Roofer-turned-designer keeps it real at Fashion Week

Roofer-turned-designer keeps it real at Fashion Week

If you live outside a certain radius of central Auckland, you may wonder if Fashion Week is at all relevant to you.

This year, one New Zealand Fashion Technology graduate is aiming to keep things a bit more real.

Jerome Taylor is a former roofer from Wainuiomata and swapped his hammer for needle and thread five years ago.

He now has his own label and he's one of the country's top graduates selected to show his designs at Fashion Week.

He believes too many men wear what their partners or girlfriends' tell them and he wants to change that.

He's still finding his feet in the glamorous world and knows it is tempting to write the industry off as shallow, but his own creations are inspired by something deeply personal - the custody battle for his daughter.

His collection features a cape based on a judge's gown, a bullet-proof vest and distressed jeans.

Another student, Samuel Malloy, hopes his collection will encourage conversation around depression and get people talking.

They hope their designs will also look good on the street and aim to make the next generation look a little bit sharper.

Story.