Lan Yu, 23, studied at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design, Auckland

Her collection – Who Made All the Rules?!

“My mother is a fashion business woman, who has inspired me a lot for the initial idea of this collection. My collection this year is about looking at myself and merging my impression of myself with reality. The initial idea came from my personal experiences of dressing rules that apply to different situations. I researched historical tailored jackets in both womenswear and menswear. My designs are inspired by the riding uniforms of the eighteenth century and traditional school uniforms. I have also explored my Eastern cultural background and my personal identity.

“I have researched and looked at several contemporary designers for this collection including Viktor and Rolf, Ann Demeulemeester and Yohji Yamamoto. My collection includes functional, oversized, exaggerated and layered garments for both the real and the imaginary world. My vision of women as in dependent, intelligent, strong and self confident people is expressed in my designs and my menswear is beautiful and sexy to complement the women.

“I am overturning all the traditional rules and creating my own fantasy, I will always remember what Viktor and Rolf said: “Fashion is an antidote to reality. We are worth it!” ”