Walk the Line is an annual event held within NZ Fashion Week, promoting young designers to showcase their original textiles within five categories:
- High Fashion
- Streetwear
- Avant-Garde
- Cultural Fashion
- 2025 Theme: Timelessness
Bree Pennington (and her model Matea Timmermans) and Ashley Ip (Year 12) were selected to enter the category of ‘High Fashion’ for Walk the Line and spent weeks preceding the event designing and making their original clothing items. On Saturday 30 August 2025 they modelled and showcased their dresses on the runway, accompanied with other young (13 – 18 yr olds) designers, to be judged at the conclusion of Fashion Week. Well done girls, you presented two beautiful dresses to the judges amongst some very tough competition.
Bree’s reflection: This year I had the opportunity to take part in Walk the Line, a youth event that is part of New Zealand fashion week. For Walk the Line I had to design and craft a garment for the fashion show. I decided to create a dress for the high fashion category as I wanted to create something that was nothing like anything I had ever made before. Leading up to the event I spent many hours sketching design concepts, refining my ideas, reviewing with stakeholder and sewing my garment. We attended the event on Saturday 30 August at Auckland’s Shed 10. The atmosphere of the event was buzzing with positive energy. Through this event I got to see my design come to life on the runway. The entire experience was amazing as I got to meet others my age who all share the same passion for fashion and design.
Ashley’s reflection: Having the opportunity to participate in the Raise up: Walk the Line fashion show was a truly magical experience I cannot forget. During the weeks leading up to the show, I spent hours perfecting and carefully designing my garment. I made sure every detail was seamlessly sewn together and refined any areas until it reflected my vision. I chose to enter in the High fashion category because it challenged me to push my creativity while expressing my personal style. Although I encountered many problems or errors during the construction of my garment, the journey taught me to develop solutions quickly. Seeing all my hard work come to life as I modelled my own garment on the runway, was an extraordinary moment. Stepping into the spotlight with the energy of the audience and music, felt empowering while watching other designers showcase their ideas was breathtaking. I loved how every designer showcased something different, and it inspired me to create an even bigger project next year.
