Sydney's Emily Walters last night beat eleven of the country’s best student designers to be announced the winner of the annual Australian Fashion Graduate of the Year Award, presented as part of the Brisbane Fashion Festival.
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David Bush, the national womenswear buyer for David Jones, headed the panel of judges who selected the Sydney’s Institute of TAFE graduate's collection as the one most worthy of the $5,000 cash prize and major career boost.
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Mr Bush said the competition attracted a particularly high calibre of entries compared to previous years, but the winning range was the most commercially viable.
He said while creativity was important, young designers had to realise a tough economic climate meant mass-market appeal was essential to survival, as demonstrated by the diffusion lines already featured at the festival.
Fashion stylist and fellow judge Kim Ring said Ms Walters’s collection also had ‘all-ages’ appeal.
“It was still creative and innovative, but wearable,” Ms Ring said. “You could take [the collection] apart and wear parts of it with other garments in your wardrobe, no matter your age.”
Working with silks, silk gerogettes and plastics, Ms Walters’ garments came in a series of nude hues punctuated with blocks of tangerine, a colour particularly strong for coming spring/summer season.
Graphic designs from Shenez Engineer. Photo: Katherine Feeney.
But the competition was fierce, and there were several other strong contenders, including two from Brisbane.
Ana Diaz and Shenaz Engineer, both from the Queensland University of Technology, showed the graduate collections that have already garnered them attention; Ms Diaz will release a capsule collection for Sportsgirl later this year while Ms Engineer has been approached to dress the Black Eyed Peas.
Anna Diaz showed the collection that won her a Sportsgirl contract. Photo: Katherine Feeney
Ms Diaz’s retail range emulates the success found by 2008 AFGY winner Dion Lee, who used the award to build a business that now extends to collections for major Australian womenswear retailer Cue.
Other highlights from the student parade included the clean lines and oceanic shades from Matilda Pamment of University of Technology Sydney, as well as the clever use of digital print from Ms Walters’ classmate Anna Westcott.
Matilda Pamment's refreshing lines and colours. Photo: Katherine Feeney.
The evening concluded with a parade from emerging designers which was dominated by one young voice, Edwina Sinclair’s Soot.
Though almost fresh out of high school, the first-year fine arts student has already produced four collections, and open stores both in Brisbane and online – a winning strategy with or without an award to prove it.
Pieces from Edwina Sinclair’s young label Soot. Photo: Katherine Feeney.
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival – Brisbane, hosted by South Bank, runs from August 20-26. Tickets can be purchased through QTIX outlets on 136 246 or online at www.qtix.com.au. Further information is available at www.mbff.com.au
This reporter is on Twitter: @katherinefeeney
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