A whopping thirty nine budding fashion designers have made it through and will showcase their outfits down the runway at this year’s Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards.
Yeonjae Choi NYFD 2012 winner
The judges had to whittle down the final 39 standout finalists, after more than 200 people entered.
The 39 finalists are spread across the two different categories; junior designers, 16 to 17 year olds, and senior designers, 18 to 19 year olds.
Event organiser Donna Corbel from the Newmarket Business Association says the calibre of entrants was very high this year.
“The 39 that got through were just fantastic so we had to have them all,” she says.
The finalists were chosen based on their creative journals which showed designs that worked on paper and will work as physical garments. They are now in the creation stage of the competition, where they make their designs into wearable clothes based on the work in their journals.
The senior designer will receive a two year scholarship for Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, a two week internship with New Zealand designer Vicki Taylor and a trip for two to a ‘back stage experience’ at Australian Fashion Week thanks to M.A.C, Qantas and Business World Travel, as well as $500 towards their college.
The junior prize will include a two week internship at RUBY and Liam’s workroom, a $500 NZ Pleaters voucher and $500 to go towards their college.
Corbel says this is a big opportunity for a young person to get a real head start in the fashion industry.
“This is a great start in the right direction for any budding designer, and we hope to see the winner selling his or her garments in Newmarket, the fashion capital, in the future,” she says.
Newmarket Young Fashion Designer Awards will be held on Friday 11th October at the Centennial Theatre in Auckland.
Tickets to the awards show are on sale now at www.iticket.co.nz/