Now in its 12th year, the Resene Colour of Fashion project continues to celebrate bold ideas and emerging talent through a longstanding partnership between Resene and Whitecliffe. 

Each year, students across our Auckland, Manukau, and Wellington campuses are invited to design original garments inspired by Resene’s latest fashion colours. The 2025 theme, Colours of Change, challenged students to reflect on transformation whether personal, cultural, or global — and express it through silhouette, material, and naturally — colour. 

13 students have been selected as finalists across Auckland, Manukau, and Wellington campuses. Their designs will take the runway this November at the Resene Colour of Fashion Show, part of our annual Graduate Fashion Showcase. 

Let’s meet the finalists. 

Arionne Tresadern (Auckland) 

The swirling patterns of Malachite inspired Arionne’s design in Resene Top Notch. It is a crystal she once only knew for its luxury value, until rediscovering a tile that was once owned by a close family friend. The find became a personal symbol of protection and transformation, echoing her friend’s quiet strength and resilience. Arionne translated these qualities into an asymmetrical dress layered with circular textures, capturing the gem’s natural depth while honouring a woman who left a lasting mark on her life. 

Joshua Hay (Auckland) 

Joshua’s design in Resene Lakeside draws inspiration from Lake Taupō, a place of deep personal and cultural significance for his iwi. Wanting to capture both meaning and function, he created a practical, wearable set designed to keep warm in Taupō’s cooler climate. Details like mule pockets, prong buttons, and pleats add character, while the lake’s form is subtly incorporated into the design. For Joshua, his design reflects both pride in his heritage and a belief that clothing should be lived in not just looked at. 

Ayesa Abundo (Manukau) 

Ayesa is a quietly creative soul whose design in Resene Pandemonium draws on her memories of cherries from her childhood in the Philippines. Her layered burgundy dress, shaped like stacked upside-down teacups, blends softness with boldness. Her design mirrors her own journey of stepping out of her comfort zone. With shirred sleeves and playful gathers, her piece tells a story of sweetness, identity, and gentle strength. 

Keisha Kheav (Manukau) 

Keisha’s design in Resene Wild Thing takes on the bold optimism of bright yellow with a personal twist. Inspired by the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” her look reflects the process of facing and overcoming life’s sour moments. Each detail, from shirring to quilted cording mirrors lemon slices, turning hardship into statement fashion. 

Rafika Mohammed (Manukau) 

The softness and strength of both Resene Awaken, and her Bengali and Burmese heritage informed Rafika’s design. Surface cording nods to traditional Burmese garments, while pleats and drapes draw from the Bangladeshi sari. In blush pink and inspired by tulips her piece gently expresses love and affection. With it, Rafika hopes to inspire others to embrace every part of who they are, especially those they once felt pressured to hide. 

Salote Sanalio (Manukau) 

A personal story of resilience, family, and faith is told in Salote Sanalio’s design in Resene Wet & Wild. The five straps represent her children, with the smocked cuffs symbolising how the family held together through challenges. Pleats and handmade floral details reflect unity, hope, and the belief that joy follows hardship. The skirt’s side split represents life’s struggles, tied together with “prayers” in the form of knots. In vibrant blue, the piece embodies trust, calm, and loyalty — an enduring reminder to never give up hope, for where there is hope, there is always a dream. 

Salote’s work has been featured in the Manukau and Papakura Courier. 

Ayla Jenkins (Wellington) 

Ayla’s design in Resene Dream Big captures the comfort and innocence of her childhood. It is inspired by the soft blue quilt she grew up with. She created “Soft Sleeper,” a playful, cupcake-silhouette ensemble complete with ruffles, quilting, and bloomers to evoke serenity and childlike wonder. Stepping outside her usual structured style, Ayla embraced a delicate, ‘girly’ look that reflects both comfort and whimsy. 

Freja Donald (Wellington) 

Inspired by the deep greens of a forest on a stormy night, Freja’s Resene Top Notch creation symbolises transformation and resilience. Structurally inspired by the monarch butterfly’s cocoon, her piece features a sculpted hooded bodice flowing into a bubble skirt reminiscent of the swan plant where monarchs grow. The concept is rooted in a deeply personal journey through grief and change, with the garment capturing the strength found in emerging from life’s most difficult events. 

Read her feature in Kapiti Coast News. 

Helena Reid (Wellington) 

Given the vivid shade Resene Roadster, Helena envisioned a bold celebration of romance. Inspired by Paris, from the neon lights of the Moulin Rouge to the charm of vintage roadsters, her design captures the romance and joy of Valentine’s Day. A heart-shaped bodice with piped detail recalls a vintage chocolate box, while a ruffled hem adds movement and playfulness. The corseted silhouette embraces the confident red, radiating the glamour and passion of new love. 

Gwyneth Castro (Wellington) 

Gwyneth’s design in Resene Invincible is inspired by the resilience and adaptability of the human brain. Reflecting on the word invincible, she initially saw the deep charcoal shade as a colour of grief, but reimagined it as a symbol of strength and growth. Her structured yet fluid silhouette reflects the brain’s balance between logic and creativity, embodying the theme through transformation and optimism. 

Keala Rosthor (Wellington) 

Keala’s design in Resene Tequila Sunrise captures the warmth and vibrancy of her childhood in Waikawa Bay. Inspired by sunrises, sunsets, and the vivid orange starfish she once searched for with her sister, the piece blends pleats that mimic coral with beads, cutouts, and embroidery for depth and texture. She reflects on her journey from a quiet coastal community to the bustling energy of Wellington and celebrates both nostalgia and growth. 

Read her feature in The Press. 

Maia Paurini (Wellington)

Rooted in her connection to family, culture, and change, Maia’s Resene Smashed Avocado piece carries both personal and cultural significance. An asymmetrical shoulder strap flows into a wired armband, while the strapless corset bodice features embroidered Māori Pikorua, symbolising unbreakable bonds and life’s continuous cycle. The handwoven skirt, left with unfinished strips looping back to the cuff, draws on traditional weaving techniques to honour those who came before her and the foundation they built. 

Mat Power (Wellington) 

Mat’s design channels the bold energy of Resene Grenadier into a striking, form-fitting silhouette inspired by crustaceans, arachnids, and queer fashion. Influenced by designers like Thierry Mugler and the intricate textures of exoskeletons, Mat uses sharp points, cut-outs, and fabric manipulations such as tucks and pleats to create structure and movement. The look brings the “skeleton” to the outside, playing with ideas of exaggeration, alienation, and empowerment, pushing beyond comfort zones to celebrate queerness and self-expression. 

This story is just a glimpse into the creativity our students have brought to Resene Colour of Fashion 2025. To learn more, read the full Resene blog here.  

Explore the full gallery of designs from the students in the Resene Colour of Fashion Gallery.