Box Hill Institute student Nam Tran has been crowned the winner of the 2024 Student Runway at Melbourne Fashion Week (MFW).
Tran competed against 39 other students for the top prize, which included an internship with First Nations designer label Ngali, membership and mentoring from the Australian Fashion Council and direct admission to a free pre-accelerator fashion business program.
The designer won with his collection ‘Behind the Bamboo’, which was inspired by his Vietnamese heritage, and designed to reflect the lives of women working in the rice paddies.
“My cultural identity makes me unique, so I can channel my experiences to help create something special,” Tran said.
His garments used sustainable materials including dried water hyacinth, recycled fabrics and skeleton magnolia leaves.
“I incorporated traditional techniques of basket weaving and hand beading I learned in my village,” he said.
The designer grew up in a village without electricity or running water, coming to Australia in 2017 to finish his secondary schooling. After graduating, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) at Box Hill Institute.
Nam’s teacher, Dr Lize Niemczyk said while his talent was clear from the start, success is also dependent on technical execution and delivery.
“It’s one thing to be creative; it’s another thing to master the technical skills,” Dr Niemczyk said. “That’s why we teach our students design principles, pattern-making, textiles, fabrics and more.”
Box Hill Institute’s head of music and creative industries Matt Voigt said this year’s competition was extremely tight.
“Nam’s win is well-deserved and a testament to his creativity and the craftsmanship he’s learned from his teachers,” said Mr Voigt.