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UTS Fashion Honours Graduate Showcase 2024: Australian Future Fashion Trailblazers Take to the Runway in Sydney – News Hub

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  • November 27, 2024
UTS Fashion Honours Graduate Showcase 2024: Australian Future Fashion Trailblazers Take to the Runway in Sydney – News Hub

The Honours showcase is renowned for presenting cutting-edge designs that challenge traditional fashion norms and push the boundaries of creativity and this year’s runway was no different, with a diverse range of collections that reflect the unique perspectives and skills of the honours cohort, from handcrafted details to avant-garde design created using new technologies like the Shima Seiki Wholegarment Knitting Machine at the UTS Advanced Fabrication Research Laboratory.

 

The 2024 showcase featured 17 graduates, each presenting a collection of six looks – the culmination of their studies and creative exploration during their Bachelor of Fashion and Textiles Design Honours program at UTS. These emerging designers worked tirelessly to create pieces that not only reflect their personal style but also address contemporary issues in the fashion industry, such as sustainability, inclusivity, and technological innovation. 

 

Strategic industry partnerships with local and international industry bodies provide students with opportunities to experiment with innovative technologies and materials.

 

Historic textile house Liberty London again partnered with UTS providing two sponsorships for Honours students – Ashleigh Abboud explored kitsch and camp sentimentality and feminine iconography across machine and hand knit and overprinting using Liberty prints, Mia Sutherland also created her collection exploring print and colour, empowerment and female perception utilising several prints from Liberty.

 

Kullu Karishma – an artisanal weaving company in the foothills of the Himalayas – awarded Giovanna De Pontes the 2024 Kullu Weave Sponsorship, providing her with support and Kullu’s hand loomed angora wool, adding softness to her unconventional wool men’s suiting influenced by her Brazilian heritage, and inspired by the Congolese sapeurs.

 

Australian knitwear manufacturer Calcoup sponsored Alannah Walton’s collection “The Ties that Bind”, utilising an innovative trompe l’oeil of a photographic jacquard knit based on a close up of a cable knit, as well as Charlotte Gentry, contributing jacquart knit fabrications, which were then integrated with photography and natural fibre digital printing and UV image prints.

 

Sophie Woods, Savannah Sandilands, Abigail Ardron and Ethan Bergersen were awarded the Australian Wool Education Trust (AWET) sponsorship, assisting the students in sourcing and purchasing wool fabrics to explore the creative and conceptual potential of wool through their research and design. Ethan created his own ethical leather from wool, developing a unique textile to reimagine the human form as animal-human hybrid. Sophie, Savannah and Abigail utilised natural fibre wool to focus on materiality and sustainability, Savannah exploring a farm to fashion model in complex, innovative fine machine knit techniques and a dark, unconventional aesthetic. 

 

Phillippa Singorelli, Cathy Chow, Anika Bharadwaj and Shari Oh were this year’s recipients of the Shima Seiki Wholegarment Knitting Machine Sponsorship, creating bespoke patterns knitted on the Shima Seiki Wholegarment Knitting Machine at the UTS Advanced Fabrication Research Laboratory. The revolutionary technology enables a knitted garment to be produced in one entire piece, three-dimensionally, directly on the knitting machine, realising a whole new kind of knitwear and providing seam-free, “second skin” fit and comfort, in addition to the sustainable benefits of knitwear. 

Student Suzaan Stander and Abbey Hoy were both awarded the opportunity to work under leather couture designer Julio Valdes as the recipient of a sponsorship to develop refined leather pieces. 

 

During the program, students were also visited by local and globally renowned industry figures who hosted guest lectures and tutorials throughout the program including The Volte Chief Strategy and Brand Officer and former Harper’s BAZAAR Australia Editor-in-Chief Kellie Hush, Delta Global Founder and CEO Robert Lockyer, Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born and Creative Director and Stylist Peter Simon Phillips

 

The UTS Fashion Honours Graduate program is renowned for producing industry leading Alumni including loved Australian designers Bec+Bridge, Alix Higgins, Caroline Reznik and three out of four of the Next Gen awarded at Australian Fashion Week in 2023 (Cameron Hill, Ruby Pedder, Xixi Wu), and former students now working within local and international fashion houses such as PE Nation, Isabel Marant and Kenzo. In addition, 2023 Honours Graduate Alex Enticknap was recently awarded the Australian Fashion Foundation 2024 scholarship in New York. 

 

The UTS Fashion Honours Graduate Showcase is a must-attend event for industry professionals, fashion enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the future of fashion design. Join us in celebrating the creativity and innovation of the next generation of fashion leaders.

 

Runway Imagery is available – CLICK HERE to view/download

Broadcast res video footage is available HERE

 

Key Facts:

  • VIDEO FOOTAGE available 
  • Over 200 fashion industry, media and tastemakers gathered tonight at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) for the 2024 Fashion Honours Graduate Showcase
  • Sustainable Fashion, Circular Design and Natural Fibres: Many collections including those from Abbey Hoy and Abigail Adron  incorporate eco-friendly materials and practices, utiising upcycled materials and deadstock fabrics, saved from landfill. Sarah Richmond used all natural fibres and minimised waste by utilising her off-cuts in a needle felting machine to create new fabric
  • Technology – utilising the Shima Seiki Wholegarment Knitting Machine and technology’s 3D design system and software, collections are more environmentally aware, with quick response to mid-season production reducing overproduction, reduces resources required to produce garments and enables improved planning, and improved environmental impact and efficiency through use of virtual samples. Technology is also highlighted by exploring themes such as virtual reality (Philippa Signorelli) Deepfakes and photo identity 
  • Optimism and Connection in a Post-Pandemic world –  student Sarah Richmond explored connection and emotion through her exploration of invisible string theory, whilst Shari Oh explored the traditional divide of public and private space shifting through the lens of everyday dress
  • Cultural Narratives – Several collections draw inspiration from diverse cultural backgrounds, offering a rich tapestry of stories and influences.

About us:

About UTS Fashion Honours Program:

The UTS Fashion Honours Program is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of fashion designers. Our program emphasises creativity, innovation, and sustainability, providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the ever-evolving fashion industry. The UTS Honours Graduate program has given Australian designers their start both here and abroad, with Alumni including loved Australian designers Bec+Bridge, Alix Higgins both graduates, and within local and international fashion houses such as PE Nation, Isabel Marant and Kenzo. 

Contact details:

Charlotte Perry

PR & Marketing Executive

Phone: +61 427 755 039

Email: charlotte@glasspr.com.au 

 

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