By CASEY NEILL
A DANDENONG North fashion student’s collection earned some valuable fans last week.
Harry Katakouzinos, 21, received the Best Runway Collection award at Kangan Institute’s fashion show In Bloom at Federation Square.
Myer women’s fashion general manager Nicole Naccarella and Sass and Bide for Myer managing director Megan Foster judged Harry’s collection Faceted the best based on design, construction and styling.
Harry debuted Faceted at this year’s Melbourne Spring Fashion Week MSFW: Emerging in August, alongside six other Kangan Advanced Diploma of Fashion and Design students.
His inspiration was “faceted … like the inside of a crystal” so his pieces featured hand-embroidery and sharp angles.
Sass and Bide’s edgy and quirky feel also influenced Harry’s creations, which he said could move from casual to formal and vice versa.
He’d put more than a year’s work into the four-outfit collection.
“Even if just one random person wants me to make something for them I’ll be happy with that,” he said in August.
Harry hopes to intern with designers in Australia, Europe or America to develop his skills.
He names Dolce and Gabbana, Balmain and Christian Louboutin among his favourites.
“Dolce and Gabbana’s pieces are very sexy but they make it look so classy at the same time,” he said.
“Balmain’s couture work is perfect, it’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
And Christian Louboutin makes his favourite shoes.
“He’s who I want to work with,” he said.
