2010 Media Releases
2010 Hokonui Fashion Awards Judges
Denise LEstrange Corbet - World Auckland
Theresa Brady - Doosh Auckland
Emily Kerse - Invercargill
Adrian Hailwood - Auckland
Anjali Stewart- Twenty seven names - Wellington
PRESS RELEASE 6/10
The 2010 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards entries have now closed, and Award's convenor Heather Paterson is pleased that this year's awards have attracted similar numbers of entries. "We were a little worried that the numbers may have been back given the current uncertain economic times" she said. Once again designers from throughout New Zealand have entered along with three from Australia and one from India. "It seems as though our website is gaining interest from overseas and this in turn is realising entries" she said.
All entries will be competing for a share of the total prizes on offer valued at $26,000. The Overall Award of Excellence winner will receive a prize package of $12,000. For those designers under the age of 21 years the Young Designer Award carries a prize package valued at over $2,500.
A number of sponsors are running competitions for the public in conjunction with the Awards in 2010, Westpac are running a mask competition for secondary school pupils along with a collage design competition for primary schools. Liquor-land have a promotion involving Villa Maria while New World are running an in store promotion with a difference, the prize being a jacket designed by Adrian Hailwood.
The models this year will be known as the Solid Energy models, the energy giant coming on board as a sponsor at the Awards for the first time. Other new sponsors this year include local clothing retailer Carvan, Fredericks Menswear, New World "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome on board all of our new sponsors and hope that they both enjoy and profit from their association with our event" commented Mrs Paterson.
Several Southern Institute of Technology students will be having a 'hands-on' role this year, being involved backstage with wardrobe, hair and make-up. This gives these students to gain experience from industry leaders such as Mike Hamel
.The judge's panel has been finalised and echoes the high standard of fashion industry personnel the Awards always attract. Entrants can be assured that their creations are being critiqued by some of the best this country has. Heading the panel is Denise L`Estrange of World, while Theresa Brady of Doosh makes a return visit to the Awards again this year. Auckland's Adrian Hailwood of "Hailwood" and Anjali Stewart of "Twenty Seven Names" join the panel which is completed by local designer and past entrant and now established designer Emily Kerse.
Unfortunately Pieter Stewart who was originally on the judging panel has had to cancel due to overseas commitments but has indicated a desire to be involved next year.
Ensuring that the audience is kept informed of the proceedings are comperes Brendon Pongia, well known in the South for his basketball exploits and also as a presenter on TV1's Good Morning Show. He is joined by local music identity Helen van der Linden who has been involved in the compere’s role at the Awards for a number of years.
Once again a team of volunteers are preparing for the arrival of garments and the task of coding, sorting and cataloguing into the eight competitive sections.
Set up of the venue along with manning the bars and the unenviable task of clean-up will again be in the hands of the Gore Aquatic Club who use their involvement at the Awards as a major fundraiser. "They do an excellent job for us every year' Mrs Paterson said "and they have no shortage of members all keen to help out"
Tickets for both evenings of the 2010 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards go on sale this Thursday 24th June and are available from the Gore i-site Visitor’s Centre. Ph 203-9288
Hokonui Fashion Design Awards 2010.
With a little under four months until the running of the 22nd Hokonui Fashion Design Awards planning is well under way.
Executive producer Heather Paterson is once again inviting entries from all creative people of all ages 'This is an ideal opportunity to showcase your creative design talents and have them judged by a panel of top New Zealand fashion identities' she says.
Three members of the five person judging panel have been confirmed. Theresa Brady of the highly respected Doosh label returns again this year having experienced the Awards for the first time last year. Theresa is excited about returning south to judge, 'I was so impressed with last year's event, the standard of entries was very high and the whole event ran so incredibly smoothly'.
Joining her on the panel is Pieter Stewart, well known as the founder and organiser of New Zealand Fashion Week. Pieter has judged at the Awards before but like Theresa she to is excited about returning 'I can't wait to see how the Awards have progressed since I was last here' she commented.
