iD offers exciting opportunities for graduates

Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga School of Design graduates Russelle Ivan Tino, Sidney North, Francesca Flynn, Finn Duffy and George Park will present designs from their 2022 graduate collections as part of iD Dunedin Fashion Week.

The graduates are excited to see the designs on the stage next to industry "heavyweights” as part of the full iD Fashion shows at the Dunedin Railway Station on Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our graduates to appear alongside some of our best-loved New Zealand brands,” says Professor Margo Barton, Head of Fashion at Otago Polytechnic’s School of Design and co-chair of the iD Dunedin Fashion Inc board.

“It gives them a sense of the future they can have in this industry, but it also gives our established designers an insight into where the industry is heading.”

All five Bachelor of Design (Fashion) graduates were given free rein when developing their collections as part of their final-year studies.

Sidney North

Sidney’s collection, "Obsession", is based on a gemstone theme which includes ruby, topaz, amethyst, emerald and pearl tones.

“It’s very long, flowy, feminine and sexy; sort of a business style ... it’s lots of opulence and feminity, it’s an obsession of jewels, really.”

She says she wants to explore society’s obsession with shiny objects and jewels “on an anecdotal level”.

Russelle Ivan Tino

Russelle is presenting three pieces from his collection, "Say Yes to Heaven", including one he describes as a bridal collection that aims to “transport the viewer to the experience of a real wedding and play on the idea of heaven and femininity”.

The big finale piece was a bridal gown, surrounded by bridesmaid dresses.

"There’s a lot of florals, but not florals in terms of print — I’ve done a lot of textile manipulation, making heaps and heaps of fabric roses.”

George Park

George’s collection, "The Nature of Mercury", plays with the concept of parallels between the human and animal kingdoms, but also weaves modernity and artificial intelligence with camouflage.

"I worked with a lot of material with the ideas of reflection, and repetition, and stripes — stuff that tricks the eye. You’ll see a lot of reflection.

Finn Duffy

Finn’s collection, “Select Your Player, focuses on diversity through garment choice.

“It’s a chance to explore luxury fabrics by sending creativity spiralling into a fabric manipulation fantasy. From a sketch of a base figure, the character and garment development evolve through imagination, attention to detail, and by using specific design techniques to celebrate the role of each character.

“Designer and artist collaborations and textile manipulation of each fabric and outfit, testing the touch, feel and volume of each piece brings these beloved silhouettes to life.”

Francesca Flynn

Francesca’s collection, “The Colonial Wedding”, is inspired by her journey of whakapapa and reconnection to her Ngāi Tahu iwi, and emphasises the impact of colonialism in Aotearoa.

“Through the lens of Christianity, the collection explores the reality of indoctrination and the explicit extermination of Māori culture, and the impact this has on Māori wāhine today.

“Experimentation with textile manipulation and unconventional materials, implementing techniques such as laser cutting, etching, heat moulding and glasswork, pushes the limits of the materiality of fashion.”

Catch a glimpse of the Otago Polytechnic iD graduate collections here