Sacred Heart College students win awards at Design, Make and Model competition
Three Sacred Heart College students have made their mark on the runway, winning several awards at a Design, Make and Model competition.
Year 11 students Smriti Nijjar, Adalyn Homar and Emma Ritch spent months designing and creating their garments before walking the runway at the Hawke’s Bay A & P Show.
Smriti won first place in the Intermediate Section (Year 11) for her top using Seersucker fabric – Persian for Milk and Sugar. While Adalyn came second, and Emma third.
Emma also won the wellbeing category, awarded to the entry that, in the judges’ opinion, best reflected an aspect or aspects of well-being (emotional, physical, spiritual).
She created a blue halter neck top.
“The blue represents the ocean because it is a very safe space for me. I’ve grown up around the sea and like swimming and everything and the laces at the back represented the people in my life that keep me together like my parents and my family.”
For Emma, being able to create garments is special.
“It is sentimental for me because I grew up sewing with my mother and my grandmother and she gave me her sewing machine that she had when she was a child, so it’s been passed on.”
Smriti initially designed her top for the well-being category and says the Seersucker fabric evoked memories of time spent with her sisters.
“It reminded me of the milk and sugar in baking with my sisters. So, it took me back to those fun times.”
Adalyn designed a pink dress with hidden pockets, inspired by the Barbie movie.
“It was a lot of trial and error. But it was so fun to be able to create something from scratch.”
All three girls found their love of design when they started doing the Textiles class at Sacred Heart College.
“I really truly got into it in Year 9 because I had a proper class and Mrs Grapes is so helpful,” Adalyn says. “
“We are very thankful to Mrs Grapes for all her help and support,” Smriti adds.
Teacher Anna Grapes says she is so proud of her students.
“They did so well. I am just so proud of what they made, and they looked beautiful. It takes guts to get up on the stage and they had to speak about their garments too.”
Mrs Grapes says she was blown away by the result, having not entered any students before due to COVID-19 cancellations.
“We have wanted to enter for a couple of years now, so this is the first year that we have been able to, and it is a fantastic result.
CAPTION FOR PHOTO: Sacred Heart College students Smriti Nijjar, Emma Ritch and Adalyn Homan.
