Kevin Berkahn, of Freeman’s Bay
Kevin Berkahn received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to fashion and the community. Mr Berkahn has been a fashion designer and couturier in New Zealand for 45 years, specialising in the design and manufacture of wedding gowns, including one for Princess Margaret at St James's Palace in London during the 1970s. He has designed garments for many well-known New Zealanders, has provided the gowns for the Miss New Zealand contestants to wear when representing this country overseas and has held fashion shows in Australia, London and Los Angeles. He has held fashion parades for charities, raising significant funds for organisations such as Odyssey House, Zonta, the Laura Fergusson Trust, and the Red Cross, as well as holding some 50 shows for various kindergartens. He won Gown of the Year and awards at the former Benson and Hedges Fashion Awards and his work featured in the 2004 Auckland Museum Exhibition 'Fashion on Wheels – The New Zealand Gown of the Year'.