Fashion forward: RMIT student wins Melbourne Fashion Week award

Fashion forward: RMIT student wins Melbourne Fashion Week award

An RMIT student has won the prestigious student award at Melbourne Fashion Week (MFW) for her Choose Your Own Adventure-inspired project.

news_helena_dong_fashion Award-winning fashion student Helena Dong.

Bachelor of Fashion (Design) (Honours) student Helena Dong was announced as the winner during the MSW student runway at Melbourne town hall on September 5.  

Her collection, titled ‘The Practice of an Internal Dialogue’, explores the relational experience of alternative modes of fashion presentation adopting the form of an interplay that aims to amplify the various roles within a traditional fashion performance: designer, performer, viewer, and garment.

Through an interactive Choose Your Own Adventure narrative, the wearer is positioned as integral in the styling and configuration of the garments. 

The story draws on Dong’s childhood experiences migrating to Australia and explores themes of independence, vulnerability, chaos and resourcefulness.

Garment outcomes are ‘playable’ through an online text-and image-based game and, just like the iconic Choose Your Own Adventure books, there’s plenty of choice: wearers have 62 possible garment endings.

The work of RMIT designers, from left to right Claire Myers, Kristen Frewen, Navarone Johnson, Ruoyu (Yumi) Wang and Jordana Halperin (final three garments), on show at the MFW 2018 Student Runway. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography. The work of RMIT designers, from left to right Claire Myers, Kristen Frewen, Navarone Johnson, Ruoyu (Yumi) Wang and Jordana Halperin (final three garments), on show at the MFW 2018 Student Runway. Photo: Lucas Dawson Photography.

The student runway showcases the creativity and daring of student designs, while giving fashion aficionados a tantalising glimpse of the potential ‘next big thing’ in Australian fashion.

The judging panel assessed the five finalists on their demonstrated excellence in

research and development of fashion design, fashion innovation, quality and attention to detail and potential to contribute to the future growth of the Victorian and Australian fashion industry.

Dong’s prize includes an internship at Fitzroy-based womenswear label bul and industry mentoring through the Australian Fashion Council.  

Fellow RMIT students Navarone Temple and Hannah Berry were also finalists in the prestigious award, which is now in its 13th year.

All three RMIT students’ collections were created as part of their final year major design project.

Story: Amelia Harris

11 September 2018

Share

11 September 2018

Share

  • Design
  • Arts and culture
Engage

Related News

Gentrification and local democracy in Europe: Q&A with Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud

Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud, visiting scholar to RMIT's Centre for Urban Research, discusses urban development and the need for social mobilisation to address challenges faced by city residents.

Students presenting work in the ACMI gift shop

RMIT students design ACMI’s first ever line of merchandise

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) has launched a fresh line of merchandise locally designed and produced in collaboration with RMIT textile design students.

SpotlighOnRMITsPracticebasedResearchProgramInEurope_L_1220px_72dpijpg.jpg

Spotlight on RMIT's practice-based research program in Europe

RMIT's practice-based PhD research program, which focuses on research in the medium of design practice itself, is in its tenth year of success in Europe.

RMITstudentsstudytheaudienceexperienceatsonar_L_1220px_72dpi.jpg

RMIT students study the audience experience at global festival Sónar+D

The way people experience festivals, such as how they move across different spaces and engage with technology, was recently examined by students as part of an RMIT and UOC summer school in Barcelona.

Show more
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information