ASPIRING fashion designers weaved their magic at the annual Australasian Young Designer Wool Awards in Hamilton on Sunday.
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The awards and fashion parade added a touch of glitz and glamour to the start of Sheepvention, which runs until Tuesday.
The champagne flowed and designer Jemma Saunders, of Portland, was the toast of the evening taking out the major prize as well as the corporate-wear section.
Convenor of the parade and the awards Jackie O’Brien said the event attracted up to 400 people to the Hamilton Exhibition and Conference Centre.
The winner was awarded a scholarship to attend a two-week summer design school at the Marangoni institute in Milan worth more than $12,000.
Ms O’Brien said there were 32 entrants this year and numbers were down on previous years. However, she said the quality of the entries was high.
“We’ve noticed they’re return entrants and a lot of them now are third-year students,” Ms O’Brien said.
As well as showcasing the garments designed by university students, the fashion parade also featured clothing from the Australian Wool Innovation collection. “It’s a collection of wearable wool that’s been put together to showcase to regional areas Australian designers and what they do with wool,” Ms O’Brien said.
“It includes familiar things like Country Road, Trenery, Veronika Maine, Witchery, Ted Baker...”
Sunday night also included entertainment from illusionist and Australia's Got Talent finalist Michael Boyd.
Geelong footballer Tom Hawkins, who will officially open Sheepvention on Monday, screened the Fibre for Football video – a collaboration between the AWI and the AFL to celebrate links with the farming community.
Mr Hawkins, who is from a wool and cropping property in New South Wales, is an ambassador for Australian Wool Innovation.
Ms O’Brien said fashion parades would continue throughout the two-day event with three scheduled for Monday and two for Tuesday.
Tuesday afternoon’s fashion parade will be held in conjunction with a high tea, a first for Sheepvention.
Also new to Sheepvention is Monday’s Bands, Bars and Buffet which features Trent Bell. Bell was a member of the band The Collective from TV’s The X-Factor.