Ten Wairarapa UCOL students are about to get a dose of real-life industry experience, at this year’s Oversew Fashion Awards.
Eight students from the UCOL Diploma in Beauty Therapy, and two UCOL Hairdressing graduates will form the hair and makeup team at the Earthcare Environmental Oversew Fashion Awards in Carterton this weekend.
The fashion show promotes 'upcycled' fashion by recognising talented, aspiring designers who recreate, revamp and redesign pre-loved clothing into sustainable fashion garments. Outfits must be created from a minimum of 80% pre-worn clothing.
Make-up Artistry Lecturer for the Beauty programmes at UCOL Wairarapa, Riki Anderson, is leading the Hair and Makeup team at the event. He says there is huge value in the student involvement.
"As part of the Diploma in Beauty Therapy, students undertake an Advanced Fashion course, so I couldn't have dreamed of a better opportunity for them. They're able to get real-life, industry experience, and practise working together as a team."
The students also undertake a make-up course – 'Fashion, Theatre & Media Make-up'.
A large chunk of Mr Anderson's industry experience has been in event make up, having worked on beauty pageants; the Auckland-based Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss India competitions; a number of Air New Zealand Fashion Weeks; and a Dior catwalk show.
"It's good for the students to see me in action, doing what I do," he says.
The team has already put together designs for models' hair and makeup.
"As the theme for the show is Fire and Ice, we have planned utilitarian style hair and make-up; the models will appear in different categories so we have designed the make up so it's clean and the show remains all about the clothes," Mr Anderson says.
"The make-up has to look good for stage and also translate well to photography, because as each model comes off the catwalk they will be professionally photographed – so it's actually quite technical."
This is the second year UCOL students have assisted at the event, which will be held this Saturday 28th May (Awards Night) and Sunday 29th May (Matinee Show) at the Carterton Events Centre.