For emerging designer April Fini, the fashion industry has been a part of her family’s careers for generations. With a long line of seamstresses behind her, Fini is now following in their footsteps as she pursues a career in design. “It might be a small industry out here in New Zealand, but there are always opportunities if you search for them and work hard to make them happen,” she insisted. Fini studied fashion design and marketing with Massey University, combining the creative and the technical elements of the industry. “I felt it was really important to be able to understand the business side of fashion in order to know the market you are designing for and how to best reach them,” she said. Fini approaches her future in the fashion industry with not only the same creative flair as her peers, but with an understanding that success in this sector will require dedication and a host of technical experiences. During her time at University, one of the most valuable things she learnt was the importance of being proactive and finding new opportunities. “I got to spend four months in Milan studying at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, in the heart of a fashion capital learning about luxury fashion and the global fashion industry,” shared Fini. This experience gave the emerging designer a renewed sense of passion for her field of study, as well as an up-close look at how fashion operates around the globe.
It was her time in Milan, as well as her Italian heritage, which inspired Fini’s graduate collection: Architecture of the Body. “With silhouettes inspired by Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the designs integrate my embodiment in urban Milan using design lines and garment shapes derived from a topographic map of the Milan metro,” she explained. Fini was heavily influenced by the architecture around her and utilised a unique layering technique throughout her design process. For Fini, sewing and the process of creation is a highly rewarding aspect of working in the industry, as she finds great reward in the completion of her work. “Sewing is a creative outlet for me, and I get lost in the process,” she said. “At the moment I work solo but enjoy the fact that I get to carry out all parts of the process from the beginning through to the end.”
For more information email aprilfiorellanz@gmail.com
