Looking to the future

Each year a select group of New Zealand's most talented emerging designers are selected to appear as part of the Verge Breakthrough designer show staged as part of Air New Zealand Fashion Week. Ragtrader profiles those making a bid for the big time at this year's installment.

1984 DESIGN LIMITED
Katarina Tua, the 23-year-old designer behind elegant label 1984 is a woman who likes to plan ahead. Having been sewing since the age of 11, she spent much of her youth working for fabric stores before studying for a Diploma in Fashion Design at Christchurch's Design and Arts College of New Zealand. Set to launch her first collection at ANZFW later this month, Tua's first range is titled 'Checkmate' in reference to the game of chess. Featuring structured pieces with pleats and straight lines, it is constructed primarily from natural fibres including wool and silk in an attempt to make it easy for women to choose a piece that will compliment a vast array of shapes. Tua says the standout feature of the collection is the use of scarlet red running through the palette.

EUINTON
Euinton designer Claire Euinton likes to think of herself as the queen of the knitwear basic. A graduate of the Wanganui Polytechnic Bachelor of Fashion Design course, the Zimbabwean-born designer is one of the more experienced of the Verge group with her self-titled label about to launch its sixth collection. Targetted at modern women "who appreciate the luxurious qualities of knitwear for warmth, breathability and an elegant look and feel", Euinton's garments are all about choice with belts doubling as ties or buckles and scarves forming an integral part of tops. Currently stocked in 20 New Zealand stores nationally, the label's outdoorwear is made from wool blends while its indoorwear is made from yarns such as viscose and cotton. The collection retails for between $A108 for a knit singlet to $A191 for a lace stitched cardigan.

ELUSIV
Two-year-old men's streetwear brand Elusiv is proud of its strong Kiwi heritage. Formed in January 2005 by professional rugby player Ben Smith and designer Nicola Reilly, the Dunedin-based brand is easily identifiable by its strong Maori motifs - in particular its New Zealand-themed logo. Having been accepted for guidance from the Dunedin Fashion Incubator, Elisiv was last year engaged to provide clothing for the Highlanders Super 14 rugby team which in turn has helped boost its stockist profile and driven more custom to its online retail site. Retail price points for the brand are between $A68 for its T-shirts to $A165 for one of its jackets.

BLAK BASICS
If you're going to launch your own fashion brand, getting your former employer on side is never going to hurt. And so it was for Blak Basics designer Teresa Hodges, who began her career in fashion as a design assistant at New Zealand label Moochi and was later offered a capital from the same company to go out on her own. Having learnt to sew at an early age by watching her mother instruct her sister, the busy mother-of-one launched Blak Basics five years after starting at Moochi. Essentially a basics line, Hidges says the range combines key features including quality Italian fabrics with "attention grabbing design". Stocked in eight stores throughout New Zealand, retail price points vary between $A78 to $A209.

THOMAS VALENTINE
Thomas valentine designer Sheridah Anderson did not take the traditional route to fashion. Originally trained as a biochemist and teacher, she spent the early part of her working life as a practising solicitor. However, with an eye on design and a passion for fashion, it was only a matter of time before she faced the inevitable. Having launched her first womenswear capsule collection in winter 2004, it wasn't until 2006 that Anderson designed full time. Anderson says her motivation comes from a love of great design, the movement of fabric and the "essence" of the forms that then evolve. Such has been the early success of the brand, Thomas Valentine opened its first retail store on Auckland's Ponsonby Road in February 2007. The range retails for between $A77 for a T-shirt to $A610 for a coat.

OYL
Made in New Zealand and launched just last year, Oyl is a label hoping to join the ranks of other prominent Kiwi labels to have launched via the Verge shows including Charmaine Love, Cybele, Helen Talbot, Firefly, Pearl, James & August, Keucke, Lonely Hearts Club, Widdess and Michael Pattison. Founded by friends Vicki Reid and Nicola Karam, both women claim fashion as an obsession. Having worked together for several years before going their respective ways to have babies. Designing their collection as "beautiful clothes without compromise", Oyl's garments feature a fusion of original New Zealand artwork and screen-printed designs, beaded and embroidered onto fabrics which are hand treated to achieve the label's signature appearance. Price points range from $A174 to $A871.