Otago Polytechnic third-year bachelor of design (fashion) student Kennedy Lahood-Timu, 31, was looking forward to seeing her collection on the runway at the fashion school’s annual show tomorrow.
Miss Lahood-Timu started the collection when she was living in Milan — considered a part of the "big four" fashion capitals — earlier this year.
"I knew I wanted it to be inspired by my time living there and it was influenced by the really luxurious Italian fabrics that I had access to."
She wanted to capture the essence of what it was to live among the "fun and vibrant" Italian people.
"They just really live to have fun. No matter what day of the week it is, they’re all out in the street just having a good time."
Rather than sitting in a living room people would be out and about drinking, smoking and bonding.
Her collection features a lot of bright colours.
"A big signature of mine is blending unique colour combinations together. I really love doing that."
Miss Lahood-Timu went to Milan on exchange for seven months and was enrolled at IED Istituto Europeo di Design during her time there.
The school was a lot more strict and "pretty intense", but she thrived under the pressure.
She started designing her collection there and brought back mostly recycled, all-Italian fabrics to piece together in Dunedin.
A polytechnic spokesman said the fashion show — in its 34th year — would feature collections from 21 final-year students.
