Sheep-clamation at wool design awards
A MELBOURNE-BASED fourthyear honours student at RMIT has taken out the prestigious Australasian Young Designer Wool Award, which kicked off Hamilton’s Sheepvention event.
Danielle Herbert won the Australian Wool Innovation sponsored award, which includes a study tour to the Italian fashion mecca, Milan, with her evening wear entry.
Other category winners included Adelaide’s Airin Samadi Valid from Flinders University, who took out the corporate wear section.
Ms Samadi Valid said her lecturers had encouraged her to enter the competition. Before that she “had no idea about working with wool, I’d never really used it before”.
“But now I love it. You can do so many creative things with it. I will definitely be using it more in future,” she said.
Event co-ordinator Jackie O’Brien said there were 38 entries this year.
The judges were AWI Australian New Zealand Operations project co-ordinator Clementine Hurley, who has a fashion design background, and Warrnambool fashion designer Erin Grigg.
Ms Grigg also operates a local clothing store, which supports small or emerging designers who use wool and ethical practices.
“Danielle’s design showed the potential of renewable and sustainable fashion production practices and heroes Australian merino wool as the luxury fibre of choice in the emerging designer market,” Ms O’Brien said.
“Her wearable wool designs are beautifully cut and show clever and unique draping skills.”