Raise Up’s young designers have been lighting up the runway of New Zealand Fashion Week since 2011 and competing for the coveted title of ‘Supreme Designer of the Year’. But the decision to cancel New Zealand Fashion Week in 2024 was not going to stop the Raise Up team from celebrating the creativity and innovation of the next generation of fashion designers.
Instead, this determined group of young leaders designed and ran their own event instead. Their resilience in the face of disappointment was a real inspiration.
Held at the 154 year old Pah Homestead on 24 August, it was the perfect location to bring this year’s theme to life; celebrating the richness and variety of times past. Each of the 41 designers were invited to source their inspiration from history and tell a story through their garment; from modern retelling or an accurate reproduction of an ancient technique.
The event was sponsored by Manu Patel from Patel Pike and Associates along with a $1,000 cash prize.
The designs did not disappoint and were described as bold and innovative across each of the five categories – high fashion, streetwear, avant-garde, cultural and throwback fashion.
The Raise Up Crew had just 2 hours to get organised – complete the venue set up, roll out the red carpet, finish sound check and organise an excited group of 41 designers. Brandon Phillips, Crew Leader for Raise Up said “It was one of the best events I’ve ever seen our crew deliver”. That’s high praise indeed.
You can see some highlights from this year’s event here:
The 2024 judging panel included Rekha Dayal (Business Owner), Sabrina Gardner (Fashion Stylist) and Natalia Bertolo (Fashion Retailer), and had the enviable task of selecting the 2024 winners.
The category winners of Walk the Line 2024 were:
- High Fashion: Emma Thompson
- Streetwear: Freya Mercer-Moehammad
- Avant Garde: Sara Yao
- Cultural Fashion: Toetujoetina Lilo
- Throwback Fashion: Halle McPherson
The supreme award winner for 2024 was Halle McPherson with with a kilt and jacket inspired by the punk movement of the 70s.
Halle said “Kilts and tartan were worn at the time as a reference to Scottish rebels, so I created my kilt sewing pattern after my own family kilt. The punk movement was all about pushing against fashion norms of the previous generation. My jacket sends a statement of being restrained by mainstream fashion, at a time where fast fashion is the norm.”
Other awards also went to Māui Hitchens for originality and Tara Slattery for the creative use of materials.
Mt Roskill Techology teacher, Rebecca O’Neill spoke about the impact of the event saying “This event was a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity. I was really impressed with the quality of the outcomes to. It was great to be involved and I’m looking forward to encouraging more students to get involved next year.”
For more information about Walk The Line and Raise Up, visit the Raise Up website here