Raise Up, The Y’s Youth Development Programme, hosted their flagship Walk the Line event on the 30th of August at Shed 10 in conjunction with New Zealand Fashion Week.
An audience of over 550 people experienced the high level of creativity and craftsmanship from our 60 youth designers and their models. This event was supported by more than 35 youth Raise Up members who helped coordinate and deliver the event. The high calibre of creations this year was a challenging task for the judges, who struggled to decide a winner for each category, let alone the overall winner!
Congratulations to Minka Parker, who won the High Fashion category as well as being our Supreme Winner!
Along with Halle McPherson, who won the Timelessness category, our 2025 Hero Theme. Halle’s garment was shown at a finale event showcasing the best looks from Fashion Week 2025.
Other Category Winners:
Cultural Fashion - Riti Chand
Streetwear (Draw) - Maia Rambisheswar and Lexie Lochhead
Avant Garde - Christine Woite
Best Model – Abianna Greer
Honourable Mentions!
Brian Li
Reign Cooper
Sara Yao
Fischl Wang
Walk the Line is just one example of the opportunities created through Raise Up, The Y’s youth development programme that empowers young people to step up as leaders in their communities. Across several regions, Raise Up crews of passionate high school students plan and deliver events, workshops, and initiatives that respond to the needs of their peers. Through these experiences, members gain skills in leadership, independence, teamwork, and giving back, growing into confident, connected, and successful adults who are a positive voice for change.
The Spirit of Walk the Line
Walk the Line isn’t just a fashion show; it’s a platform that allows youth to express themselves, showcase their talents, and gain real-world experience in event management, design and performance. The calibre of the garments, the professionalism of the crews, and the buzz of the audience prove that youth creativity is thriving - and the future of fashion, leadership and community engagement is in good hands.