Sara Kickmayer from Institut Français de la Mode, France has won first place at this year’s iD International Emerging Designer Awards. Images supplied.
The iD International Emerging Designer Awards 2021 winners were announced tonight at a sold out live show in Dunedin where eleven New Zealand finalists and five Australian finalists showed their garments on the runway. The event was also the premiere screening of the 2021 iD International Emerging Designer Awards film featuring the 41 finalists including the six emerging designers from six countries who won awards.
Sara Kickmayer, Institut Français de la Mode, France won the Otago Polytechnic First Place award. Sara’s collection ‘Real Utopia’ was inspired by modular transformable structures and shapes. Her collection featured silhouettes that are reminiscent of mountain structures and ancient drapes using a combination of raw processed materials and regenerated materials that move organically around the body.
Second place sponsored by Anita Greene of Bayleys Metro went to Min-Yan Tsai, Shih Chien University, Taiwan. Min-Yan’s collection ‘天照花塚 Flourish Tumulus’ silhouettes are drawn from samurai armour and military uniforms from World War II. The black and white colour palate plays on the idea of camouflage patterns and inspiration from chess pieces.
Wealth Protection Specialists Third Place was awarded to Mengzhe (Justin) Chi, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA. His collection ‘Put on – Take Off’ explores the relationships between everyday fasteners, user actions and clothing structure in a playful way making wearing more interactive. The design simplified silhouettes and sewing. Each look has an assembly instruction book, allowing consumers to purchase pre-cut fabric and follow steps to make their own garment.
Viva Best NZ Emerging Designer was won by Massey University graduate Lydia Paine. Research for her ‘Mother & Mode’ collection uncovered her grandparents knitting, smocking and cobbling skills, inspiring her to create a collection with a deeper, sustainable bond. Mother & Mode is a poignant reflection upon family, family history and crafts passed down through generations. Its slow-fashion pieces speak of fragments of memories and handmade processes, as a counter to over-consumption.
Gisella Candi, University of Technology Sydney, Australia received the Bremworth Natural Luxury with Wool prize. The collection ‘Wide Angle Smile’ uses off-kilter prints and odd silhouettes to explore the feelings and experiences of growing up in a society that rewards convention and passivity, rather than originality, passion and individuality. All the fabric was developed and screen printed and all knits were made on a domestic knitting machine.
iD Dunedin Most Sustainable Collection was awarded to Olivia Rubens, London College of Fashion, Canada. Olivia undertook nearly 10 collaborations to create the ‘Duplicitous Lives’ collection, including; working with an Estonian accessories designer to make chainmail miniature corsets, sourcing mohair and fleece from a UK farmer and working with an Irish company to dye yarns and fabric. Fabrics were created with hand knitting, knitting on the Stoll machine and embroidering.
This year’s awards were judged by an international panel of jurors led by head judge Tanya Carlson, founder of Carlson. The panel consisted of: Amanda Linnell, Editor in Chief, Viva Magazine (NZ); Anna Ross, Director, Kester Black (NZ); Carla van Lunn, Fashion Educator & Designer (Australia); Charmaine Reveley, Design Director, Charmaine Reveley, (NZ); Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Design Director, WORLD, (NZ); Donna Tulloch, Design Director, Mild Red, (NZ); Doris de Pont, New Zealand Fashion Museum, (NZ); Jacinta FitzGerald, Head of Programmes, Mindful Fashion, (NZ); Jessie Wong, Design Director, Yu Mei, (NZ); Katie Dominy, Cofounder, Arts Thread; (England); Kiri Nathan, fashion designer and cultural ambassador, (NZ); Margarita Robertson, Design Director, NOM*d; (NZ); Michael Dye, Editor in Chief, Cellotape Magazine, (Italy); Patty Huntington, Australian correspondent WWD, fashion commentator ABC, (Australia); Sara Maino, Senior Editor, Vogue Italia, (Italy) Sara Munro, Design Director, Company of Strangers; (NZ) and Tara Viggo, Design Director, Paper Theory (England).
“It’s encouraging to see that the future of fashion is in good hands, there is an overarching move toward an intimate process of creativity and handmaking, with a number of students incorporating hand knitting in their collections,” says Tanya Carlson. “All emerging designers engaged in sustainable practice and all share a desire to create fashion which leaves a lighter footprint.”
Professor of Fashion, Otago Polytechnic and iD Dunedin Fashion Inc. Chair Dr Margo Barton, thanked supporters and volunteers who made the event possible. “The iD Board thanks the global jury for sharing their time and experience as well as the hundreds of volunteer hours required to bring the show to the stage and celebrate the world’s emerging designers.”
iD International Emerging Designer Awards film 2021 will be released on the iD website from Monday 21 June. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.
Second place sponsored by Anita Greene of Bayleys Metro went to Min-Yan Tsai, Shih Chien University, Taiwan.
Wealth Protection Specialists Third Place was awarded to Mengzhe (Justin) Chi, Fashion Institute of Technology, USA.
New Zealand’s Lydia Paine, a graduate of Massey University, NZ was named Viva Best NZ Emerging Designer.
Gisella Candi, University of Technology Sydney, Australia received the Bremworth Natural Luxury with Wool prize.
iD Dunedin Most Sustainable Collection was awarded to Olivia Rubens, London College of Fashion, Canada.
Images supplied.