On Friday 24 May Eumundi will play host to one of the Sunshine Coast’s most unique events with the Australian Wearable Art Festival rolling out the catwalk for over 40 wearable works of art designed by artists from Tasmania to Mission Beach.
The event will have four main categories as part of its gala parade competition – Avant Garde, Floriana, Trashion and Sustainable – as well as additional prizes for Haute-Couture, Headpiece, First Nation and best tertiary and secondary student pieces.
Event curator, Wendy Roe said that the night is set to be a spectacular showcase where guests will be treated to fashion taken to the extreme and all set in a picture perfect location.
“We have a 16metre runway where haute couture will meet costumery – where waste will be turned into waistcoats and flower crowns become complete flower dresses,” Ms Roe said.
“We have been working on this event for at least a year and we can’t wait to welcome everyone under the stars in the Eumundi Square.”
The event has attracted national attention but local artists such as Larissa Salton have been excited to have their works selected to take the stage.
“I have been creating Renaissance-inspired gowns and headpieces to feature in my portraiture images for a while now. I repurpose puzzle pieces, curtains, toothpicks, broken jewellery, birds’ nests, suitcases and bullet shells to create an old-world whimsical charm,” Ms Salton said.
“I have now taken this one step further and designed the work to be wearable on a catwalk. My pieces can be quite fragile and so there are many structural considerations to enable a piece to be runway ready.”
This is a sentiment one of the acclaimed festival judges and fashion designer to the stars, Cindy Vogels, understands and agrees with.
“This festival really allows artists to extend their practice and provides a platform for a wider audience to be inspired by form, structure, texture and colour – often using an eclectic mix of unusual materials,” Ms Vogels said.
“I am excited that I have a number of works being displayed on the night as well as dressing our gorgeous MC Katie Toney from Channel Seven.”
“Wearable art is such a unique form and really embraces the idea that we can live and wear art every day.”
Both award-winning artist Dr Jandamarra Cadd and special guest judge Peter Dwyer of the Whitehouse Design Institute will join Cindy Vogels on the judging panel where a total of $3,600 cash will be awarded.
Finalists’ wearable pieces of art will be presented on the catwalk at Eumundi Square under the stars from 6pm on Friday 24 May, 2019. Tables of 12 are available to purchase for $1200 which include food and drinks or general admission tickets are available for $35. To purchase tickets or to find out more visit australianwearableart.com.au/