Adrian Hailwood also joins the panel returning for his third time. He first joined us as a young designer after being a star at NZ Fashion Week. And now own a fashion store on K Road in Auckland and supplies top designs stores throughout the country as well as overseas. Just confirmed is that Denise L'Strange-Corbet from" World" will join the judges panel. World has supported our Awards for many years with Francis attending often but this will be Denise's first trip to the Deep South.
Compeering the Awards again this year will be Helen van der Linden and she will be joined by TV1's 'Good Morning' co-host Brendon Pongia. An ex Tall Black, Brendon is well known in Southland for his feats with the Southland Flyers basketball team and he is still very passionate about Southland. Brendon had heard only good things about the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards so he was extra keen to come south and experience them first hand.
Enquiries about the Awards have again been received from throughout New Zealand along with a few from Europe and Australia 'it would be fantastic' if these overseas enquiries translate into actual entries Mrs Paterson said the cost of sending designs the hard part
Media interest is once again expected to be high as the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards are now well recognised as being an important part of the New Zealand fashion scene. Success at the Awards has proven to have positive spin offs for many past entrants and winners as they forge their careers in the fashion industry.
Fashion design competitions such as the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards play a very important role in aspiring designer's careers. Covering some eight competitive sections, entrants will be vying not only for section honours but for the coveted 'Award of Excellence' which carries a prize package valued at $10,000. Other major awards include the 'Young Designer Award' open to those under the age of 21 at the 30th June this year, while winning the 'Southland Award' is a great incentive for local Southland designers. The total prize package is once again in excess of $25,000. For further information regarding entries, important dates and details of the eight competitive sections all details are on the Awards web site.
The 21st Hokonui Fashion Design Awards
held in Gore over the weekend were the best yet said Executive Producer Heather Paterson. “We had an extremely successful two evenings of amazing fashion and design” she said. The Strictly Design show held on the Friday night ran flawlessly in front of an estimated crowd of 450 people who viewed all the competing garments from the nine competitive sections.
On Saturday the 700 people attending the Gala Awards were wowed by not only the design entries but by showcases from Doosh and Charmaine Reveley along with a stunning gown from iconic New Zealand fashion label “World”. A hip hop dance routine by Christchurch hairdresser Carlos Gomez stunned the crowd as he performed his routine on the catwalk.
At the end of the evening Dunedin’s Laura Marshall took out the Ensign Award of Excellence with her Menswear entry while the Westpac Young Designer Award went to Elise Barnes also of Dunedin. The Westpac Southland Designer title this year went to Claire Miller of Invercargill. Other awards were spread amongst designers from Auckland, Taupo, Masterton, Wellington, Christchurch, Gore and Invercargill.
The 2009 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards attracted a record 298 entries all of a very high standard. The judging panel for the 2009 Awards was made up of Francis Hooper of World, Theresa Brady from Doosh, Rex Turnbull, Charmaine Reveley and Mike Hamel of Ginger Meggs. Head judge Francis Hooper commented that the quality of the entries was high while he felt that the menswear section in particular was outstanding.
Mrs Paterson was high in her praise for the team of volunteers who help make the event run so successfully. “They are unpaid helpers who give freely of their time and they all have such a passion to see that the event runs so smoothly” she said, “without them the event would not happen”.
On Sunday Francis Hooper was the guest speaker at a brunch where he addressed the audience and told of the story behind World’s success. He stressed the importance of designers entering all design competitions possible and that they must accept failure as part of the journey to success. “Take heart from rejection and criticism of your designs and build on it” he urged. “Fashion is not an easy career and requires not only passion but persistence as well” he said. “Ask for the opinion of your colleagues and friends and take on board all suggestions they give even if you don’t end up applying them“.
2009 Media Releases
2009 sees the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards celebrate their 21st birthday.
