WOOL was celebrated in fine fashion at the Australian Wool Fashion Awards held at Tamworth on Friday.
The annual event attracted about 300 guests, including some the New England region’s woolgrowers and the country’s top fashion designers.
A young Queensland designer, 15-year-old Brisbane Grammar School student Connor O’Grady, took out the Brother supreme award with his black dress and jacket adorned with paintings of coral.
He was also the winner of the under the sea-themed high school section before being announced as the supreme award winner.
Fashion design students were among the major winners in each category.
Emma Vander Voort, 16, Redlands Sydney, was second in the Hunter TAFE School of Fashion secondary award and also received the Raffles College of Design and Commerce design scholarship and 16-year-old Katrina Tomlinson Gils, New England Girls’ School, Armidale, was highly commended and received the Whitehouse Institute of Design drawing scholarship.
The Australian Woolgrower knitwear section was won by Angelina Russo and Alison Bosnakis won the award for Prime7 recycled wool.
Sam Stolhand won the racewear section and Armidale designers Kiri Steele and Ellie Monley won the Goodwin Kenny and New Holland Agriculture award for evening wear with their black dress with painted droplets.
The Virgin Australia young designer award went to Raffles graduate Ginnan Tabbouch, Sydney, for her collection of sheer and felt garments and longtime awards supporter Judy Bond, Mildura, won the Goddess Glow bridal section with her crochet dress with pearl features.
Hunter TAFE student Sally Paull, Singleton, won the Stacks Law Firm tribal-themed wearable art section.
The night also showcased 2015 supreme award winner Lucy Virgona’s Raw Naivete collection.
Awards managing director Leonnee Pinchen-Martin said the event was a fantastic showcase of wool as a versatile fabric. She said the art gallery was the perfect setting for the event.
“The out of the box designs that the entrants create are all individual art pieces in themselves and what better way to showcase them.”
