Record entries at iconic fashion design awards

New Zealand’s most iconic fashion design awards competition has received a record amount of entries for the 2012 event to be held in Gore next month.

Hokonui Fashion Design Awards executive producer Heather Paterson is thrilled with the huge number of entries that have been received and said it was a “sure sign” that this year’s event would be bigger and better than ever.

“Given that a number of factors including the Christchurch earthquake aftermath and the slower economy are still with us, I was fully expecting to see fewer entries this year,” she said.

“In fact we have over 200 individual designer entries and these designers have submitted more than 300 garments,” she said.

“While I’ve yet to see them all, I’m sure the judge’s task of whittling entries down to the final 200 to be seen on the catwalk will be extremely difficult.”

Mrs Paterson said she was pleased to see entries from many new designers, with an increased number coming from the North Island. The Secondary Schools section has shown good growth and there has also been increased support from local Southland schools this year.

The new ‘Auaha Award’, recognising the creativity and flair of New Zealand’s culturally diverse community and designs reflecting the country’s culture, has drawn considerable interest from throughout the country.

Mrs Paterson said she believed a number of designers were targeting this particular award.

“The winner of the Auaha Award will have presented a design that reflects the growing multi-cultural influences in New Zealand today,” she said.

The increasing profile and recognition of the value of the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards has helped also helped gain new sponsors, including Tohu Wines and Resene.

“Sponsorship is proving harder to get in these tougher economic times, so we’re thrilled to have attracted these additional quality brands as supporters of the Awards.”

With the Awards now less than five weeks away, the huge task of cataloguing the garments, and auditioning and fitting models, will happen over the next three weeks.

The Hokonui Strictly Design Evening will take place on Friday 27 July and the Hokonui Gala Awards Evening on Saturday 28 July. Tickets for both events will go on sale at the Gore i-SITE on 28 June 2012. Visitors can phone the i-SITE on +64 (3) 208 9908 to buy tickets.

Visit http://www.hokonuifashion.co.nz/events-tickets for more details.

The Hokonui Fashion Design Awards have been running since 1988 and are now firmly established as a key event on the national fashion calendar.  The Awards offer a competitive platform for all amateur designers to display their designs before a panel of high profile judges.