Today, we reveal the finalists as selected by Akira Isogawa, acclaimed Australian fashion designer of the eponymous womenswear label Akira.  Known for his fusion of Japanese tradition with Australian ease, Akira’s collections draw upon his devotion to textile design, using techniques such as shibori, origami, embroidery, printing and hand painting.

As one of our country’s most loved and celebrated designers, we couldn’t wait to find out what Akira thought of this year’s graduate designers.

—

MEL HOCKING (QUT)

@melhockingdesign

“In this photo, she found a fine balance of original and conventional. I like how she made her idea commercial while maintaining her vision.  ”

EILY SHADDOCK (QUT)

@branded_by_eily

“It is an ambitious work and she succeeded. It was clever to keep the shape simple and focus on textile innovation. Well done.”

SARAH HAWES (UTS)

sarah-hawes.com / @s.hawess

“She meticulously hand embroidered all over to create this unique textile. Her effort was worthwhile. It appears effortless and modern.”

BRONTE BATEUP (QUT)

@kit_brontebateup

“Colour, texture and silhouette, all complemented each other. Good choice of model. He made the outfit shine.”

HANNAH CULSHAW (UTS)

hannahculshaw.com /@hannah_culshaw

“Her delicate and sensitive vision is unique. The colour palette of this outfit is sublime. Totally timeless.”

A huge congratulations to all the finalists!
For more on Flaunter Emerging click here.