Molly McGregor (right), with a model wearing her design.
Molly McGregor (right), with a model wearing her design.
A gothic, magical forest inspired piece of clothing designed by a Paraparaumu fashion student is one of just 14 fashion pieces chosen for this year’s Resene Colour of Fashion with Whitecliffe collection.
Molly McGregor, 21, was one of 54 Whitecliffe College fashion students who entered the competition to have her work showcased in the collection – and said she was thrilled to have her design picked.
Since its inception in 2014, Resene Colour of Fashion with Whitecliffe has featured the work of hundreds of fashion students who are working towards a Diploma in Fashion.
The theme for Resene Colour of Fashion in 2024 was: Imagine the possibilities, and required designs to be crafted from silk twill dyed in Resene fashion colours.
McGregor, who went to Kāpiti College and now studies sustainable fashion, said her piece, titled Bewitched, was inspired by nature and her own childhood imagination.
“The goal with my design was to create a kind of ethereal gothic look that really embodies the mysterious effect of being a child playing in the garden, seeing the textures on tree trunks, the veins of leaves and flower petals, hearing nothing but the movement of nature around you and feeling like you’re in a magical enchanted forest.”
She started her design process by creating lots of sketches and a basic idea.
She said she knew she wanted to create a dress with a more structured bodice – so she settled on creating both a corset top and a skirt that when worn together looked like a dress, and she loved the finished product.
McGregor said Vivienne Westwood heavily influenced her personal style and the way she layers clothes, and that’s reflected in the corset of Bewitched, which emulates some of Westwood’s work.
In fact, she said each aspect of Bewitched was quite similar to her own style, which she described as somewhat gothic.
“I think the silhouette is quite reflective of my own personal style.”
McGregor’s design, and the other 13 chosen, will be shown at the Whitecliff College Graduate Showcase in Auckland and Wellington. An overall winner will be chosen to receive a cash prize of $1000 from Resene.
“We are very proud of this project, and we’re thrilled to see it expand giving visibility to even more students this year,” said Resene’s marketing manager Karen Warman.
“We see a new cohort of creative students every year embracing colour and immersing themselves in the story of their Resene colour. This project reminds us of all of the difference colour and design make in our lives. Our new colours are often inspired by the latest fashion looks on the runway, so it’s awesome to see the tables turned and have our colours become the inspiration.”
