Young designer’s smashing debut
Student designs open at NZ Fashion Week.
Auckland teen Natalia Donald is about to go to New Zealand Fashion Week for the first time — not just as a spectator but a designer whose silk showstopper will grace the runway.
The 18-year-old is the youngest of 16 students from New Zealand Institute of Fashion Technology selected to open three shows at Fashion Week in late August.
“It’s pretty exciting to be able to have so many opportunities so early,” Natalia told the Herald on Sunday.
Her design features a fire-engine red silk bodice and pleated skirt, paired with a robe in the same colour.
It’s the culmination of the 2017 Resene NZ Fashion Tech Colour of Fashion project, which saw 36 diploma students create designs inspired by the fashion capitals of the world.
All 36 lengths of silk used for the project reflect a new Resene paint colour. Natalia’s colour was “Smashing”.
“My favourite colours are the primary colours, so red is definitely one of my faves.”
Natalia’s design was inspired by the neon-lit, busy streets of Tokyo and the many alleyways, which are home to boutiques and daring outfits.
“And my mum. She is a really important part of my life and has always been really supportive.
“She has worked in op shops most of her life so I’ve been around that and fashion a lot,” Natalia said.
Her dream is to create unique outfits that aren’t too expensive or high end.
In choosing the 16 students to show at Fashion Week, the judges, including Karen Warman from Resene, looked for outfits “that shimmer and swish, and whisper secrets . . . that refuse to bow to the convention of ordinary”.
“Natalia has taken a very strong red and through clever design and a stunning fit on the bodice, has softened the colour and embraced its femininity.
“The ‘swish and sway’ as this outfit moves adds an extra dimension to the beautiful coloured fabric,” Warman said.
Resene has supported the project for four years, to boost the careers of emerging New Zealand designers and promote the company’s new paint colours.
The ‘swish and sway’ as this outfit moves adds an extra dimension to the beautiful coloured fabric.
Karen Warman