Exploring Fashion’s Sustainable Future through the Next Generation of Fashion Designers.
Celebrating the emerging world of sustainable fibre and textiles through emerging fashion makers and courageous designers, the inspiring We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize has returned to the regional city of Geelong.
Aligned with the Geelong UNESCO City of Design designation, the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize takes place every two years and challenges the next generation of fashion designers to create one original outfit that represents their design aesthetic and showcases their commitment to sustainable fashion.
It is the only sustainable fashion prize offered in Australia for emerging designers with less than ten years of industry experience and is open to designers worldwide. Attracting over 100 expressions of interest from Australian and international designers this year alone, We The Makers truly champions the future of design, Geelong’s status as a creative city, and Geelong’s ongoing role in the wool, fibre and textile industries.
Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.
With a swathe of emerging designers, bold, dynamic and exciting designs and $10,000 that will help establish the career of a talented designer, just 20 emerging designers were shortlisted to win the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize for 2023.
Moving beyond ethical supply chains, this year’s designers took bold approaches when repurposing garments and accessories. Designers embraced reviving traditional and near-forgotten methods, dying using organic botanicals and creating with purpose using slow fashion approaches.
Among the shortlisted designers for 2023 include Geelong creatives Lazarus Gordon with their design The Bride; Jasmine-Skye Marinos with Kaweerr Koorran Dress, Emily Rastas with Electric Avenue, and Portarlington’s Kate VM Sylvester with My Favourite T-shirt.
Impressive creations from Melbourne designers were also featured, including Jedda Bahloo’s hmm…must have missed it…, Amy Forbes and Caitlin Mullaly (Veils of Cirrus) with Hemlock Three Piece Suit, and Baaqiy Ghazali’s Decay, among others, while Sydney designers Samara Darling and Jordan Gogos feature with their masterpieces, Open Voices and Very woolly, respectively.
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This year the We The Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2023 also attracted entries from across the world, including designers Gakuki Ito from Niigata, Japan; Steven Junil Park from Otautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand; Vida Straseviciute from Kaunas, Lithuania; and Eliz Yusuf from London, United Kingdom.
“The response to We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2023 has been phenomenal,” says Senior Curator National Wool Museum Josephine Rout.
“It is clear from the breadth and depth of submissions that for 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.”
Judged by a panel of local and international industry experts, Melbourne-based designer Canwen Zhao has taken out the major prize. Canwen Zhao is a multidisciplinary fashion designer currently based in Melbourne. With a background in Chinese painting and further studies in fashion and art, Zhao brings a unique aesthetic vision to her practice.
The winning design, ’35 Life’, provides playful solutions to the increasing environmental threat of sun exposure. The metamorphic piece, which can be worn in multiple ways and packed down into a bag, is made from functional and decorative materials. Both the colours and the form are indebted to historic Chinese dress but reimagined for a contemporary wearer.
“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,” Zhao says.
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Transitioning from a competition to a prolific showcase, the We The Makers exhibition is now open at Geelong’s National Wool Museum, displaying Zhao’s winning design alongside the 19 other shortlisted outfits for everyone to enjoy.
True designers of the future, the works within the curated group exhibition are incredibly diverse and innovative with an unapologetic commitment to sustainable and ethical practices, providing a wonderful opportunity for those looking to sneak a peek at the fashion of the future and for the designers included.
Zhao’s winning garment will join the City’s Collection of Sustainable Fashion after the exhibition.
While the judges have already made their selections, as part of the major biennial program, the top 20 designers featured in the exhibition are all eligible for the Geelong UNESCO City of Design People’s Choice Award of $2,000, with the prize announced during Geelong Design Week in October 2023.
Upon exploring the exhibition within the iconic National Wool Museum building, the public can vote for their favourite makers. Voting is open now with one vote allowed per day for a favourite maker. All voters go into the running to win a 12-month subscription to Peppermint Magazine.
We The Makers Exhibition is open daily now until 29 October 2023 at the National Wool Museum, Geelong. Find out more and cast your vote here.
