TWO PEARL ACADEMY’SSTUDENTS TO INTERN AT NEW ZEALAND FASHION SCHOOL

Education New Zealand (ENZ) and Fashion Design Council of India hosted the ‘Runway to New Zealand’, an interesting fashion fiesta, in the capital,on 12th May, 2016 at Hyatt Hotel New Delhi. 
Jaipur based Megha Sharma's smart use of sustainable fabric along with her mother's age-old sari incorporated in a modern creation has landed her a two-week internship at a prestigious New Zealand fashion school.The event was a culmination of a month-long journey which saw an amalgamation of creative impetus and ingenuity. It celebrated independent thinking and encouraged team work as two participants from New Zealand and India came together to curate ensembles. <br></br>
It showcased the ‘Think New’ collection by 12 students from New Zealand (Massey University and AUT University) and Indian institutions (National Institute of Fashion Technology and the Pearl Academy) using indigenous sustainable fabrics to craft new-age garments based on the theme ‘’Future World Connection”. The competition was judged by an esteemed jury which included prominent names like Amit Aggarwal, Rina Dhaka, Rohit Bal and Varun Bahl. <br></br>
Though all the 12 contestants showed their creativity with the unisex theme and inspiration, there were two pairs who were selected as a winner. Yoshino Maruyama from Massey University and Megha Sharma from Pearl Academy were selected for using indigenous sustainable fabrics to craft new-age garments based on the theme "Future World Connection".<br></br>

What impressed the judges more was Megha's idea of using her mother's sari to accessories the garment.

"Your mother's sari did the trick. Just say thank you to her," said one of the judges when emcee Ramona Arena announced the winner.<br></br>

The second pair who were announced winners were Claire Nicholson from Auckland University of Technology and Delhi-based Aishwarya Jain from Pearl Academy.

At the event, some of the creative themes that impressed the veterans of the fashion world were creative uniform, ambitious girls in a dystopian global environment and boundary-less world, among others.<br></br>

The student designers were judged on the basis of technical, theme interpretation, ramp impact, market relevance and functionality.

"It is captivating for the FDCI to be associated with a cross-cultural fashion event of this magnitude. The charged minds from the two countries, New Zealand and India, have worked meticulously to showcase their individualistic take on fashion.

"This event proves that style is truly seamless and this could not have been achieved without the unflinching support of the Education New Zealand.," said Sethi.<br></br>

Even New Zealand High Commissioner Grahame Morton was impressed with the progress in the Indian fashion world."India is impressing the world with crafts and textiles and I would like to say that many of the New Zealand population loves to use Indian techniques in their clothes," he said.<br></br>
Other designers also seen at the event included Reynu Taandon, Rahul Mishra, Hemant Lalwani, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Gautam Gupta, Manish Gupta, Rajdeep Ranawat along with his wife, Sonia Jeitely, Joy Mitra and many more.
Also present at the event were dignitaries from New Zealand and FDCI president Sunil Sethi.<br></br>
Education New Zealand (ENZ) is New Zealand's government agency for international education. ENZ works to grow awareness of New Zealand as a study destination and to support New Zealand education providers and businesses to take their services and products abroad.