Cultural themes inspire finalists

A jumpsuit made to look like a tattooed second skin is one of the Bay of Polytechnic student designs to vie for top honour at the Westfield Style Pasifika Awards tonight.
The tertiary institute has traditionally done well in the prestigious event and this year is no exception.
Group leader of the creative design programme, Debra Laraman, is a finalist in the bridal and parent and child categories, while designs from five of her students and one ex-student will also vie for prizes on the catwalk.
Mrs Laraman, who won the supreme award in 2007 with fellow tutor Donna Dinsdale, said it was a huge honour to be a finalist.
"The big thing for the students that's really nice is they get to see their garments for the first time on professional models, in a professional show.
"It's probably the most high profile fashion event in the country."
The polytechnic has been entering - and doing well in - the awards for seven years now. Students have won at least one category every year.
"We have made it part of our curriculum, so the students do a cultural design and that is the outcome of it but not the focus."
This year, 24 students made a garment and six were selected in pre-judging to be sent to Auckland.
Of those, five garments made it into the show.
The tutors often enter the show but never in the same category as the students.
Student Shannon Lockton is a finalist in the street category for a jumpsuit inspired by Polynesian tattoos.
"I designed the tattoo myself and got it digitally printed on to a fabric.
"The jumpsuit is quite fitted, like a second skin," she said.
"It's good to have something that you have done and put a lot of effort into and get it put into a competition like Pasifika. A lot of work and research has gone into it."
The students have been working on their designs for two to three months.
Sarah Friis is a finalist in the evening category with a garment inspired by pohutakawa.
"When I think of New Zealand, I think straight away of pohutakawa tree and summers on the beach," she said.
And Sheryl Handley's evening garment was inspired by time spent living in the Cook Islands.
Holly Waugh is a finalist in the Asia Pacific section with an Indian-inspired sari with harem pants.
The outfit includes a glove designed to look like a henna pattern.
Fellow Bay of Plenty Polytechnic student Hayley Erasmus is a finalist in the evening category.
Other Bay designers who are finalists are: Jo Odgers, Jacinta Fitzgerald and Genevieve Will, who is a former student at the polytechnic.
The event will be held at Auckland's Vector Arena.
Winners will be announced in 10 categories and one designer will be named the TVNZ supreme winner.