Emerging designers from as far as Japan, Argentina and Scotland will be travelling to Dunedin next year after being named as finalists for an international fashion award. 

iD Fashion, in association with Otago Polytechnic, this week announced the finalists for the first round of the iD International Emerging Designer Awards. 

The frontrunners were selected from an international field of entries representing 37 fashion schools and universities from across 17 countries.

iD Fashion co-chair Dr Margo Barton said it was an absolute pleasure to be involved in selecting the finalists. 

She was impressed by the calibre of submissions this year.

“It was very heartening to see such interesting and individual design points of view, coupled with truly thoughtful sustainable designing.

“These submissions bode well for the future of the fashion industry.”

Successful finalists would travel to Dunedin to compete in the awards during next year’s iD Dunedin Fashion Week, from March 15-21.

They would showcase their work to a jury and public audience, competing for more than $30,000 in prizes.

This is the first year the competition has offered two rounds for submissions.

Round two closes November 30.

The round one finalists are: Alberta Bucciarelli, UTS, Australia; Chenyue Dai, Donghua University, China; Chi An Chen, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Chico Yu, Bunka Fashion Graduate University, Japan; Frankie Sturdy, University of Brighton, UK; Jessie Cunningham-Reid, RMIT University, Australia; Kao Wan Ci, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Katrina Kan, RMIT University, Australia; Kouki Sugahara, Bunka Fashion College, Japan; Kyoei Matsumoto, Bunka Fashion College, Japan; Marie Victor, Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia; Matilda Walker, Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia; Pinchien Liao, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Rose Brown, Nottingham Trent University, UK; Tiancheng Meng, London College of Fashion, UK; Valentina Di Bastiano, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Wei-Kai Tseng, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Yi-Shiuan Hsu, Shih Chien University, Taiwan; Yinming Quan, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland; Yuka Horie, Bunka Fashion College, Japan; and Yung-Yung Chuang, Shih Chien University, Taiwan.

— Allied Media