Otago’s best to debut at NZ Fashion Week

Eight of our 2025 Fashion Design graduates will get the opportunity to showcase their collections in front of the country’s leading fashion designers, stylists, media, and influencers next Wednesday afternoon (19 Aug), as part of New Zealand Fashion Week Kahuria.

The talented group will be in the spotlight as part of The Graduate Collections show on the main runway at Auckland’s Shed 10 (alongside recent graduates from Whitecliffe and Massey University).

Representing Otago Polytechnic are: Socrates Catapang, Willow Coombs, Anna Duncan, Felix Huber, Lucas Jones, Kennedy Lahood, Silva McDowell, and Nick Medelnik.

Head of Fashion, Professor Dr Margo Barton, says the eight graduates are “understandably very excited about the opportunity, and we are too!”

The Graduate Collections is billed as one of the most anticipated shows on the NZ Fashion Week schedule, and is a “a celebration of the country's emerging design talent and the tireless work of their tutors to prepare them for a future in the fashion industry.”

As one of Aotearoa’s leading fashion design schools, Otago Polytechnic was first invited to be part of New Zealand Fashion Week in 2016, and Margo says it’s hugely valuable opportunity for the emerging designers.

“It's a fact that most of the fashion industry in New Zealand is located on Tamaki Makaurau Auckland,” she admits.

“And so it's very important for our recent graduates to get up there and show their work, and it can even lead to employment or collaboration opportunities.”

(Designs by Socrates Catapang and Willow Coombs)

Some of the graduates have already set up their own fledgling businesses but are still working to develop their brand and find their place in the market.

“Participating in New Zealand Fashion Week as a young designer is also a great thing for them to have on their portfolio, both in Aotearoa NZ and when they travel overseas,” says Margo.

Margo believes a major strength of Otago Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Design (Fashion) programme is its proud positioning as a boutique school.

“Because we’re a small school, we know our students really well,” she says.

“That means we can tailor their education and direct them to an area that they might be interested in or show real strength in.”

(Designs by Anna Duncan and Felix Huber)

One of the designers, Felix Huber, is also getting the chance to showcase their musical skills at the show, having composed interludes and intros/outros to link together all the Otago graduate collections, as well as mixing the entire track.

Along with focusing on their own runway event, the eight graduates and two staff will be attending a range of other shows, including Wellington-based label twenty-seven names (founded by Otago Polytechnic fashion and art graduates Anjali Burnett and Rachel Easting).

The team will also be supporting Dunedin fashion label NOM*d and boutique PLUME, helping dress backstage at their joint show, and supporting Otago Polytechnic alumni Brittany Nelson-Misas with their brand Rhian showing at the Future of Fashion show.

(Designs by Lucas Jones and Kennedy Lahood)

(Designs by Silva McDowell and Nick Medelnik)