Fashion is a universal language and it spoke volumes at the annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards in Dunedin last night (17 March). Good editor Carolyn Enting was there to cover the event.
Ilham Aaheda Ismail’s collection Universal Fingerprints represented the idea of coexistence
Hannah Kim’s Ode to a Monster
Stephanie Frig’s took third place for her colourful collection All About Nagymama
The Fabric Store Award for Excellence in Design went to Lucy Virgona
The Most Commercial Collection Prize went to Sophie Ball
Fashion is a universal language and it spoke volumes at the annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards in Dunedin last night (17 March).
Thirty-eight finalists from 15 countries converged on the Southern city for Australasia’s only emerging fashion competition, and the award winning collections carried many messages including those peace and unity.
Ilham Aaheda Ismail from University of Technology, Sydney was awarded the inaugural Susie Staley Special Achievement Award for her collection Universal Fingerprints which represented the idea of coexistence, in particular the fusion of Muslim and Christian cultures.
Ismail brought together geometric sacred symbols used in Islamic art and design, combined with the gold of cathedrals in Christian religion to create a collection that reaches across cultural boundaries.
“Ilham Ismail, impressed us with the way her collection brought cultures together and sent a powerful signal of peace,” said judge and founder of emerging designer platform, Not Just a Label, Stefan Siegel.
The stand-out and first prize winner at the Awards was designer sportswear collection Global Citizen designed by Jordan Anderson from Queensland University of Australia that utilised innovative fabric technology, heat transfer techniques, 3D tactile surfaces and even had its own “fresh” global flag design.
It told the story of the designer’s creative journey during an international exchange program visiting 14 countries across the world. Inspired to create a united global citizen flag, Anderson’s collection includes a unique flag print, alongside oversized 90s-inspired sportswear created in hi-tech sports fabric using cutting-edge technology. The designer, who was also influenced by English artist Ian Davenport and his gravity defying drip paintings, impressed judges with his forward thinking approach, research and fresh ideas.
Second place went to Hannah Kim, from University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Her Ode to a Monster collection inspired by Shelley’s Frankenstein, transformed the ugly and grotesque by combining elements of the human anatomy with delicate botanical illustrations.
“It questions what we regard as beautiful and finds the delicate, sensitive and poetic within the repulsive,” said Kim.
Stephanie Frig, University of Technology Sydney, Australia took third place for her colourful collection All About Nagymama inspired by the over adorned and excessive nature of 1980s films created by Spanish film maker Pedro Almodovar and elderly women in their Sunday best.
In special recognition of her collection, which displayed exceptional fabric technology and craftsmanship, Emilia Wickstead also awarded Frig an opportunity of an internship with Emilia Wickstead in London.
The Fabric Store Award for Excellence in Design went to Lucy Virgona, also from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
Virgona’s collection Raw Naivete, illustrated an emotional representation of nature. Organic lines, stylised imagery, thick brush strokes, chunky knots, voluminous silhouettes and natural fibres (Australian merino and hemp).
The Most Commercial Collection Prize went to Sophie Ball, from Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand, whose playful collection Welcome to Sophie’s World, featuring quilting and prints that looked to the Loch Ness Monster and Abominable Snowman – Locky and Snowy – inspired by the fun notion that Wanaka is hiding its own mythical creatures.
The award for the Best NZ Collection was awarded to Kingkang Chen of Whitecliffe College, New Zealand. His collection, Happening, an individual exploration of the confusion of life. Chen combined eastern zen mood and romanticism with western sub-culture. “In the utopian world created by this collection, weirdos are no longer weirdos and all is natural and equal,” Chen explains.
The Award winning collections will be part of the iD Fashion Shows held tonight and tomorrow night (March 18 and 19) on the platform of Dunedin’s historic Railway Station.
The show will be featuring the Autumn/Winter 2016 collections of leading Dunedin designers NOM*d, Tanya Carlson, Mild Red and Company of Strangers, as well as guest designer collections from London-based designer Emilia Wickstead, Kate Sylvester, Zambesi and Stolen Girlfriends Club.
See more at www.idfashion.co.nz
