Since winning the coveted title, the young designer has had “a pretty crazy couple of months” of sewing and learning, learning and sewing that has culminated in the launch of her own collection for Ballantynes Contemporary Lounge and online. The Millie Askew collection is “rural, retro, farmer”, says its creator. Like all her designs, it draws inspiration from the people around her. “I might see something a friend is wearing and take parts of that, or get inspired by their creative practices. My designs start with a bit of a feeling or a mood develops, taking bits of things from everyday life and talking to people.”

Pux-Askew certainly didn’t expect to win when she entered the Ballantynes Emerging Designer competition. “I entered on a whim, really, and got the project together two weeks before it was due.” Since then, the biggest challenge has been managing the many other people involved in taking a collection to market. “When you do things on a bigger scale there are a lot more people involved and there’s a lot of multi-tasking to make sure things arrive on time,” the young designer says.

Running through all her designs is a solid thread of sustainability and ethical practices. “I think it’s really important to consider how things are made and where they’re coming from. I source hand-made cottons from India that are hand-loomed and naturally dyed – or not dyed at all. It’s a really slow way of making because it can take one or two months to weave the fabric, but it becomes a product that no-one else has, which gives it a real value and its own life.”

After the Ballantynes stint, Pux-Askew will be back to the sewing machine. “I’ve just got some new fabric that is arriving from India and being delivered so I’ll be straight back into it.”
And who would she most like to see wearing her garments? “It’s going to sound odd but Helen Clark. I had an idea a while ago to make a jumper with a print of her face on it.”

Read our full Q&A with Millie here

ballantynes.co.nz

ballantynes.co.nz