Friday night saw us both backstage and front of house to meet the three finalists for the WYFDC 2013 during the Westpac RED COLLECTION show and find out who the winner was. I would have hated to be on the judging panel as all three finalists had produced amazing work and who the winner was, was anyone’s guess. I loved the clean lines, and strict palette of Zoey Radford Scott’s Sticky Filth – named after her Dad, Craig Radford’s band. Matt Hickmott’s colourful and witty Why Isnt That Exciting collection bought in some colour and pattern to the final three.  All three finalists know each other as they are all recent graduates, or current students of the highly regarded Fashion Design programme at Massey University in Wellington. The ease between the three was evident backstage. All three were calm and chatty as they readied their three models for the final runway walk.

With an expert judging panel – Zambesi menswear designer, Dayne Johnston; Editor of REMIX magazine, Tina Moore; Editor of the New Zealand Herald’s Viva magazine, Amanda Linnell; and Viva magazine’s Fashion Features Editor, Zoe Walker who also chose the original 10 semi finalists. The competition was then opened up to the public to find the final three.

A recent graduate (the other two are completing their degrees), with first class honours, of the Bachelor of Design (Fashion) at Massey University, Veitch’s winning menswear collection, The Sisters Brothers, was influenced by Japanese silhouettes and styling, with ingeniously constructed and almost comically over-sized garments.

“Georgie’s collection stood out for its true originality. She took an idea and pushed it,” commented competition judge Amanda Linnell. “On closer inspection, the items all had a twist or element of surprise, which worked to add a unique aesthetic to her garments.”

“I liked the simplicity and the play with over-sized proportions,” said fellow judge Dayne Johnston. “It felt fresh and well-considered, effortless and not over-worked.”

“Georgie has a really strong aesthetic and has already developed a unique style of her own, which she has demonstrated in her winning collection,” said Zambesi’s Dayne Johnston. “We are looking forward to having her intern at the Zambesi workroom and I am certain that she has a bright future ahead of her!”

As the winner of the Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition, Veitch will receive a career-changing prize package that includes NZ$5000, an incredible opportunity to intern at leading New Zealand fashion house Zambesi, plus dedicated Westpac business banking advice. But all three finalists have strong careers ahead of them if what we saw last night was anything to go by.  I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for all three them, and also what else Westpac Young Fashion Designer Competition brings next year.

Photographs by Michelle Weir