10 September, 2026

TGS student’s jacket wins at national fashion showcase

Jacket with a story… Moon Nguyen, pictured with fellow TGS student Zoe Evans, won the streetwear category in a youth fashion contest at Fashion Week

Takapuna Grammar School student Moon Nguyen won the Streetwear category of a youth fashion showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week with a jacket serving as a metaphorical patchwork of her achievements and values.
Moon and fellow TGS student Zoe Evans were among 78 young designers chosen to take part in the Walk the Line youth initiative last month.
Moon was proud to win her category with a jacket representing her identity.
“I try to add things that are meaningful to me so that the jacket is not just another cool looking jacket, but also something memorable and has meaning.”
She said words on the jacket highlighted her Vietnamese heritage. “I feel like Vietnamese people and culture could be represented more, especially in New Zealand, so I wanted to include that.”
Both her past and future are prominent, with a former nails business she ran also featured, even though she has now moved on to “bigger goals”.
“Starting my own business taught me so much … I wanted to put the logo to remind myself of that era of my life.”
The number 23 on the back of the jacket represents the age by which she aspires to have her own property development. “The number is kind of a reminder of what I’m working towards.”
The values of “Consistency” and “Discipline” also feature. “I really believe they’re the key to achieving anything you want, even when motivation isn’t there.”
The entire project was made from upcycled clothing, including old clothes from her and her family’s closets.
“I think that there are too many clothes in the world already, and taking care of the environment is very important to me,” she says.