Now firmly established on the New Zealand fashion calendar, the Awards are the country’s longest running fashion design competition of their type.
Well recognised as a ‘must enter’ fashion design competition, the Awards offer all amateur fashion designers the opportunity to display their talents in a competitive arena judged by a panel of high calibre fashion judges in front of a public audience. With a total prize pool on offer this year of $24,000 success at the Awards is well rewarded and entrants will once again compete for the overall winner’s &lsquoAward of Excellence’ with a prize package valued at $10,000.
Heading the 2009 judging panel is Francis Hooper of iconic New Zealand fashion label ‘World’. He was confirmed to judge last year but unforeseen circumstances prevented this from happening. This will be Francis’s third appearance at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards and he is a staunch supporter of the event and the opportunity the Awards offer up and coming designers. He will be joined on the panel by a further four judges whose identity will be revealed once they have been confirmed.
The introduction of a Sunday brunch with a guest speaker last year proved a hit and convenor Heather Paterson says this will be happening again this year. The guest speaker will be Francis Hooper and he will share with the audience the amazing journey he has taken in establishing World as a successful and internationally recognised fashion label.
Entries for the 2009 Hokonui Fashion Design Awards are now open and close on the 16th of June. The organisers encourage all creative people to enter this year as success at the Awards is a big step forward in the fashion industry. A new section ‘Avant-garde’ has been added this year taking the number of competitive sections to nine. This new section encourages ‘fantasy creations with no boundaries’ Heather explained. Further information regarding entries can be found on the Awards web site www.hokonuifashion.com
Once again the Mataura Licensing Trust is giving exceptionally generous support to the Awards. Heather said that over the years the Trust’s financial backing has enabled the Awards to experience huge growth and also to remain in Gore. This growth has in turn been recognised by the national media with increased positive coverage of not only the Awards but the Gore area, both on television and in the print media. “Without the support and backing of the Mataura Licensing Trust our event would struggle” Heather said “they do a huge amount for the community”.
The Hokonui Fashion Design Awards will be held in Gore on the 24th and 25th of July.
2008 Media Releases
Top Line Judges for 20th Anniversary Awards
Award’s Executive Producer Heather Paterson is thrilled to announce the confirmed judging panel for the 2008 Peugeot Hokonui Fashion Design Awards which will be held in Gore on 25th and 26th of July.
Well known and respected fashion designers and sisters Margi Robertson of Nom D and Liz Findlay of Zambesi return to judge the Awards this year. They will be joined on the panel by Annah Stretton of “Annah S”. Annah is a first time visitor to the Awards and is well known not only for her fashion label but has won several business awards. She is also the owner of ‘Her’ magazine. Rex Turnbull once again returns in his fifth stint on the judging panel. He is very well known in the fashion and art world and last year was made Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. Completing the panel is Auckland designer Michael Pattison. He is a past entrant in the Awards over several years gaining recognition. Last year he made a huge statement at New Zealand Fashion Week with his innovative women’s and men’s designs.
Entries are now open to all amateur designers of all ages and those designers whose garments make the catwalk will again be competing for a share of the $24,000 prize pool. More details can be found on the newly redesigned website www.hokonuifashion.com. The Awards have attracted a number of new sponsors this year including Westpac, SIT and Aqua Merino - a Wellington based retail and design operation.
‘Reaching the 20th Anniversary is a significant milestone’ Mrs Paterson said. The Awards are well recognised as the premier fashion and design awards of their type in New Zealand and are now the longest running fashion and design awards in the country. ‘We will be going all out this year to celebrate this achievement’ she stated. Attendees at the Awards can expect to see a number of new, innovative and exciting changes to the already popular and successful event.
Once again the Awards will be held over two evenings with the ‘Strictly Design’ show on Friday 25th featuring all the competition garments in a fully choreographed show. Saturdays ‘Gala Evening’ promises to be an evening of spectacular fashion and design culminating in the announcement of the winner of the ‘Ensign Award of Excellence’.