George Borrie

George Borrie, another finalist in this year’s iD competition, admits he’s never designed athletic wear before. But he loves creating coats.

‘‘I wanted to uplift the formal style I’ve created for myself, but still keep that pre-existing image that we have of New Zealand as a sporting country – our identity in sportswear,’’ Borrie says. He also sought to integrate Japanese themes into his designs.

Borrie says he’s always viewed Japan and New Zealand as ‘‘sister countries’’, especially when comparing their land masses as island nations, and wanted to convey this.

‘‘The silver fern is transformed into a red fern, made from pleated chiffon exiting a seam in the tailored jacket. The jacket is a mix between a sporting bomber jacket and a tailored blazer – to create a formal, yet still athletic, appearance.’’

After starting out as a photography student at the Southern Institute of Technology, Borrie ‘‘took a step sideways’’ into fashion and isn’t looking back. Reflecting on his experience with iD, he says being a finalist was the highlight of what he’s done so far.