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Judges

Annah Stretton - Head Judge

Founder and CEO of the Stretton Fashion Group, Annah is highly regarded as a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist, author and sought after public speaker. As a talented fashion designer, manufacturer and retailer, Annah’s clothing label has been loved by women all over the world for almost a quarter of a century. As a successful author, blogger, magazine publisher and public speaker, she has attracted an international online following.

Annah is recipient of numerous awards, including the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Fashion/Business/Community, the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year and the 2018 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year.

As a philanthropist, Annah is involved with the True Colours Charitable Trust, she sits on the board of UNICEF and chairs Waikato Women’s Refuge. In 2012, Annah established the Stretton Foundation as a vehicle to drive social change in New Zealand. Through RAW (Reclaim Another Woman) and Kia Puawai, the Foundation is enabling some truly ground-breaking work and having huge impact in the intergenerational disadvantage space.

Fifi Colston - Judge

Fifi is a veteran of the World of Wearable Arts (WOW) – a finalist and award winner over 22 years with 24 entries in show, including her 2017 her entry The Organ Farmer, which won the Weta Workshop: Science Fiction Category.

Fifi’s work has been exhibited many times in Nelson’s WOW Museum and her piece ‘Lady Curiosity’ is currently touring internationally. She has also worked with Richard Taylor’s Weta Workshop, Peter Jackson’s Stone Street Studios, Pukeko Pictures and The Production Shed as a costumier, puppet maker, illustrator and crafts expert.

Fifi is also an award winning junior fiction novelist, children’s book illustrator, non-fiction author and a long-standing presenter of arts and crafts on firstly TVNZ’s What Now and then The Good Morning Show.

Tessa Paaymans - Judge

Tessa's path in a creative career began with the Edible Fashion Awards and as a previous entrant she appreciates the incredible amount of work that goes into making an Edible garment. Entering the Awards for the first time in 2008, Tessa won the Supreme Award at the age of 13.

She went on to study design at tertiary level and has a Diploma in Costume from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and a Certificate in Fashion Apparel from EIT.

In 2015 Tessa’s designs were featured by Oxford Fashion Studio for New York Fashion Week and she has also been published in British Vogue.

Tessa has worked as a costumer for Weta Workshop on projects including Te Papa's Bugs exhibition and the movie Power Rangers. She has recently returned to Hawke’s Bay and is currently restoring classic cars and working on her own resort label to be launched in 2019.

Star Studded Judging Panel for 2018