A Tauranga woman has been selected to take part in an international awards show for emerging fashion designers.
Ayla Rorvik, 21, is one of 31 finalists representing five countries - New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and China - in the ninth annual iD International Emerging Designer Awards, due to be held in Dunedin in March.
Her graduate collection, titled A Controlled Nature was selected from more than 100 international entries.
"When I found out [I was a finalist] I was really surprised," Miss Rorvik told the Bay of Plenty Times from her Wellington home.
"There is so much talent and so many amazing collections coming out of Massey [University], and to be selected from them is a huge honour. And the fact that I'm one of a handful from around the world who are up for this award is amazing."
At the end of 2012, Miss Rorvik graduated from Massey University's Wellington campus with a diploma in fashion design and technology. Currently in Wellington, Miss Rorvik is working part-time while pursuing her fashion career in her spare time.
"My graduate collection is the only collection I've done, so that's going to be in the [awards] show. I have four looks in womenswear that I'm going to show."
"After this I have my sights on another collection that will probably be a bit more commercially focused," she said.
Her winter 2013 collection tells the story of how man exercises his control over the natural environment, which she captures through layering her garments.
"Each look has between four and seven garments and it uses a lot of contrasting textures and the use of squares is prominent. And the de-saturation of colour represents how man has stripped the beauty out of nature," she said.
Miss Rorvik was excited to see her collection modelled on a catwalk and meet other designers from New Zealand and abroad.
"Even if I don't win, just being a part of the emerging designers show is really amazing and I feel very privileged.
"There is nothing else I would rather be doing than this. I love it."
The top three winners of the iD International Emerging Designer Awards will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to take part in the iD Dunedin Fashion Show.
iD committee chairwoman Susie Staley said the awards were the only fashion competition of their kind in New Zealand and offered the chance for designers to be noticed on an international stage. "The iD ... Awards offer graduates a unique opportunity to be critiqued by some of the most influential fashion leaders in the world," she said.
The iD Awards will be held at the Lion Foundation Arena at Edgar Stadium, Dunedin on March 14.