The real Project Runway

Karen Walker says entrants should forget the champagne. Picture / David Sheilds

It could be the New Zealand version of Project Runway - except without any TV cameras. And without the tears and the melodrama, adds designer Karen Walker, who has just signed on as mentor for this year's Inspiring New Zealanders scholarship programme, launched yesterday.

"And this is reality, not reality television. So hopefully there'll be less of the drama and more of getting on with some good work."

The Inspiring New Zealanders programme is a scholarship scheme developed by Air New Zealand to give something back to the community.

Last year the first of these scholarships were awarded to young sportsmen and women in a variety of disciplines. This year the focus has changed to another inspiring area - the fashion industry.

Entrants, who must be in their final year of a design qualification, will be asked to submit an online application, then a garment, after which Walker and her team will choose four finalists who will spend a week in her workroom.

They might do everything from coming up with garment colours to picking up pins.

Of those four, one will be chosen to spend another three months in Walker's workroom early next year. He or she will also get help from Air New Zealand, some of which will be in the form of flights.

"We'll be looking for somebody with natural talent," says Walker. "Somebody with a sense of their own handwriting already - that should be developing at an early stage. I don't want to be seeing copies of Prada; they should have a strong point of view that's original.

"And it's got to be somebody who's completely driven because that's what it takes to make it in this business."

And if that somebody really impresses Walker, he or she may well end up taking part in the workroom team's design process and eventually seeing something on which they worked on a runway in London.

However, as Walker knows, winning a place in her workroom through this scholarship doesn't guarantee anyone superstardom or success and it certainly doesn't guarantee lashings of champagne, glam parties and free frocks.

"It's amazing how many people think that [about the champagne]. But I think [what the scholarship winner] will learn here is that you have to work your butt off in this business.

"And by the end of the process I'd hope they will get a better idea of what's involved in a design-driven business like this, what's involved and what's possible.

"I think we'll find some great talent and we'll help them define the direction they want to take in the industry."

For more information: inspiringnewzealanders.co.nz