Josie Steenhart takes a look at Dunedin’s graduate fashion takeover at New Zealand Fashion Week.
From edgy upcycled denim and outfits reflecting emotions to hand-knitting, digital-printed silk and a wearable twist on wedding attire, emerging Dunedin talent will be well represented at this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW), with eight graduates of Otago Polytechnic’s fashion school packing up their garment bags to take to Auckland at the end of next month.
All bachelor of design graduates from 2020 to 2022, Taylor Pumphrey, Jonty Blakely, Amelia Phillips, Ethan Cruise, Ellen Ross and Russelle Tino will show at the NZFW Graduate Show, while Sofia Heke and Francesca Flynn will take part in the Miromoda Showcase, a prestigious presentation of indigenous Māori-themed high fashion collections.
“I’m thrilled that after a few years of the Covid-affected hiatus, NZFW is taking place this year, and I’m particularly happy to be supporting some of our graduates from 2020, 2021 and 2022,” Otago Polytechnic TePukenga professor Dr Margo Barton says.
“In the past, only three [of our] designers were showcased. Considering we had three years of fashion designer graduates, we had to make a special request to NZFW to include more designers showing less outfits.’’
With the proposal accepted, Barton and team reached out to graduates who had been selected to show at NZFW in 2021 and 2022 “to understand if they still wanted to show”.
“Some did and some didn’t due to their commitments at work or travel. Those graduates, plus those who had top marks in design, and who were previously selected by an independent panel to show at iD Dunedin Railway Show, were shortlisted,” says Barton.
“They understood that to represent Otago Polytechnic at NZFW in 2023 they had to communicate how they met the criteria - to have an emerging sustainable fashion business, or to be able to tell us how showing at NZFW would benefit their career in the fashion industry.”
“The Otago Polytechnic fashion team considered all the submissions, and it was very difficult to narrow down to six for the graduate show,” says Barton.
“This year we were also able to recommend two of our top graduates, Sofia Heke from 2021-22 and Francesca Flynn from 2022, as potential designers for the Miromoda fashion show, and I am absolutely delighted they were both selected.”
Barton says 2016 was the first year NZFW included a graduate show, and they were excited to be invited and have been part of the event ever since, with myriad benefits not just for the fledgling designers but also for Otago Polytechnic, the region and the New Zealand fashion industry.
“Over the years, we find that most graduate designers showing at NZFW use the experience for professional development, networking and as a form of portfolio, and fundamentally as a platform to reach potential employers. Some, like Julia Palm from JPalm, who showed in 2016, use the experience to launch their brands.”
“For us as a school, besides supporting the graduates showing in the Graduate and Miromoda shows, the quite extensive preparation for the production, finding funding etc, one of the wonderful things about NZFW is catching up with many of our graduates working in diverse areas of the fashion industry.
“Fashion at Otago Polytechnic has a long history, and therefore our grads are at different stages of their fashion careers and working in varied positions. Learning what our graduates are doing, how they got there and gathering advice for our current and future learners is all very important information for the school.
“It’s also an excellent time to arrange internship opportunities for our students. We invite high schools in Auckland to our NZFW show - a fantastic opportunity to show off both Otago Polytechnic’s fashion offering and our graduates’ work to the future fashion learners and their teachers.
“All in all, it’s a vitally important promotional and professional development activity for fashion at Otago Polytechnic and for Ōtepoti Dunedin, for the fashion designers involved, and generally to strengthen the Aotearoa New Zealand fashion industry.”
TO SEE
Graduate Show, August 30
New Zealand Fashion Week
Viaduct Events Centre
August 29-September 2.
Ellen Ross
Where did you grow up, and how did that influence your interest in fashion?
I grew up in Dunedin, which I think influenced my interest in fashion in several ways. Being a coastal town with changeable weather, layering your outfit is a must. I think this gave me the opportunity to think about how different fabrics, colours and textures work with and play off each other to create interesting looks.
It’s also a very creative place, and many amazing designers call it home or have started their journey here. Because of this creative drive within the city, I have always felt inspired to pursue and believe in my own ventures.
What does it mean to you to be showing your designs at NZFW?
It’s a real honour to be part of the NZFW, I just feel so lucky to be involved. To be showing my designs at such an iconic event will be an amazing opportunity to bring more awareness to my brand Nelle, and to form new connections amongst the New Zealand fashion industry.
For me, it involves careful planning to ensure that each garment is made to a very high standard, and that they come together successfully to form looks that represent myself and my brand.
Tell us a bit about the pieces you’re showing?
In the looks I’ll be showing I have worked predominantly with upcycled denim and natural fibres to create free oversized silhouettes that deliver all day comfort with effortless style.
