My favourite runway at a fashion festival is typically a student runway. Without the pressure to create something commercially viable and with more opportunity to explore, students often create garments that push the boundaries of design.
When deciding which shows to attend at the Adelaide Fashion Festival this year, the student runway was top of the list after Slow Saturday, a day dedicated to sustainable fashion. As well as showcasing the designs of second and third year fashion students, the Student Runway was produced entirely by TAFE SA students including hair, makeup, lighting, catering, styling music and graphics.
The show was broken up into five sections:
Modest Fashion by visiting Islamic Fashion Institute
Modest Fashion by TAFE SA students
Wool by TAFE SA Students
Corsets by TAFE SA Students
The Premier’s Design Award
Students were asked to design to a theme for this year’s award, which was ‘athleisure’, the fastest growing sector in the global fashion industry. Belinda Piovesan and Matthew Reith were joint winners of the prize.
A recurring theme in the speeches made by various Adelaide and South Australian officials throughout the festival highlighted the importance of investing in creative industries and the value they have in setting Adelaide apart in terms of its cultural capital. If the strength of the TAFE SA students is any indication of that investment, the Adelaide fashion industry will continue to grow.
This runway was presented by Spendless Shoes and sponsored by Finesse Models.
