A Bhutanese-Nepalese immigrant, Roman Sarki had a friend in Nepal who knew the word fashion in English when they were kids – just hearing the word itself was what kickstarted his design journey.
A Bhutanese-Nepalese immigrant, Roman Sarki had a friend in Nepal who knew the word fashion in English when they were kids – just hearing the word itself was what kickstarted his design journey.
“I just gravitated to it, this idea of being a fashion designer. I tried it at Awatapu College, but I hadn’t been expecting the practical aspect of actually constructing the garments, as I thought it was designing them on paper. Then I went to Design School, but never properly fell in love with fashion design until I joined UCOL Whanganui.”
Over the course of his final semester in the Bachelor of Design and Arts, Roman developed a collection of garments for the latest student exhibition, which is now until 28 November, across three locations at the Edith Gallery, UCOL Whanganui Atrium, and Whanganui Community Arts Centre.
His collection drew inspiration from his personal experience of migrating as a refugee to New Zealand.
"I moved from living in a hut in a refugee village, to landing in New Zealand and being in these cities with big buildings. The stark difference between those two environments inspired the basis of my designs. The designs are entirely made from up-cycled donated and second-hand denim, representing the resilience built in moving to a whole new country and culture, with the frayed edges showing that underneath the strength is still the learning experience and human element."
As he prepares to graduate in 2026, Roman reflects on his time at UCOL Whanganui, having travelled over from Palmerston North each day.
“Studying at UCOL Whanganui was the best choice; both Lee and Stephanie were fantastic teachers! Despite there being a lot of self-directed learning in my final year, they both checked in on us regularly to make sure we didn't need help and were on the right track. They've been awesome."
"I'm grateful to Adrian and Jamie from Student Success as well. They both checked in on me regularly to make sure I was on track, as time management isn't my strongest skill, and Jamie even modelled my outfit!”