Maori Fashion Design Awards Call For Entries

Inaugural Maori Fashion Design Awards Call For Entries

MEDIA RELEASE
3 April 2009

Officially launching Miromoda – the Indigenous Maori Fashion Apparel Board at Parliament last month, MP Simon Bridges delighted a surprised, but appreciative, crowd of Miromoda supporters, when he stripped to reveal a Miromoda tee shirt under his business shirt.

Guests were privy to the launch of Miromoda’s new website, its impending Fashion Awards Event in June at Massey University for established and emerging Maori fashion designers, and its impending showcase of winners event at the Air New Zealand Fashion Week (ANZFW) in September 2009.

But co founder, Rex Turnbull, speaking from his Sydney base today, says there is a need to treat the call for entries with a degree of urgency. “The offer to showcase Miromoda Fashion Design winners and runners up at ANZFW in September has seen our Awards event in June looking at an end of April deadline for entries.”

Turnbull says, the launch and getting the website up and running while seeking sponsorship has demanded a lot of time and resource but thanks to a Creative NZ grant to kick things off, “the Awards programme is looking extremely exciting”.

Sponsoring the venue, Massey University’s Big Hall has hosted a number of fashion shows, so organizers are pleased the anticipated Miromoda programme will fit an already successful template.

Although unable to attend Miromoda’s launch, Stewart sent a letter of apology acknowledging she looks forward to ‘working closely with everyone involved with Miromoda in the future, and to help bring this exciting vision to reality. It will be a very proud moment when we see the first Miromoda show on the catwalk at Air New Zealand Fashion Week.’

In 2007, an estimated $23million contributed to the NZ economy via ANZFW, it is envisaged Maori designers and key stake holders will play an integral role in the future of fashion in New Zealand.

Italian fashion House - Mittlemoda representative, Stefano Sopelza has already offered an internship to the winner of the Emerging section of the Miromoda Fashion Awards Competition.

KEY POINTS

• Miromoda is committed to nurturing the development of the Maori fashion industry’s future designers.

• Miromoda’s educational initiatives will provide support and strengthen resources for students at high school, tertiary and post-graduate levels.

• Miromoda will support working designers in the early stages of their careers, and should they require it, mentoring throughout their future including international profile and participation.

ENDS

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