EIT students wowed a capacity crowd with their kaleidoscopic garment designs in what has been billed as Hawke’s Bay’s “major fashion event of the year”.

Staged in EIT’s Trades Building, the iS3 Fashion Show was an end-of-year extravaganza featuring the work of ideaschool’s fashion apparel students.

For first-year students, it was an opportunity to once again showcase garments which had made a strong debut a week earlier at Cult Couture in Auckland.

All the entries had been accepted for this centrepiece event of the Southside Arts Festival.   Nikki Long’s Uma outfit, comprising a ‘skeleton’ vest worn over a long gown, and Hayley Fulton’s hunt-inspired red riding jacket and breeches were featured in television news coverage.

The brief for first-year students working up design concepts was to draw inspiration from their cultural backgrounds.

Keen on hunting, Hayley based her outfit on the traditional English version of the sport.  Entitled Oh Deer Lord, it was modelled with real antlers.

For her theme, Nikki tapped into Russian roots to convey the suffering experienced in the land of her forefathers.

Always the star turn, the Year 2 work was diverse in every respect.   Outfits included streetwear, menswear, recycled materials, steampunk fashion and Misty Ratima’s Maori-inspired design – the winner of the Hokonui Fashion Design Auaha Award.

As programme coordinator Cheryl Downie points out, the students employed colour, shape, fabric and design to create three-piece collections that were a feast for the eyes.

And that, she says, helps build the show’s standing as the region’s Bay’s most significant fashion event – “everyone wants to be there”

All 330 tickets were snapped up within 20 minutes of being made available, and in the lead-in to the event, there were 48 names on the waiting list.

The show was a cross-campus collaboration.  Trades students prepared the venue, including the stage and catwalk, hairdressing and beauty and body students worked on the models and art students ushered guests to their seats.

The catalogue was the work of Dean Moroney, a member of ideaschool’s The Place design team.

Contemporary music performance and screen production students also provided their talents and skills to help create a holistic fashion spectacular.