Two Westlake Girls students took their designs to the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week, earning places among just 78 young designers selected from a record 108 entries for this year’s Walk The Line showcase — with Year 12 student Eva Makarova-Paton also receiving an Honourable Mention in the High Fashion category.
Eva and Year 13 student Yashica Lal stepped into the spotlight at Auckland’s Shed 10 on Saturday 22 August for Walk The Line, a youth fashion showcase for designers aged 13–18 from across New Zealand.
Inspired by the movement of the ocean, Eva’s striking bright blue two-piece dress featured intricate construction and extensive hand-sewn detailing, transforming her initial concept into a highly detailed runway piece.
“Walk The Line was such a fun experience. I loved seeing my dress come together and being a part of New Zealand Fashion Week. My dress was inspired by the currents of the ocean, and all of the middle bodice was hand sewn.”
— Eva Makarova-Paton, Year 12
For Yashica, the runway represented the culmination of countless hours of designing, constructing and refining her garment.
“It was a great opportunity to participate in New Zealand Fashion Week. Walking the catwalk was an incredible experience in a dress I designed and made myself. Creating my dress took a lot of late nights and hard work, but seeing it come to life on the runway made it all worth it.”
— Yashica Lal, Year 13
Walk The Line gives young designers an opportunity to experience the fashion industry beyond the classroom, developing their initial inspiration into a design concept, bringing it to life and ultimately presenting their finished garment on a professional runway.
For Eva and Yashica, the experience showcased not only their finished designs, but also the creativity, perseverance, technical skill and countless hours of work behind them.
Congratulations to both students on an incredible achievement!
