The London-based pattern cutter was part of iD Dunedin Fashion Week’s emerging designers in 2006, the first year she had shown garments on the runway.
The event led to a successful career for Ms Viggo, including working for High Street brands such as Top Shop and catwalk brands like Roland Mouret.
Now she was joining well-known New Zealand fashion designers Tanya Carlson and Charmaine Reveley as a judge for the fashion show.
Ms Viggo said yesterday she was surprised by the high standard of applications for the 2023 awards.
"It’s interesting because these students haven’t been to school basically for two years . . . they’ve been working off site at home over Zoom," she said.
The judges began looking through almost 130 entries from around the world yesterday.
More than 30 schools and 14 countries were represented in the submissions, she said.
"We’ve just started and we’re looking at all the New Zealand entries."
The successful entrants would have their garments displayed alongside New Zealand’s top designers at the Dunedin Railway Station next year.
The theme for 2023 is diversity and sustainability, which meant all shapes, sizes, ages and genders, Ms Viggo said.
"We’re looking for something that is kind of in the mainstream, but also outside of the mainstream."
The week of fashion, which includes exhibitions, runway shows, talks, installations and films begins on April 1.
