In an exciting and innovative first for the iD International Emerging Designer Awards 32 finalists have been chosen for its inaugural virtual awards show.
iD International Emerging Designer Awards in partnership with Otago Polytechnic is the only young designer show anywhere in the world to accept entries from recent fashion graduates throughout the globe. And this year, it’s going to also be the first to judge and host its awards show online.
This is the 16th year the iD Dunedin Fashion Inc. has presented the Awards with the move to become a virtual experience was prompted by Covid-19. Designs from the 32 finalists from 14 countries will be showcased in an exciting video show produced by international production house, NHNZ.
Finalists have been shortlisted from over 150 applications which were assessed by an all-star line-up of New Zealand designers. The group led by Tanya Carlson of Carlson along with Wynn Crawshaw of Wynn Hamlyn, sustainability journalist and former iD International Emerging Designer Awards finalist Fiona Ralph and Donna Tulloch of Mild-Red.
Tanya Carlson says applicants designs were submitted early this year before the global Covid-19 pandemic but even so, the panel noted that their fashion reflected their observations on challenges faced by the world. “It was wonderful to see young people thinking creatively of a way to help out. Collectively they showed outstanding use of recycled fabric, cleaver upcycling and embraced new technologies. There was also an overall trend to tell their own story through references to their ethnicity and culture which was explored with beautiful, sensitive design.”
He Xinyi from Donghua University, Shanghai has created a collection entitled ‘My Bed’ which pays tribute to the relationship between a person and their bed. He Xinyl reflects that humans begin and end their time in the world in a bed. People spend a third of their life in bed making it a very intimate place, one where secrets are held. He Xinyl began by treating four beds as art installations, draping used clothes across them and drawing the silhouettes which in became the basis for garment design. Her garments all include upcycled fabric and can be worn multiple ways to ensure they are sustainable.
Insomnia was the inspiration for Beier Kang from Shanghai University of Engineering Science. Insomnia is commonplace with thousands of people including Beier reporting issues sleeping. It was this personal experience which became the basis for starting to design her ‘2D-3D’ collection. Beier created two models of the brain during the process of falling sleep and then found the freedom within the continuous rotation and adjustment of the body in 2D and 3D as the body found sleep. It was this rotation and freedom which she has applied to all the designs within her collection.
During a two month internship in Shanghai Ketty Lin from Polimoda, Italy, watched women using umbrellas regardless of sun or rain. This was the genesis for ‘Proteggimi’ (main image), Italian for protect me. Ketty also wanted to draw attention to sustainability, the environment and multi-functionality which is represented by including the umbrella in her designs. Umbrellas are multi-functional – they can be fashion accessories, provide shelter from rain and sun or become walking sticks. Umbrellas were incorporated with the classic shape of the trench coat by draping the fabric to create dynamic silhouettes.
‘Why Not? We’re on Holiday’ is inspired by Ruby’ Van der Zanden‘s dad who passed away just over a year ago. Ruby, from Otago Polytechnic, wanted to create a body of work as a shrine to him. Every piece of the collection had to connect to him in some way for her to feel that the work was authentic. Ruby’s primary focus was bespoke digital textiles. Each element of every garment had to have layer upon layer of meaning for her and to achieve this she rediscovered her child self to intuitively create authentic prints. For Ruby honouring her dad had to be joyful, light-hearted and even silly to remember him as he was.
Kauri Takahashi who was born in Japan and grew up in New Zealand called upon the traditional Japanese concept of wabi sabi for her collection. Wasi sabi is the early process of decay and Japanese culture recognises and appreciates its beauty and the nature of imperfection. Kauri, from Massey University, used a minimal colour palette with sheer fabrics to mimic nature and embrace imperfections in nature through the stains and rips and raw hems of the fabric. Furthermore she explored gender neutral clothing, sustainable design practice with minimal waste. All her fabric is natural and biodegradable and she added elements of handcrafting to ensure a connection between the wearer and the designer.
Praevado, is Latin and means to escape or be free and its a contemporary ready-to-wear label by Ellen Cara Watson from Fashion Design Studio Ultimo, Sydney. Ellen’s inspired by Stella McCarney; as a vegan herself, Ellen believes her mission is designing clothing that is thoughtful to the environment and animals. This collection explores the duality of masculinity and femininity present in every woman and draws inspiration from a mixture of the English countryside and the romance of the Rococo period.
Bonita Alexander‘s graduate collection ‘Lost Property’ is a speculative fashion collection exploring the nostalgic potency of a found object and people’s ability to create unexpected meaning from that which is forgotten. ‘Lost Property’ is a collage of unexpected meaning; about nostalgia, found objects and collage. Bonita used experimental pattern making to ignite the ethereal nature of her colleges. Each collage is printed on Belgium organic linen and she applied the unpredictable nature of design to pattern making, by draping vintage pattern pieces on the basic pattern blocks.
Anna Hambira‘s collection ‘The Private Revolution of the Individualists’ is inspired by her closet friends who she says don’t want to fit in boxes and want to create an open minded space for themselves. Anna believes revolution is completely opposite to the world’s current social and political situation, which is based on fear. She wants her designs to support people’s personal aspirations and allow them to express themselves while having fun at the same time.
