A wrong turn and a star turn

A first-time entrant in a fashion event leaves early and loses her way – and then learns she won the top prize. Rachael Kelly and Jamie Searle report.

The winning design at this year’s Hokonui Fashion Design Awards stopped one of the judges in his tracks.

A collection from Christchurch-based designer Ari Terekhova won the Mataura Licensing Trust Award of Excellence at the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards, on top of the Mackersey Properties Collections Award.

The awards, in their 32nd year, were held in Gore on Saturday night.

Winning the main category was only part of an eventful Saturday night for Terekhova, an architect.

It was the first ever fashion event she had entered and after winning the open collections award early in the night, she thought she was finished and headed to Mosgiel to stay there before catching an 8am flight back to Christchurch yesterday.

‘‘I was stoked to win the collections award and I thought that was it, I’m done [for the night],’’ Terekhova said.

Not realising she was in contention for the top award, she and her husband left Gore about 11pm.

However, they took a wrong turn and travelled 60 kilometres on the road to Queenstown before Terekhova thought something was wrong.

She checked her phone’s GPS and at the same time saw a missed call from awards convenor-chairperson Sheree McIntyre.

When returning the call, McIntyre asked where she was and told her that she had won the excellence award.

‘‘It was very exciting [to be told] ... I never expected it,’’ Terekhova said. ‘‘I didn’t know [I could win it].’’

During the conversation, Terekhova told McIntyre that she and her husband were lost, but after some directions they were back on the right road.

Terekhova said her winning garments were made of natural dyes. She wanted to showcase natural dyes at the event.

‘‘I wanted to shine a light on natural dyes and to show how resources can be used,’’ she said.

‘‘Instead of using chemicals, I’m using something natural.

‘‘Fashion is a platform. You have to make it sexy ... fashionable-sellable for people to like it.’’

Judge James Dobson, of label Jimmy D, said Terekhova’s three garments entered as a collection were innovative.

‘‘They stopped me in my tracks. They had been thoughtfully printed, the designer had made her own fabrics and the sewing was incredible.’’

The designs were made of silk and merino, which he said ‘‘felt like the future of fashion’’.

‘‘We are looking at a more ethical industry and this is a fashion design competition, not a wearable arts competition, so it fitted the brief really well.’’

Sarah-Jane Duff, label of Lost and Led Astray, was also on the judging panel.

She said the winning designs were beautifully created, they walked well on the catwalk and were timeless.

‘‘What they have managed to create using a natural dying technique is incredible.’’

Models paraded down the catwalk in front of a sell-out crowd at the awards gala evening, following a record crowd at the Strictly Design Awards evening on Friday night.

Masks were a feature of some designs for the first time, a sign of the Covid-19 pandemic, and denim featured heavily on the runway in the recycled sections.

Entries in the school sections were also paraded on Saturday night, after the winners were announced on Friday.

The Award of Excellence in the schools section was won by Ruby Wells of St Matthews Collegiate, Masterton.