Bright Young Things

Wellington’s fashion fraternity recently attended Massey University’s New Blood fashion show that featured graduate collections from Design Graduates on campus in the magnificent Great Hall as part of the creative Blow Festival…

Massey University New Blood Graduate Fashion Show 2011

Friends, family and Wellington’s fashion fraternity recently attended Massey University’s New Blood fashion show that featured graduate collections from Diploma in Fashion Design and Technology and Bachelor of Design (Fashion Major) students. Held on campus in the magnificent Great Hall, New Blood was part of the Blow Festival, which showcases creative work from selected tertiary institutions around New Zealand.

Fashion alumni from Massey University’s fashion programme include Kate Sylvester, Rebecca Taylor and Colette Dinnigan, so there were some uber fashionable boots for the graduates to fill. Guests vied and shuffled for the best seats, and as the lights dimmed, the more row-envious among the crowd slid into the unfilled reserves.

The Diploma graduates showed first, and each presented two different looks. Themes ranged from layered up Goths-in-love (still moody but using sheerness, lighter colours and exposing skin to soften the look) to luxe sportswear with contrast coloured panel work and cutaway sections. Dawn Pengelly won the Booker Spalding Award for Excellence, and it was clear from Matt Templeton’s adeptly cut his and hers look that he was most deserving of The Fabric Warehouse Award for Design and Innovation.

Next up were the Degree collections, where graduates showcased their unique fashion vision honed by four years of study. Massey focuses on fostering design innovation while also arming students with the practical skills necessary to execute their concepts, and most collections showed evidence of both creative and technical flair.

Within the fifty collections presented, there were cute kids in clashing patterns, sweet vintage lingerie looks, candy coloured second skins and everything in between. University should be the time to let creativity loose and experiment with form and function before commercial considerations govern the design process, so it was good to see some far out fashion fantasies amongst the other more restrained collections.

Nicola Paverd’s well tailored cracked suiting frock coats won her the Viline Award for Best Use of Product and the collective breath was taken away when Rebecca Maxwell’s intricate laser cut Moroccan lantern dresses above and Sam Murray’s ice block bright sculptural wool and tencel garments below (which won the Kirkaldie and Stains award for Creativity and Innovation) graced the catwalk.

Another memorable collection was Fo’i Seaso’s NEUW SKIN, which brought together disparate elements including digital printing, Tatau, hand dyed leaves, candy colours, male/ female motifs and leather to create tattooed post apocalyptic Mad Max maidens. An eclectic vision using tradition concepts contrasted with up to the minute techniques leant Seaso’s collection a feeling of freshness and intrigue. Read our interview with the designer on Thread here.

Of the more commercial collections, standouts included Jess Henley’s skilful suiting which gained her the Knifekut Award for Achievement and Dedication,

Blair Hetet’s Nostalgia of Mud-esque menswear,

Julia Lynch’s award winning tailoring

and Grace Cryer’s gorgeous luxe separates.

At just over two hours, the crowd was suffering from a little fashion fatigue towards the end of the show, but it was worth the wait to honour the blood, sweat and no doubt many tears that went into the collections and see that the future of New Zealand’s fashion industry looks safe in the hands of these bright young things.

Highlights: Bold use of colour (rather surprising for Wellington!), delicate and well considered embellishment, deft cutting, strong menswear looks

Lowlights: White price stickers left on the bottom of the shoes, collections under or over styled, ill fitting trousers, badly pressed garments, the chatter coming from backstage

Trends: Haute rock n roll, sheer layering, nipped in waists, a strong, structured shoulder, embellishment, contrasting textures and fabrics within one look, Granny’s garden, cut-out panels

Words and catwalk photography by Rose Jackson
23 November 2011