Imuy Teav‘s collection aims to push the boundaries of menswear and contribute to the global discussion about masculinity in fashion. Imuy took inspiration from the female form and male workwear during the Victorian era. She choose this time because it was significant in creating early ideologies of the ideal male and female fashion. Born and raised in Cambodia and she moved to New Zealand at the end of 2014 completing a bachelor of Fashion Design at AUT and has just completed her honours degree. Fashion is a vehicle for Imuy to express her creativity.
Research for Morgan Allen’s collection took her to stately homes and then she started studying royalty and Queen Elizabeth taking particular inspiration from her coronation dress. Morgan then developed a character – the queen’s rebellious granddaughter who needed a collection for her graduation. Morgan worked with the granddaughters love of sportswear and juxtaposed it with the Queen’s look. Morgan incorporated jacquard, flocked fabrics, heavily beaded fabrics and sequins. All knitting was by hand with recycled yarn and all the buttons are sewn by hand after they were found in charity shops. Morgan wants the collection to prove sportswear isn’t just for the youth or for the track she wants to show how it in a different light and encourage its wear it for different occasions.
Life is very busy and you can immerse yourself in this state and not realise the passing of time. Yufan Li took this state as a starting point to undertake research on the street, and then looked at the chairs on the side of the road in China which many people sit on. Often they look as if they are in a different space from anyone else, even though they are in a busy environment. I took inspiration from this and my collection ‘Whisking By’ shows the state that people are in; many in such a daze that they create their own isolated space where they are not aware of the rest of the world, they are not even aware of the passage of time.
‘Tenderhead’ is an exploration of black hair community and a celebration of the time, artistry and love that characterise braiding culture. Tenderhead helps Julie Mwiragua reconnect with her Kenyan roots and celebrates her love of the movement empowering black and brown peoples to love their hair and their identities more broadly. Julie hopes people will to be able to identify and celebrate their own unique experience of fashion and that her collection will be a vessel for meaningful representation of all people.
Srinvanti Roymoulik’s ‘Flowing Rhythm’ collection stems from research around art therapy which explored the principles of rhythm and repetition. She then considered how rhythm and repetition manifest in textile and garment making. Textile art is formed through a process that generates responses in a body, with repetition eventually creating flow in design, which in turn becomes a reflective state of existence.
While moving quickly to create a virtual show has been challenging for the iD Dunedin Fashion Inc. volunteer board, co-chair Dr Margo Barton says it has also provided new opportunities. “As all judging will be undertaken remotely it has enabled us to tap into leading designers from around the world. We’re looking forward to announcing an all-star line-up of international jurors from throughout the world shortly. The finalists will be delighted to learn who is assessing their work.”
2020 iD International Emerging Designer Awards finalists and their collections are:
Anelisa Mcetywa; Harmony; Cape Peninsula University of Technology; South Africa
Anna Hambira; The Private Revolution of the Individualists; University of Applied Arts Vienna, Vienna
Beier Kang; 2D-3D; Shanghai University of Engineering Science; China
Bonita Alexander; Lost Property; Queensland University of Technology; Australia
Eliska Marczan; Matrilineal; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia
Ellen Cara Watson; Praevado; Fashion Design Studio, TAFE, Sydney; Australia
Faiha Rahmani; Of Two Minds; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia
He Xinyi; My Bed; Donghua University; Shanghai, China
Imuy Teav; Gentle Man; Auckland University of Technology; New Zealand
Isabella Diorio; F.E.T. (Female Engagement Team); Kent State University; USA
Isabelle Badr; In Gear; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Jordyn Smith; Fashion’s Prometheus; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Julie Mwiragua; Tenderhead; South Metropolitan TAFE, Bentley, WA; Australia
Julien Esteves Berthier; La Nausee Istituto Marangoni; London; United Kingdom
Kauri Takahashi; Boro Boro; Massey University, New Zealand
Ketty Lin; Proteggimi; Polimoda; Italy
Kim Clark; overlapped, RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Yufan Li; WHISKING PAST, Donghua University, China
Ruby Van der Zanden; Why Not? We’re on Holiday; Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; New Zealand
Marlena Czak; Why me, why me; Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź; Poland
Mei Zheng; See Me; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia
Micaela Bautista and Camila Lema; Luxo Gang; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Morgan Allen; MRGN The Label; Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester; United Kingdom
Nadya Kusumo; 925, RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Pujasree Vatsa; Saudade, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai; India
Sheung Yung (Sharon) Tsang; Hallucination; Donghua University; Shanghai, China
Srinvanti Roymoulik; Flowing Rhythm; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Stina Randestad; Hybrids; The Swedish School of Textiles; Sweden
Vera Kalugina; Aurora; Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; New Zealand
Zarin Tasnim Mim; Safe Amazon; BGMEA University of Fashion design and Technology; Bangladesh
Zhongchen (Jake) Liu; No, Everlasting Eternity; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia
Names of the outstanding panel of international jurors will be announced shortly, along with details of how to enjoy the spectacular iD International Emerging Designer Awards Show from the comfort of your own bubble.
View more from the designers here.
