It’s an exciting time for 27-year-old Brisbane-based fashion designer Scott Sutcliffe. The final year fashion design student at the Metropolitan Institute of TAFE has had his piece entitled Apocalyptic Warrior selected as one of the 15 finalists in the 2012 QueensPlaza Avant Garde Competition.

He describes his design as combining “both masculinity and hedonistic traits. The initial impression is of fetishism, but, once you look closer everything is not what is seems.”

Same Same caught up with the young fashion designer to ask him a few questions…

How does it feel to be a finalist in the competition and are you feeling confident that your entry will go well?

It is a great honour to be selected as a finalist in the competition. To be recognised in such a prestigious contest like this truly makes all the long hours from design through to completion of construction totally worth it.

My design pushes the boundaries and I hope the public can appreciate my creativity. It is now in their hands to help me get a foot in the fashion industry door with a 2-week internship with one of my most admired Australian designers, Akira Isogawa.

Is there a message you’re trying to convey with Apocalyptic Warrior, or is it open to interpretation?

Apocalyptic Warrior challenges the traditional notions of menswear which is the underlying essence in all of my designs. My piece is open to interpretation.

What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion is self expression, its reflects to the world a piece of yourself. I believe fashion is versatile one can alter their look to suit their mood, the occasion or location.

Public voting is currently under way in the 2012 QueensPlaza Avant Garde Competition. To vote head over to www.queensplazashopping.com.au and click on the Avant Garde section where you can cast your vote.

The prize consists of a two-week internship with Australian Fashion design Akira Isogawa at his Sydney studio. Winning would gave Scott the opportunity to learn underneath one of Australia’s best designers while providing him with a stepping stone into the fashion industry.

So what do you think of Scott Sutcliffe’s Apocalyptic Warrior design?