2 May 2018

Dunedin fashion week to focus on emerging designers

11:27 am on 2 May 2018

Dunedin's iD Fashion Week is under way again, but this year has dropped the railway station show due to funding restrictions.

Annaiss Yucra Mancilla is one of the finalists in the Emerging Designers show.

Annaiss Yucra Mancilla is one of the finalists in the Emerging Designers show. Photo: ID

iD Board chair Margo Barton said in the past most of the effort for the week went into the railway station show, but a review at the end of last year recommended the emerging designers show become the focus.

She said this was reinforced by their major funder, the Dunedin City Council, who said the money was dependent on running the emerging designer show but that they could run other shows as well.

Dr Barton said once they got their pot of money it was clear they were only able to run the Emerging Designers show.

She said local established designers have been supportive of the move, and several are taking part in other shows during the week.

The Emerging Designers judging show will be held on Thursday, and the awards presentation on Friday.

Dr Barton said the Emerging Designers show is totally unique, with nothing else like in Australasia. She said it draws recent graduates from the top fashion schools internationally, with entrants from New York, Hong Kong, London and Japan.

She said ticket sales this year have been excellent, and they have sold more tickets than they did for the three nights last year.