There’s a sustainable focus that comes through not only in the choice of materials, but also considering the quality of construction and designing pieces that can become timeless within a wearer's wardrobe.
The upcycled denim pieces have been my favourite part within the collection. I love the process of disassembling unwanted garments, reworking the material, and creating something completely new and exciting.
I wanted to offer garments that were visually interesting and eye-catching, while still being practical and easy to wear day to day, without feeling restrictive or uncomfortable.
Amelia Phillips
Where did you grow up, and how did that influence your interest in fashion?
Having grown up in Dunedin, I have seen the success of other local fashion designers, as well as attended iD Fashion and Otago Polytechnic Collections shows before studying, and this exposure to designer collections inspired me to want to create my own.
Having a great high school textiles teacher (Baydon Harris) was also an influencing factor in my interest in fashion, with the guidance and opportunities he gave us, such as entering the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards.
I found my love for fashion through finding my love for creating. I enjoy the hands-on aspect, problem solving and attention to detail that it takes to create a garment.
What does it mean to you to be showing your designs at NZFW?
Showcasing my graduate collection ‘‘Happily Ever After’’ at New Zealand Fashion Week is an amazing opportunity that I was looking forward to in 2022 before its cancellation due to Covid.
I’m excited to represent Otago Polytechnic and for the first time see my graduate collection on a catwalk, sharing it with an audience of industry professionals. Showcasing at NZFW involves having four looks that will go down the catwalk. I’ll also be involved in fittings as well as helping out backstage.
Tell us a bit about the pieces you’re showing?
‘‘Happily Ever After’’ is a collection that reflects my personal exploration into the institution of marriage and the ideas surrounding weddings.
I focused on longevity and versatility. I wanted to challenge the idea of the “one-day dress” by making a collection that was suitable to be worn to multiple occasions, mixed and matched and possibly even interpreted into the everyday wardrobe. The pieces are made from free-motion quilting, silk organza and other dead-stock materials.
I’m drawn towards intricacy and details in my design work, along with a love for ruffles, gathers and volume, which is showcased in this collection.
Jonty Blakely
Where did you grow up, and how did that influence your interest in fashion?
I've spent the larger part of my life growing up in Dunedin. On leaving high school, I found myself at Otago Polytechnic, studying for a degree in product design that I soon realised wasn't for me. This left me with a whole semester and no real idea of what to do - a certificate in fashion seemed interesting and it's fair to say the rest is history from there.
What does it mean to you to be showing your designs at NZFW?
The opportunity to show at NZFW is a dream come true, being able to showcase my work on such a highly regarded stage is beyond energising. As an up-and-coming brand, this opportunity will allow me to connect and present to a wider audience throughout New Zealand and allow me to build a solid foundation for myself in the industry.
Tell us a bit about the pieces you’re showing?
I’ll be showing four outfits at NZFW that are yet to be seen outside of iD Fashion Dunedin. This collection, ‘‘Painfully Beautiful’’, is inspired by a transitional period in my life. Each outfit reflects, and is inspired by, emotions and conscious awareness over a four-month period that was simply painful, but ultimately beautiful, hence the name.
The use of my logo in various textile developments demonstrates that status of conscious awareness. This collection has been developed using 100% natural or second-hand recycled materials. At Vadar (my label), sustainability is a core value that is considered for each piece of clothing, made to do our part in rectifying fashion’s sustainability issues.
Taylor Pomphrey
Where did you grow up, and how did that influence your interest in fashion?
I grew up in Tasman, Nelson, born into a whānau of curious makers, and feel an inherent desire to create and tell stories through design. Observing and experiencing the colours, textures and forms in the natural world influence my creativity.
What does it mean to you to be showing your designs at NZFW?
Being accepted into NZFW in 2021 through the graduate show and Miromoda was the highlight of my degree and an experience I looked forward to immensely after graduating. To have the opportunity to present this work now that NZFW has returned is very exciting. To be involved in NZFW among so many talented designers and creatives is inspiring.
Tell us a bit about the pieces you’re showing?
These pieces are part of my 2020 graduate collection. Considering the relationship between emotions, fabric and form, this collection explores textiles and tactility for both the audience, wearer and maker.
It features elements of hand-knitting, pin-tucks, digital printed silk and glass beading. These details, shapes and forms draw inspiration from intangible experiences, the natural world and anatomy.
I imagine these pieces as garments during the process of the dresser undressing. On the body they are garments, hugging and draping off the form. When taken off, they lose their specific design, move freely and drape intuitively. I imagine them hung over a chair or left clumsily on the floor.
