially when you have to foot the bill, but fashion designer
Hani Sagiv would not be anywhere else this week.
The 25-year-old is one of 28 finalists in the iD Dunedin
Emerging Designer Awards and yesterday waited nervously to
have her collection Ventriloquists in a Playground
critiqued by a panel of five judges, at Dunedin's Edgar
Centre.
Ms Sagiv said she had come to Dunedin as she believed the
awards were a "great opportunity" to present her work in
front of international fashion leaders, such as guest judge
and chief designer of World, Francis Hooper.
"I wouldn't mind an attractive job offer either," she joked.
Her collection, made from fabrics including silk, wool,
cotton, PVC and leather, is a conceptual design based on the
struggle between a ventriloquist and their inner puppet.
It had taken about eight months of work to complete the five
outfits.
Her goal was to have her own fashion label but in the
meantime she wanted to work as a fashion designer for one of
the innovative and dynamic fashion houses in Europe.
All she had to do now was wait, with finalists finding out if
they have won one of five prizes at today's Emerging Designer
Awards show, to be held at the Lion Foundation Arena from
8pm.
More than 200 people attended the Ornate Dunedin Contemporary
Jewellery Celebration held at Armstrong Prestige last night.
Fifteen of Dunedin's top jewellers and three Otago
Polytechnic School of Art students each showed two new
collections.
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