Teen shows garment in NZ Fashion Week

Mirene Castlefort spent two weeks cutting fabric into tiny triangles.

It paid off for the 15-year-old who saw her creation modelled at a New Zealand Fashion Week show for secondary school designers.

The Carmel College student entered Walk the Line, which is a fashion show run by the YMCA’s youth development programme, Raise Up.

Mirene spent her holidays cutting triangles and sewing them together to create a patchwork coat which was modelled at a show on August 27.

She attributes her artistic nature to her family. Her mother is an interior designer and her father used to be the head of an industrial design school.

‘‘When I do something, they always say go the extra mile,’’ she says.

‘‘They’ve got a good eye for art, so they can definitely give me advice.’’

The show is run by young people for young people from 13 to 18, starting with a competition to be selected in five categories.

About 60 students’ entries were chosen for the runway, including Mirene’s in the ‘‘high fashion’’ section.

Mirene estimates there are upwards of 200 triangles in her coat and she says her dad ironed all of them.

This is the first time the Takapuna resident has made anything using an industrial pattern and she’s also new to using an industrial sewing machine.

Mirene helped run Walk the Line last year and decided she wanted to enter this year.

A rehearsal two weeks ago has made her excited to see her creation modelled under the lights of the catwalk, and she is already considering her design for next year.

The supreme winner of the competition wins a scholarship to Fashion Tech. The Walk the Line event is run by YMCA Auckland’s Raise Up crew.

Coordinator Nick Douch says the event gives young designers a chance to show their work on New Zealand’s biggest fashion stage.

‘‘We hope it is a life-changing experience that encourages them to keep following their passion and dreams,’’ Douch says.

‘‘It’s all about giving young people an opportunity to work on something big, from behind the scenes to the runway.’’

PHOTO: ZIZI SPARKS/FAIRFAX NZ Mirene Castlefort individually cut and sewed every patch in this jacket.