Fashion students shine bright

Otago Polytechnic ākonga strutted their stuff at the recent Hokonui Fashion Design Awards.

Congratulations to fashion student Tegan Rose Vickery whose entry won the overall award, the Award of Excellence.

Her voluminous orange linen canvas suit also received the Open Daywear Award. 

“I entered but I had no idea I was in with a chance, and then I won the daywear section. I thought the winner of the collections award won it overall, so I’m like, what the hell?” Tegan said after the awards ceremony.

Tegan's award-winning entry is not only beautiful, but carries a powerful message. She explains that the design was conceived as a response to her experiences with bulimia, and the process of creation gave her focus through a difficult period.

Another Otago Polytechnic student, Lucas Jones, secured the Open Menswear Award for his striking oversized black and white suit, a stylish entry that would be at home in any contemporary fashion collection.

This year, Otago Polytechnic collaborated with iD Fashion to sponsor a new award for a high school student to encourage a focus on sustainable design. The winner of Otago Polytechnic iD Dunedin Sustainable Excellence Award is May Dyson from Tuatapere. Her pastel green and pink creation also won the Natural Fibre Award, and we look forward to seeing what’s next for this up-and-comer.

The judges noted that the quality of entries was incredibly high this year. It takes an incredible amount of work to complete the process from concept to runway, so a big well done to all the participants.