3 What is the one fashion item you could not do without and why?
"High heels - they finish any outfit in style."
4 What fashion trend do you think should never have been let loose on the world and why?
"Culottes - but they're back. My tutor, Donna, at the Bay of Plenty Polytech, gave me some sound advice once and said never say never to any trend."
5 What do you think is the recipe for success in your field?
"Put in the hard yards and develop a thick skin."
6 When you're creating an outfit, what music do you have playing in the background?
"EDM or anything on George FM."
7 Your creation featured tui and flaxes, but what is your favourite piece of 'kiwiana' and why?
"The Four Square man - Dick Frizzell took this icon to a whole new level."
8 Tell us a little about your multi-cultural family connections.
"Chinese aunty, Samoan uncle, Maori, Scottish, English and French family heritage (and some distant American blood). Officially I'm a bitser (bits of this ... bits of that). I spent a long time doing some geneaology research a few years ago. There's also Spanish on my dad's side - it probably accounts for my temperament."
9 If you had the chance to lunch with anyone in the world alive or dead, who would that be and why?
"Kate Sheppard - a woman ahead of her time."
10 In your opinion, what do you think is the Western Bay of Plenty's best kept secret and why?
"Kaiate Falls. Nature at its best."