The Australian Wool Fashion Awards
Fashion in Armidale Dumaresq

The awards are designed to showcase the use of Merino Wool by national and international fashion designers with a important focus on students. The competitions main aim is to educate and encourage young designers in the splendid qualities of wool. Inferior school students through to tertiary fashion students are enticed to use the many versatile wool and wool join fabrics to create their entries. Rewards include important cash prizes, gifts of mentoring from leading Australian fashion designers and scholarships to observe at recognized fashion institutes. Started in the premature 80’s, the event was designed to support wool in all its many aspects but with particular emphasis on its developing role in the fashion world. The Awards started as a little local fashion parade in 1981 but soon grew to importance, they are now acknowledged as one of Australia's major wool fashion design events. Each year some 400 entrants from all over Australia, and in more recent years New Zealand, UK, USA, Dubai, compete for prizes worth over 58,00. Extensive media publicity surrounds this prestigious showcase event. The Wool Fashion Awards now receive powerful encourage from both the fashion and textile industry. The competition’s main aim is to educate and encourage young designers in the marvelous qualities of wool. The rewards include significant cash prizes and Scholarships to scrutinize at recognized Fashion Institutes. The Awards are not impartial for the young, entrants of all ages vie for the prizes and prestige of a win in the competition that many say is the hardest to win. The Tamworth Regional Gallery was the flawless store to hold the fashion event. The out of the box’ designs created are all individual art pieces in themselves and what better way to showcase them than in an Art Gallery.