Newsmaker: Trish Strongman

Trish Strongman (centre) with model Chelsea Murray (left) and judge Lindah Lepou at the Cult Couture Fabrik Navigators Emerging Designer Show in Auckland on Friday night. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

This week's Newsmaker is Trish Strongman, who won the supreme Cult Couture Fabrik Navigators Emerging Designer Show Award at the weekend.

1 Describe yourself in three words.

"Ambitious, resourceful, intellectual."

2 You featured in the news this week for fashion designing but what else keeps you busy in Tauranga?

"Surfing. I'm not that good but there's only one way to learn. Huge bruise the first time I went out, the next summer I broke a toe. Hasn't stopped me yet. I figure where there's a will there's a way."

3 What is the one fashion item you could not do without and why?

"High heels - they finish any outfit in style."

4 What fashion trend do you think should never have been let loose on the world and why?

"Culottes - but they're back. My tutor, Donna, at the Bay of Plenty Polytech, gave me some sound advice once and said never say never to any trend."

5 What do you think is the recipe for success in your field?

"Put in the hard yards and develop a thick skin."

6 When you're creating an outfit, what music do you have playing in the background?

"EDM or anything on George FM."

7 Your creation featured tui and flaxes, but what is your favourite piece of 'kiwiana' and why?

"The Four Square man - Dick Frizzell took this icon to a whole new level."

8 Tell us a little about your multi-cultural family connections.

"Chinese aunty, Samoan uncle, Maori, Scottish, English and French family heritage (and some distant American blood). Officially I'm a bitser (bits of this ... bits of that). I spent a long time doing some geneaology research a few years ago. There's also Spanish on my dad's side - it probably accounts for my temperament."

9 If you had the chance to lunch with anyone in the world alive or dead, who would that be and why?

"Kate Sheppard - a woman ahead of her time."

10 In your opinion, what do you think is the Western Bay of Plenty's best kept secret and why?

"Kaiate Falls. Nature at its best."