Local fashion design awards a real drawcard
The MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards has developed from humble beginnings to an event that rivals anything the industry offers anywhere in the country.
Biddy Kerr of Gore and Val Jones from Hedgehope created the concept as a way of showing woolen garments with a group of fellow wool designers.
The event soon became an annual highlight on the Aotearoa fashion calendar and is now the longest running fashion design awards of their type in New Zealand.
It has enjoyed a long history of providing support to budding designers and working with some of the industry’s leading designers, including previous judges Karen Walker, Liz Findlay of Zambesi and Kathryn Wilson.
Early names associated with the show included Biddy Kerr, Viv Mountney, Heather Pryde, Diane Beale, Shirley O’Leary, Frances Hore, Donna Kerr, Annette Ainge and June Jennings.
The first show was organised by Sue Campbell and Megan Buckingham from Radio 4ZG in Gore and was held on December 1, 1988. Local music legend Peter Cairns provided the entertainment and 240 people attended.
Seventy sketches were submitted and after judging, 20 were asked to make up their garment for judging making a total of 34 entries, all were wool entries. Nine entries were also received in the under-18 section.
Judges were Francis Hore, Linda Ponsonby, Liz Deason and Barry Highsted with garments judged on style, originality and colour coordination.
Megan Buckingham from Gore was the first winner, she won $300. Her outfit was modeled by Fiona Glover from Mataura.
4ZG Radio Manager Graham Avery said at the time it was such a great night they would definitely hold it again. 4ZG organised the event until 1990. Biddy Kerr and Frances Hore revived it again in 1992.
Biddy Kerr was the convenor of those early years before Heather Patterson took the reins in 1998 until 2015.
The event has had three venues in Gore. The original event was held in the James Cumming Wing with the St James Theatre playing host from 1992 and the current venue at the Gore Town and Country Club first hosting in 2002.
After originally being held at the start of December, the event changed to Labour weekend before settling on July in 2000 when it is still held today.
The original Friday night timing was switched to Saturday night in 1999, with the second night to include Friday night beginning in 2004 as a dress rehearsal that the public could attend. A school section was also added in 2010.
The MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards provide a competitive platform for aspiring fashion designers to showcase their designs in front of well-regarded industry leaders. However, they are not just about showcasing Southland fashion, fashion on a national scale with designers from all over New Zealand is also shown.
This year 279 garments from 209 designers have been entered, a record number for the event.
The judging panel for this year’s awards includes Juliette Hogan, Huffer’s Steve Dunstan and Twenty-seven Names’ Rachel Easting and Anjali Burnett, an amazing line-up for 2022, says Awards committee chairperson Bronnie Grant.
‘‘We are fortunate to have fantastic local community support in terms of volunteer time and sponsorship, without either, the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards would not go ahead.
‘‘The Mataura Licensing Trust are our Naming Rights Sponsor and we are very appreciative of their financial support enabling the show to proceed with certainty each year.
‘‘Our fantastic sponsors allow us to continue to grow from year-to-year and enable our team to explore new ideas, bringing a different experience to the audience every year.’’
Tickets for the 2022 Saturday Gala Awards sold out in just 13 minutes and there are only a few remaining tickets to The Strictly Design Show on the Friday evening.
Tickets are available for the Kathryn Wilson High Tea on Saturday, July 30 - visit the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards Facebook page for further details.