Praise from top New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester topped off a successful week for iD Dunedin Fashion Week.
Fashion week committee chairwoman Cherry Lucas said Ms Sylvester had been ‘‘impressed'' with the Dunedin event, the first one she had managed to attend.
It was high praise coming from someone who sold her designs all over the world and hosted fashion shows of her own, Ms Lucas said.
Ms Lucas, who stepped into the chairwoman role this year, said the unusually warm weather for the iD Fashion Show on Friday and Saturday nights had been an added bonus to the week, along with the surprise offer of an internship with UK-based designer Emilia Wickstead.
This year's internship was won by Australian-based young designer Stephanie Frig, who came third in the iD Emerging Designer Awards.
Young Australian designer Jordan Anderson took the top prize for his collection ‘‘Global Citizen'', while Otago Polytechnic student Sophie Ball (22) won ‘‘Most Commercial Collection''. The internship would offer more ‘‘prestige'' to the event, Ms Lucas said.
She was impressed by the public support for the week's activities, with large crowds enjoying the more than 40 events. ‘‘I think it went well.''
At the iD Dunedin Fashion Shows, capacity audiences were enthralled by the collections of top New Zealand designers and labels, including Tanya Carlson, Julian Danger, Mild Red, Charmaine Reveley, Company of Strangers, Huffer, Zambesi, Dada, Nom*d, guest New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester, and international guest designer Emilia Wickstead.
There was an array of capsule collections from local designers, Otago Polytechnic graduates, and the winners of the iD International Emerging Designer Awards.
A special highlight of Friday night's show was a showcase of Air New Zealand uniform designs over the past 50 years, modelled for the occasion by flight attendants.
- By Greta Yeoman and Brenda Harwood
