Twentysevennames designer Anjali Stewart and her university tutor Margo Barton. Photo / Babiche Martens Expand

Twentysevennames designer Anjali Stewart and her university tutor Margo Barton. Photo / Babiche Martens

It takes a village to raise a child, goes the proverb, and the same maxim could also be applied to fashion. It takes a village to start a label, to grow and sustain it, and most of all, it takes a village to get a wannabe designer to that point of actually being able to make something. Creativity doesn't work in a vacuum, and a young designer needs more of a background than just a love of pretty dresses.

The talent and skills of young designers need to be nurtured and pushed to their limit and often this is the role of tutors, who come to act as mentors. With the university year coming to a close and fashion graduate shows seemingly happening each week (Whitecliffe held theirs on Saturday night) it seems fitting to acknowledge those behind the scenes who are helping shape the future of our fashion industry. We talk to three young designers about their most inspiring tutors.

Anjali Stewart

Dunedin loves fashion: Tanya Carlson launched her label there, Nom.d and Margi Robertson have helped shape the national fashion landscape, and the designers behind Twenty-seven Names studied there and first launched their label in the Gothic City in 2006.

Anjali Stewart, one half of the now Wellington-based label, began her fashion career at Otago Polytechnic, studying a three-year fashion design degree (her other half, Rachel Easting, studied art).

The pair began their label (then called love-lies-bleeding) while still studying, with printed tees and sweatshirts - including a hand-drawn print that Margo Barton still wears.

Stewart counts Barton, the academic leader of the fashion school at the University, as a key influence on her and the label.

"She's a constant source of inspiration and support to me," explains Stewart, who catches up with Barton every year at Dunedin iD. "We have always been able to go to Margo for advice and support - she is always available, and there is something really nice about having someone who you can rely on for support when you're unsure of things."

And it's not just advice and support that 26-year-old Stewart can rely on - Barton is also currently completing her PhD in Millinery, something that came in handy for the Twenty-seven Names' show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week in September.

"She made our Yoko Ono-inspired hats - I gave her about three days' warning but she came through for us and they looked really amazing."

Stewart also counts Murray Bevan of PR agency Showroom 22, friend and PR Rebecca Lawson and designer Juliette Hogan as other important and inspiring mentors of the label.