Fine fashion by busy design student

A Bay of Plenty design student has finished one place short of top honours at the high-profile Pasifika Fashion Awards.

Karen Cooney, 52, a fifth year Bay of Plenty and Otago polytechnic student, achieved second place in the Colonial Pasifika Award category at the awards in Auckland on Tuesday night.

Cooney was no stranger to the high-profile awards night, appearing as a finalist in 2008.

She was inspired by early historical cultural exchange in New Zealand.

"I wanted to blend both Maori and European garments together to make a contemporary New Zealand aesthetic and identity," she said.

She worked seven days a week for about four months on her garments.

"I was really inspired and wanted to do well."

Cooney mixes her design work with caring for her family of five.

"I'm a fairly busy lady but that's how I like it. It was great, I had my daughter and husband with me at the awards."

She said mature students with plenty of life experience seemed to do well at the awards.

"I find it interesting that the mature students are the ones who seem to do best."

Cooney presented a three-piece collection at the awards night, her favourite shoot being the one pictured outside St Joseph's Church, Te Puna.

She said the photo shoot had French, Catholic and Maori themes merging which made a great cultural exchange.

"It was such a perfect place for my photo shoot," she said.

Cooney said she intended to carry on with contemporary New Zealand design when she graduates in November. "My question is still, what is contemporary New Zealand design?"

Cooney said she set a goal for herself at the start of the year to take out first place at the Pasifika Awards and vowed she would get it next year.