Multi-award-winning fashion designer and Bay of Plenty resident, Donna Dinsdale, has earned national recognition once again with her work, Pakanga – The Heat of the Battle.

Donna, who teaches fashion design at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, was awarded first equal in the Fibre Art category at the 2024 Taranaki National Art Awards, held in Taranaki last week.

Pakanga – The Heat of the Battle is a two garment ensemble, representing the emotional bond between a mother and son during World War II.

The pieces tell the story of Donna’s great uncle, Dudley Lewis Stagpoole, who was a Lance Corporal in the 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion, and his mother Edith Blanche Stagpoole.

Dudley would write letters to his mother daily during the war. He served in the trenches in the Western Desert in North Africa, and died in action in 1942, aged 32.

Donna says Dudley’s original letters are still dearly held and treasured by her family.

“Dudley and his parents lived in New Plymouth, so to take Pakanga – The Heat of the Battle to Taranaki was a way to acknowledge his memory and family history, as well as his contribution. He was proud to serve for our country.” 

Pakanga – The Heat of the Battle. Photo supplied.

“Words from Dudley’s letters, incorporated on the garments, represent the true narrative between a mother and son and the emotional bond they shared.

“I layered text, materials and codes of dress to make sculptural garments that are tinged with sentiments of loss, longing and memory,” she says.

Taranaki National Art Awards judges, Aaron Lister from City Gallery Wellington | Te Whare Toi and Taarati Taiaroa from the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre, commented on Donna’s highly attuned attention to detail and sensitivity to storytelling.

“Clothing, like words, are what we use to correspond with one another… to remember, to honour. In this work, eclectic signs and materials are woven together to form cohesive, tailored garments that emanate narrative and demand further enquiry… These stories are personal, revealing some things but not everything.”

Donna’s latest award comes at a significant time for the tertiary institute where she teaches.

The Bachelor of Creative Industries degree at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year.

This milestone emphasises the long-standing impact of the programme, which has trained hundreds of graduates in the fields of fashion, graphic design, and visual arts, many of whom have gone on to establish successful careers in the creative industries.

“Some of the amazing and talented students I’ve taught at Toi Ohomai have won their own awards and been successful in starting their own labels,” Donna says.

“We witness the incredible talent that is emerging from our Bachelor of Creative Industries programme.

“Students grow in skills and confidence, and mentoring them throughout their studies and into the industry is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.”

Donna has several other creative accolades to her name, including being a three-time World of Wearable Arts finalist, receiving the Supreme Designer Award at the former Westfield Style Pacifica Fashion Awards, achieving highly commended (2022) and being a finalist (2023) at the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award for Three Dimensional Artform, as well as winning the Overall Award of Excellence at the annual MLT Hokonui Fashion Design Awards (2019). 

This latest win cements Donna's ability to challenge traditional fashion boundaries, creating designs that are equally relevant on the runway as they are in exhibition spaces.

Now in its 22nd year, the 2024 Taranaki National Art Awards were held in Ōpunakē on Friday, 1 November 2024.

For those interested in a creative career like Donna’s, enrolments for Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s Bachelor of Creative Industries degree are open for 2025.

This three-year study programme offers majors in fashion design, graphic design and visual arts.

Students learn in modern facilities that support creativity and collaboration, and they graduate with skills that match the needs of today’s creative industries.