Young Designers Steal The Show

Young Designers Steal The Show

11 August 2017, 2:40PM
Goode PR

New Zealand has crowned the top young creative talent across the country as the Brother Design Stars winners are revealed.

The Brother Design Stars competition, run by Brother International (NZ), encourages students in school years 7 to 13 to create original entries into one of two award categories – fashion or craft. The theme of this year’s competition was Steal the Show and that’s exactly what New Zealand’s youngest designers have done.

The top twelve finalists will have their entries modelled professionally on the runway at the New Zealand Fashion Week. Four will be Brother Design Stars Award winners, attending the show in person. The winners will be treated like New Zealand Fashion Week designers with backstage passes, front row seats, VIP status and time in the spotlight.

Christchurch teen Jane Boyle (16) has taken out both the Senior Fashion Award and the prestigious Brother Design Stars Supreme title. Jayda Lee Fairweather-Ponga (11) followed up as the winner of the Junior Fashion Award. In the craft section, young designers were asked to create a hat or headpiece. This inspired Ohakune local Chaya Connelly (13) to win the Junior Craft Award with her intriguing black horned headpiece she called “Maleficent”. Returning Brother Design Star from 2014, Zoe Beck (17), took out the Senior Craft Award with a show stopping headband creation with ferns, flowers and birds.

Brother Design Stars supreme winner Jane Boyle says her scene-stealing piece was made from recycled materials and handmade finishing touches.

“I used many recycled materials in the construction of my garment; from the worn red leather base to the individual coloured leather pieces, I handmade each and every one of the tassels covering the sleeve.”
Jane incorporated the competition theme of ‘Steal the Show’ into her garment with a little help from her style icon – Iris Apfel.

“Iris Apfel is a 21st Century icon, who continues to bring liveliness and colour into her everyday wardrobe. In my own garment, I tried to incorporate the colour, texture and use of pattern that appears in her wardrobe and create something of my own,” she says.

Competition judge Margo Barton, Fashion Professor at Otago Polytechnic commended Jane’s choice of inspiration and praised her talents.

“Jane’s entry is a timeless class and a real fashion statement. She used a variety of techniques that work very well together – a difficult task that was so well executed! I’m picking she will be one to watch,” she says.

Jane was thrilled to be announced Supreme Award winner of Brother Design Stars for 2017.
“I can’t believe I won Brother Design Stars, I’m still in shock! I want to work in the fashion industry when I leave school next year so this will really help to set me on that path.”

Younger fashion winner Jayda Lee Fairweather-Ponga (11) from Wellington won with her body suit and hand dyed tulle skirt. She quotes a rising Phoenix as her design inspiration.

Winner of the Junior Craft category Chaya Connelly (13) from Ohakune handcrafted her headpiece using a variety of mediums including clay, flax and materials like velvet and lace. Craft judge Fifi Colston gave Connelly’s entry a perfect 100 out of 100.

Zoe Beck (17) from Tauranga was delighted to make the final cut for a second time. “My design is runway ready, bold, glamourous and uniquely me!” Beck says.

Now in its fourth year, Brother Design Stars is the most prestigious youth fashion and craft competition in New Zealand. All four winners receive a Brother Sewing Machine of their choice, travel and accommodation to Auckland to attend the Brother Graduate Show at New Zealand Fashion Week; and ‘a-money-can’t-buy’ experience of behind the scenes access to the show.

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