Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Celebrating New Zealand's global design contribution
What do a lingerie set, a DishDrawer and the old Dominion and Evening Post newspaper mastheads have in common? They were
designed by the latest inductees into the Massey University College of Creative Arts Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame was established in 2007 to recognise students and staff of the college and its fore-runner institutions
– the original School of Design, the Wellington Technical School and Wellington Technical College Schools of Art, and
the Wellington Polytechnic School of Design – who have made an outstanding contribution to New Zealand’s economy,
reputation and national identity through art and design.
College Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Sally Morgan says she is particularly pleased to be honouring the globally
recognised design contributions of former students and staff in what is the 125th anniversary of the design school.
Previous inductees are Sir Richard Taylor, Rebecca Taylor and Len Lye in 2007; Kate Sylvester, Mark Pennington and
Gordon Walters in 2008; John Drawbridge, Grant Alexander and Jane Ussher in 2009; and Manos Nathan, Fane Flaws and Avis
Higgs last year.
The 2011 inductees are:
• fashion designer Collette Dinnigan,
• industrial designer Mark Elmore,
• typographic designer Joseph Churchward
• school founder Arthur Riley
“Thanks to the vision of Arthur Riley, who recognised way back in 1886 that New Zealand needed a well-trained design
industry if it was to compete internationally, New Zealand designers have made a huge impact on the lives of people
around the world," Professor Morgan says. “The contribution of Collette Dinnigan, Mark Elmore and Joseph Churchward
extends way beyond New Zealand. These are people for whom geography was never a barrier to success. They exemplify all
that is excellent about a New Zealand based design education.”
Collette Dinnigan is a global fashion phenomenon. The Australia-based fashion designer studied fashion design at Wellington Polytechnic,
completing a certificate in clothing and textiles in 1984. After graduating, she moved to Australia and established her
label, initially based around lingerie, Collette Dinnigan, in 1990. Her fashion empire is now vast. Her multiple
collections, including lingerie and bridal, are stocked in 145 stores in Britain, Europe, Russia, the United States,
Japan and the Middle East. Her delicate dresses are frequently seen at red carpet events and have been worn by Angelina
Jolie, Charlize Theron, Halle Berry and Kate Hudson.
Mark Elmore is industrial design team leader at Fisher & Paykel alongside several other Massey design graduates. He has been at the heart of the creation a range of
refrigerators, electric cookers, and the iconic and transformational DishDrawer, sold in 27 countries, and has brought
in millions of dollars to the New Zealand economy, created jobs and, ultimately, allowed Fisher & Paykel to stay in New Zealand – today it is the only New Zealand-based whiteware appliance manufacturer. Last month Mr
Elmore was awarded the John Britten Black Pin at the NZ Designers Institute BEST Awards for his many product innovations
at Fisher & Paykel.
Joseph Churchward is a Samoan-born graphic designer whose fonts are used the world over. Joseph attended the Wellington Technical College
in 1948 where he gained an Art Distinction Award in Lettering. In 1969 he founded Churchward International Typefaces,
which went on to become New Zealand’s largest typesetting firm. Striking a deal with the German firm Bertold Fototypes,
an international typeface distributor, his typefaces became known around the world. A notable first was Churchward 69 used by Woolworths, while his hand lettering was used to help create the mastheads for The Evening Post and The Dominion newspapers. With close to 600 original typefaces to his credit, Mr Churchward, 78, continues to create new fonts from
his Hataitai home. He won the Designers Institute of New Zealand John Britten Award in 2009 and was a recipient of a
Queen's Service Medal last year.
Arthur Riley, born in England in 1860, founded the Wellington School of Design in 1886. Mr Riley was a leading advocate of planned
technical education, arguing that vocational training should not be left to chance if New Zealand was to compete with
other countries. His belief that art was not just about painting and sculpture but was a vital part of daily life and
industry, is a quality that is still evident in the art and design produced by the many cohorts of students that have
passed through the school since then. His legacy is being celebrated at the anniversary exhibition Oldschool Newschool,
at the Museum Building, Buckle St, until November 5. Designs by Collette Dinnigan, Mark Elmore and Joseph Churchward
feature in the exhibition.
The 2011 inductees will be honoured at a black-tie gala dinner in the Wellington campus Old Museum Building Tea Gardens
on November 18. The dinner will be the culminating event of the College’s 125th anniversary celebrations. Alumni wishing
to purchase tickets may do so from: alumni@massey.ac.nz
ENDS