Young designers wow in national competition

COMPETITION: John Paul College fabric technology student Bonnie Simmonds, 16, came first place in the evening wear (Intermediate Group) with the pictured dress. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A group of Rotorua students have wowed judges in a national fashion design competition.

The five John Paul College students got great results in the 2016 Young Designer Awards, a competition for secondary and intermediate students throughout New Zealand.

Fabric technology student Bonnie Simmonds, 16, won the evening wear, intermediate group section.

She said she was "super excited" when she found out her result because she loved sewing and she had won her category for the past two years.

"It was a huge achievement."

For her dress this year she wanted something elegant and pretty simple, and it took her about a month to make, Bonnie said.

"I like to say it's got pretty clean edges."

She said the boning had been a bit difficult as she had never done it before, but she was proud she did, as she had now learnt a new skill.

Bonnie said her nana and mother had always sewn and she loved helping them.

"I just love the process of seeing a garment come to life."

She thought the Young Designer Awards was a great opportunity because it pushed her to do something she had not done before.

"It's hard work but once you're finished it's a great accomplishment."

The school's head of fabric technology Candace Thornton said they were "super excited" about the results.

She said the students had been working on their entries during Terms One and Two, having to do a lot of work at home as well as in class.

Mrs Thornton said she thought the competition was a great idea because it helped students with making decisions and coming up with solutions for problems.

"It doesn't matter what in life, it will help them grow in all sorts of ways."

She said it was not so easy for students to get jobs in academics and the trades was somewhere people were finding jobs.

John Paul College student results:
Evening Wear (Intermediate Group) 1st Place - Bonnie Simmonds
High Street Fashion: 1st Place - Hozanna Lopez (Intermediate Group), 2nd Place - Emily Park (Intermediate Group), 3rd Place - Claire Self (Senior Group)
Handcrafts: 1st Place - Brianna Clarricoats John Paul College (Senior Group)
2016 Honourable Mention: Claire Self for her entry in the High Street Fashion category
* Those in first place won $200 prezzie cards and those in second won $100 prezzie cards.