Japanese streetwear inspires design win

The winner's collection consists of over-sized menswear with a comical twist.

Drawing inspiration from the "comical absurdities" found on Tokyo's Harajuku streets has won student Georgie Veitch the Westpac Young Fashion Designer Award for 2013.

At a New Zealand Fashion Week event last night at the Viaduct Events Centre, 22-year-old Veitch was named the overall winner.

Her collection "The Sisters' Brothers", consisting of over-sized menswear with a Japanese twist, was modelled on the runway with the designs of the two other finalists, Matt Hickmott and Zoey Radford Scott.

This year the annual competition drew more than 45 entries from up-and-coming designers nationwide.

A panel of judges - Herald Viva editor Amanda Linnell, Zambesi menswear designer Dayne Johnston and Remix magazine editor Tina Moore - narrowed the entries down to a final 15.

The public then voted for the final three and at last night's Westpac Red Collection show, the judges reconvened to make the final cut.

Veitch, who recently graduated with first-class honours in a bachelor of design (fashion) at Massey University, wins $5000 and a year's worth of business advice from Westpac plus the opportunity to work as an intern at fashion label Zambesi.

New Zealand Fashion Weekend, which is open to the public, is on today and tomorrow at the Viaduct Events Centre.