Westpac Seeks Kiwi Fashion Stars Of Tomorrow

Media Release
Wednesday 29 June, 2011

Westpac Seeks Kiwi Fashion Stars Of Tomorrow

Westpac is searching for the next Zambesi or Huffer ahead of this year’s New Zealand Fashion Week.

The Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition is back for 2011. At stake, a career-enhancing prize package that includes $5000 cash, mentoring from a leading designer and business banking advice. Plus, the chance for three young designers to show their own collections at New Zealand Fashion Week.

The annual Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition was launched in 2010 to mark the fifth Westpac RED COLLECTION show at New Zealand Fashion Week. The response from young designers was overwhelming, with over 70 original mini-collections entered from all around the country.

Two rounds of judging and more than 12,000 public votes later, 20-year-old Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology student, Jess Britten, walked away with the inaugural award.

“My last minute decision to enter the Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition proved to be one of the best decisions I've ever made,” says Britten, who is now gaining hands-on industry experience as the Production Manager for local fashion label Lonely Hearts.

“The whole experience and process of the competition has helped me so much, both personally and professionally. I've always believed in dreaming big, but sometimes a little bit of help along the way makes those dreams seem a lot more achievable!”

The Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition is New Zealand’s premier launch pad for emerging and high potential fashion designers. The competition is open to students who are currently completing a New Zealand fashion based tertiary course, or have graduated from a New Zealand fashion based tertiary course within the last four years.

Aspiring designers have until 5pm on Thursday 28 July, 2011 to enter a portfolio of three looks, along with a brief biography, plus a paragraph on how they would put the practical prize package to work for their future. Entries can be submitted via the Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/westpacyoungdesigner

A panel of established fashion industry experts will select the ten most outstanding entries as semi-finalists. The top ten mini-collections will then be uploaded to the Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition official Facebook page, where the public will be encouraged to vote online for their favourite young designer.

The three designers who amass the most public votes by Sunday 14 August will travel to Auckland to present their mini-collections during New Zealand Fashion Week. At the Westpac RED COLLECTION show on Thursday 1 September – after a dramatic live runway walk-off – the Westpac Young Fashion Designer winner will be announced.

Westpac is looking for a winner with passion, vision and a strong aesthetic sense – a designer who is capable of creating inspiring and original clothes that have impact on the runway, without forsaking wearability.

The Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition winner will receive a Westpac bank account with NZ$5000, along with a personalised package of mentorship from an established New Zealand designer, plus dedicated Westpac business banking advice.

Key Competition Dates:
Monday 27 June, 2011 – Entries open
5pm, Thursday 28 July, 2011– Entries deadline
Wednesday 3 August, 2011 – Top 10 semi-finalists announced on Facebook, public voting commences
Tuesday 16 August, 2011 – Top 3 finalists announced
Thursday 1 September, 2011 – Westpac RED COLLECTION show, winner announced live!

Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition 2011 Prize Package:
NZ$5000 in a Westpac business account
Mentoring from a Westpac RED COLLECTION designer for 1 year
Business banking advice from Westpac for 1 year

Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition official Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/westpacyoungdesigner

ENDS

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