By Annabelle Tukia
Australian designers have made a clean sweep of the top placings at this year’s ID International Emerging Designer awards.
Twenty-six up-and-coming young fashionistas showcased their collections in front of a 1200-strong crowd in Dunedin.
The award attracts entrants from some of the world’s most prestigious fashion schools, and this year was no exception.
Finalists wowed the crowd with everything from slightly outlandish to simple and pretty.
But like every good competition, there had to be a winner. The judges’ choice this year; Australian Kate Bolzonello with her collection Clouded.
Kiwi designer Tanya Carlson was on the judging panel and says the Melbourne student’s collection was a step ahead of the rest.
“She was extremely clever and articulate in conveying her originality,” Carlson says.
Bolzonello says she was a bit surprised when her name was called as the winner, but hopes it will help her gain an internship in Paris.
“I guess it helps me feel more confident in my design, because that’s always something that every designer feels, that doubt of what they’ve done or whether other people will like it,” she explains.
“It’s such a personal thing to do, to design a collection.”
The up-and-coming designer walked away with $5000 prize money and a prestigious award to put on her CV.
3 News