NICOLA LUEY
Young designer Nicola Luey has already amassed a handful of impressive accolades: her collaboration with Vietnamese designer Khanh scooped up first place at the Vietnamese and New Zealand Embassy Fashion Collaboration, and she was selected to show as an emerging designer at iD Fashion Week. Luey’s vibrant, playful designs bring a youthful exuberance to New Zealand’s fashion scene.
KINGKANG CHEN
“I wanted to combine the Eastern zen mood and romanticism, with Western subculture and rebellious spirit to express and vent my emotions,” says Kingkang Chen, talking about his collection, Happening, which was selected to be shown at iD Dunedin Fashion Week as part of the iD International Emerging Designer Awards.
STEPHANIE FRIG
Stephanie Frig’s designs are hard to miss: think, oversized coats and knits in clashing colour palettes. The Aussie designer pays homage to Spanish director Pedro Almodovar in her A/W16 collection.
SOPHIE BALL
Recent Otago Polytechnic graduate Sophie Ball, 22, has found her niche designing sportswear-inspired pieces with an offbeat edge. “Textiles are my jam,” Ball says. “I channel my inner child to create quirky characters that I can turn into print and bring to life through textile exploration.”
BENJAMIN ALEXANDER
Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design graduate Benjamin Alexander is bringing a touch of glamour to New Zealand’s up-and-coming designer scene – and this issue of MiNDFOOD STYLE – with his sequinencrusted suits and intricate beaded evening dresses. Alexander’s embellished, ornate pieces reflect the emerging designer’s desire to focus on artisanal techniques, tailoring and structure.
