DHL fashion finalists 2012

Three of New Zealand’s top emerging fashion exporters are a step closer to winning the highly coveted DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship. The finalists are I Love Ugly, Ingrid Starnes and Kowtow…

Three of New Zealand’s top emerging fashion exporters are a step closer to winning the highly coveted DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship following an announcement today. The finalists are I Love Ugly, Ingrid Starnes – both from Auckland – and Kowtow, who hail from Wellington.

“The calibre of the applicants this year is fantastic and we’re thrilled with the finalists. With $10,000 in international freight plus mentoring from DHL and FINZ on offer, the competition has been fierce,” says Megan Wildermoth, national strategic account manager (fashion and textiles) at DHL Express.

This is what the judges had to say:

I Love Ugly

“I Love Ugly has a strong and strategic online presence that complements traditional retail and this will allow them to expand. Their range is very saleable online and they offer the full range of products in the men’s wear range. They have a great vision, they know exactly what they want, what they have to do to achieve it and already have a fan base amongst their target market.”
www.iloveugly.net

Ingrid Starnes

“Ingrid Starnes has a complete collection that’s beautifully put together with a lot of style. She has a very strong design aesthetic that is very well supported domestically. With her business foundations already in place and a clear export strategy, she has the potential to really take off in export markets.”
www.ingridstarnes.com

Kowtow

“Kowtow has a distinctive point of difference with their sustainability angle and that provides them with great opportunities globally. The designer Gosia has a clear export strategy with plenty of room to expand. Her design aesthetic is timeless, ageless and has an enduring quality the means it will last more than one season. Gosia has exhibited some real depth to the Kowtow brand.”

The winner of the DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship will be announced at an awards event and fashion installation at 6.30pm on Tuesday 13 November in Auckland and Thread will be there with all the news from the night.

8 November 2012