Designer passion for flax fashion

Inspiration from a Textiles class weaving flax bracelets and memories of weaving fish has seen professional acknowledgement and a prospective career appear for a student fashion designer.

Emily Pitcon’s outfit won the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards Sustainable Excellence Award, while also placing second in the School Fron the Earth Category at the awards hosted in late July.

The Marlborough Girls’ College Year 12 student’s inspiration came from a Colour My World class, working with different fibres and techniques including flax bracelets.

“We had one making flax bracelets, and I wondered what if I take this traditional practice and turn it into a massive design,” Emily recalls. “The first time I worked with flax would have been when I was seven, and I made a single fish so I’ve always been interested in it, but never given the opportunity until now.

“I had Whaea Althea teaching me weaving and tikanga, appreciating, respecting and learning to use the flax correctly while adding my creativity - the top represented traditional weaving style but I brought my own flair in the skirt.”

Whaea Althea Vercoe first thanked Emily when she came to her with the idea and was overwhelmed by the final garment.

“I was so pleased someone here in the Kura had the knowledge and wisdom to seek guidance, because it made me think of my journey when I began doing Māori visual arts so just jumped right in developing and inspiring Emily to grow in her natural uniqueness, and she’s just been a star to work with.

“The first time I saw her in the full outfit, I cried”. Emily says the skirt took the most trial and error over the five-month creation process, while the last two days saw 18 hours of finishing touches.

“I sewed 192 individual strips, then end to end so they were twice as long, then weave them into my big skirt piece but they kept shifting on attaching until it worked with lots of fabric layers.

“The anxiety was terrible after sending, because the top is so delicate it was sent on the mannequin that I made it on, so if the box tipped it would be crushed”.

And after hearing of her win via Facebook, Emily’s fashion remains on display to admire in the deep south and hopefully beyond.

“Two days ago I realised that subconsciously I always wanted to be a fashion designer - I just never saw it until I was one.

“Some of the prize money is going to fabric to make my formal dress, and I’m planning to enter World of Wearable Art next year so I can model myself but also entering Hokonui again going bigger and bolder”.

“I love the success I’ve got so far, but I still want to push myself to see if I can do better”.