College Designer Wins at Newmarket Awards

Emerging Year 12 designer Clara Wigmore has won the Junior Design Category at the Newmarket Young Designer Awards held at Auckland’s Centennial Theatre last week.

Clara’s design included pants, a shirt, a sweater and a coat inspired by Chanel. She was chosen as the Junior Category winner against sixteen 15-16 year old finalists from more than 200 initial entrants into the competition. The event also included a senior category of 17-18 year olds.

The designer had been working on her garments since May this year. With the first stage of judging already completed on her creative journal design, Clara’s piece was judged on the evening on how her finished outfit looked on the runway.

The judges said her journal showed a great process with well-considered ideas and her garments reflected a good balance of innovative design and commercial viability with good construction.

Clara will receive a two week work room internship at RUBY and Liam’s workshop, a $500 NZ Pleaters voucher, an individually handcrafted gold lapel pin from Greg Holland Jewellery, a $250 Purfex voucher and a $500 voucher from NZ Pleaters to go towards Saint Kentigern College.

Event organisers said this year there was a record number of very high calibre finalists in the Awards, and this was a big opportunity for a young person to get a real head start in the fashion industry.