The 16th annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards winners will be announced in a premiere video presentation on Friday, August 7th — an exciting first for the prestigious event.

Filmed in bedrooms, hallways and parks across 14 countries in Covid-19 lockdown, the presentation is being edited by world-leading production house NHNZ.

32 finalists collections will be judged by an unrivalled panel of 16 international fashion experts from five countries. Judging will take place over the next two months and the winners will be announced live at a glamorous event at Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin.

Announcing the panel, iD Dunedin Fashion Inc. co-chair Dr Margo Barton said judging and hosting the show online provided an unparalleled opportunity to make the show truly global and draw upon some of the world’s most experienced fashion judges.

“The Board of iD Dunedin is delighted to have pulled together such a wonderful array of international talent. It’s an amazing opportunity for the 32 finalists to have their collections viewed and critiqued by these judges.”

“Ironically moving the emerging show online has taken us back to our roots, as we welcome Stiofán Sopelza back as a judge, he was our first international juror.”

Led by head judge Tanya Carlson of Tanya Carlson, the star-stunned panel is:

  • Margarita Robertson, NOM*d (New Zealand)
  • Wynn Crawshaw, Wynn Hamlyn (New Zealand)
  • Fiona Ralph, sustainability journalist and former iD International Emerging Designer Awards finalist (New Zealand)
  • Donna Tulloch, Mild Red (New Zealand)
  • Stiofán Sopelza, Mittelmoda Fashion Awards Project Manager Mittelmoda (Italy)
  • Sara Maino, New Talents Editor of Vogue Italia (Italy)
  • Stefan Siegel, Director Not Just a Label (USA)
  • Adrien Yakimov Roberts, International Director at Grad Fashion Week in London (UK)
  • Stephen Jones, Stephen Jones Millinery (UK)
  • Lutz Huelle, LUTZ (France)
  • Patty Huntington, fashion journalist ABC Australia and WWD (Australia)
  • Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, WORLD (New Zealand)
  • Doris de Pont, New Zealand Fashion Museum (New Zealand)
  • Doris Raymond, The Way We Wore (USA)
  • Sara Munro, Company of Strangers (New Zealand)

Tanya Carlson says applicants designs were submitted early this year before the global Covid-19 pandemic but even so, the panel noted that their fashion reflected their observations on challenges faced by the world.

“It was wonderful to see young people thinking creatively of a way to help out. Collectively they showed outstanding use of recycled fabric, cleaver upcycling and embraced new technologies. There was also an overall trend to tell their own story through references to their ethnicity and culture which was explored with beautiful, sensitive design.”

iD Dunedin Fashion Inc. co-chair Sally Peart says the new online video format enables iD Fashion to extend the reach of this iconic event to an international audience and early indications are that it will be a huge success and may become the norm for delivering this global competition.

Dunedin lovers of fashion will have the first opportunity to view the premiere at a glittering event in Dunedin, after which the iD International Emerging Designer Awards video will be made available online.

Following the announcement of the jurors’ choice of winner, viewers from around the world will be invited to vote for the Otago Polytechnic’s People’s Choice Award. They will choose from wonderfully-curated collections of vibrant fashion submitted by the following finalists:

Anelisa Mcetywa

Harmony; Cape Peninsula University of Technology; South Africa

Anna Hambira

The Private Revolution of the Individualists; University of Applied Arts Vienna; Austria

Beier Kang

2D-3D; Shanghai University of Engineering Science; China

Bonita Alexander

Lost Property; Queensland University of Technology; Australia

Eliska Marczan

Matrilineal; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia

Ellen Cara Watson

Praevado; Fashion Design Studio, TAFE, Sydney; Australia

Faiha Rahmani

Of Two Minds; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia

He Xinyi

My Bed; Donghua University; Shanghai, China

Imuy Teav

Gentle Man; Auckland University of Technology; New Zealand

Isabella Diorio

F.E.T. (Female Engagement Team); Kent State University; USA

Isabelle Badr

In Gear; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Jordyn Smith

Fashion’s Prometheus; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Julie Mwiragua

Tenderhead; South Metropolitan TAFE; Australia

Julien Esteves Berthier

La Nausee; Istituto Marangoni, London; United Kingdom

Kauri Takahashi

Boro Boro; Massey University; New Zealand

Ketty Lin

Proteggimi; Polimoda; Italy

Kim Clark

Overlapped; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Yufan Li

WHISKING PAST; Donghua University; China

Ruby Van der Zanden

Why Not? We’re on Holiday; Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; New Zealand

Marlena Czak

Why me, why me; Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź; Poland

Mei Zheng

See Me; University of Technology, Sydney; Australia

Micaela Ailen, Camila Bautista and Gonzalez Lema

Luxo Gang; Universidad de Buenos Aires;  Argentina

Morgan Allen

MRGN The Label; Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester; United Kingdom

Nadya Kusumo

925; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Pujasree Vatsa

Saudade; National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai; India

Sheung Yung (Sharon) Tsang

Hallucination; Donghua University; Shanghai, China

Srinvanti Roymoulik

Flowing Rhythm; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Stina Margareta Randestad

Hybrids; The Swedish School of Textiles; Sweden

Vera Kalugina

Aurora; Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin; New Zealand

Zarin Tasnim Mim

Safe Amazon; BGMEA University of Fashion Design and Technology; Bangladesh

Zhongchen (Jake) Liu

No, Everlasting Eternity; RMIT University, Melbourne; Australia

Congratulations to all the finalists! Stay with The Fashion Bible for more details on the iD International Emerging Designer Awards 2020.

TLFB Team

TLFB Team

The Last Fashion Bible is an interactive hub of fashion and lifestyle-related video content, featuring a mix of both international and local runway shows, editorials, interviews, how-tos and much more.

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