Not only was she named winner of the $10,000 Altus Financial Services AMP regional scholarship, but her work also featured in the November issue of British Vogue.
A graduate of Otago Polytechnic, Ms Simpson-Howe (25) was ''completely blown away'' by the scholarship success and excited about how it would enable her to fast-track her business.
It would allow her to start building her brand and increase distribution, which was critical for long-term success, she said.
Getting recognition from the likes of Vogue was also very exciting and she had since been contacted by other magazines.
While still at polytechnic, Ms Simpson-Howe worked with fashion designer Marie Strauss at her Dada boutique and designed a small collection of costume jewellery, which was ''kind of a taster''.
It made her realise that she could do it herself and the business had grown from there. She produced her first collection in 2011 and now produces three collections a year.
Working from a studio in the Carnegie Centre, in Moray Pl, she has 25 stockists throughout New Zealand and Australia. She was recently invited to join the design capsule Not Just a Label, established by Stefan Siegel, and she has a launch at Dada on November 15.
Working mostly in sterling silver, she was inspired by objects, geometric shapes, nature and architecture, Ms Simpson-Howe said.
While only in her second year of business, she was pleased with how it was going. She was looking forward to building the brand - ''getting seen and being out there'' - producing more collections and doing a little more experimentation.
While she had long-term goals in mind, she intended taking it ''collection by collection'' and be smart about what she produced. She enjoyed the business side of the enterprise.
She did not want to develop the business too quickly and, when it came to future staffing, she intended to start with interns.
It was difficult for young designers to get a ''foot in the door'' and she was keen to provide some valuable experience. She particularly welcomed an opportunity to give something back to the polytechnic.
It was important to retain talented young people in Dunedin, she said. There were many creative people in the city and there was also a lot of support. People were willing to help - ''I'm not sure if you'd get that in a bigger city'', she said.
Altus business manager Jerry Pearse-Smith said the scholarship judging panel was not only impressed with the range and depth of this year's applications, but also with the level of creativity and design involved.
''Dunedin is fast becoming a hub for all sorts of designers. Altus is keen for the city to retain this talent and encourage design-based businesses.''
Ms Simpson-Howe demonstrated a great deal of talent and passion, as well as a solid approach to business, he said.
