An Otago Polytechnic graduate will join a cast of fashion designers from around the world when she shows her creations at the iD International Emerging Designer Awards in March.
Shelby Tuinman-Bell, of Queenstown, is one of four chosen from the polytechnic to show her graduate collection at the Dunedin event.
The 21-year-old said she had been keen on the idea of fashion design since she was about 10 years old.
‘‘I've always been into art and drawing.‘‘I come from quite a creative family.‘‘That always been part of me.''When she left school she ‘‘wanted to do something different''.
She moved to the Otago Polytechnic from Massey University, ‘‘loved the course'' and graduated last year.
Ms Tuinman-Bell entered her graduate collection in the emerging designer awards, and found out in mid-December she had been picked.
‘‘I was so excited.''
While working at the awards last year, she saw what happened behind the scenes, met designers and ‘‘just thought it would be such an amazing opportunity to be part of''.
‘‘I was so honoured to be chosen.''
Ms Tuinman-Bell joins 39 emerging designers from around the world for the event.
The finalists were selected from a pool of more than 150 entries from 15 countries.
The selection committee was made up of Kiwi fashion designers Denise L'Estrange-Corbet (World), Adrian Hailwood, Tanya Carlson and Company of Strangers' Sara Munro.
The committee said the overall standard of entries was the highest yet.
Ms Carlson said the finalists chosen stood out for their creativity, technique and individualism.
‘‘Many are exploring the often-complex relationships between the past and today's modern society, where excess, fleeting trends and an insatiable hunger for the new and now is an all too common experience.''
The other polytechnic graduates chosen were Andrea Short, Brittany Pooley and Sophie Ball.
