Geelong fashion competition winner announced

A MELBOURNE-based designer has won the City of Greater Geelong’s National Wool Museum We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize for 2023 and will walk away with $10,000 for her efforts.

Multidisciplinary fashion designer Canwen Zhao was crowned the winner of the biennial prize on Thursday evening for her winning garment design ’35 Life’, which provided playful and colourful solutions to the increasing environmental threat of sun exposure.

Her metamorphic and bright piece can be worn in multiple ways, packs down into a bag and is made from both functional and decorative materials that are indebted to a historic Chinese dress but reimagined for a contemporary wearer.

Ms Zhao, who has a background in Chinese painting and has studied fashion and art, said she was over the moon to secure the $10,000 prize.

“I am immensely grateful to the organisers for recognising my work and providing a platform for sustainable fashion innovation.

“This recognition fuels my commitment to pushing boundaries.”

The Sustainable Fashion Prize challenged the next generation of fashion designers to create one original outfit that “represents their personal design aesthetic and showcases their commitment to sustainable fashion.”

The biennial event was judged by a panel of international industry experts who initially shortlisted the prize to 20 finalists from over 100 entries sent in from across the world.

Fashion expert and We the Makers competition judge Benjamin Norsworthy said it was fantastic to see such a breadth of entries in this year’s prize.

“This competition is so interesting because there have been so many different interpretations of the brief.

“It has been challenging to judge as there have been some incredibly innovative responses to the theme of sustainable fashion and inventive suggestions of where the industry needs to go next.”

Senior Curator at the National Wool Museum, Josephine Rout said the response to the competition in 2023 had been “phenomenal”.

“It is clear from the breadth and depth of submissions that the next generation of designers, sustainability is no longer an afterthought, but is embedded within their practice.

“The finalists are leaders for change in fashion.”

All 20 shortlisted outfits, including pieces by Geelong artists Lazarus Gordon, Jasmine-Skye Marinos and Emily Jane Rastas are currently on display at the National Wool Museum until October 29.

The UNESCO City of Design People’s Choice Award will be decided during Geelong Design Week which kicks off on October 19.

Admission to the exhibition is $10 for adults.

For more, visit www.wethemakers.com.au/