MORE than 50 professional, student and amateur fashion designers have submitted entries for the fifth Henty Natural Fibre Fashion Award.
The award is open to any design made purely from natural fibres, such as wool, angora, mohair, cashmere, cotton, linen, silk or combinations thereof.
The judging panel comprises representatives from the design, processing and manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing sectors.
They include Macquarie Textiles manufacturing manager David Tester, of Albury, Riverina TAFE director of education for planning and development Joy Stocker, CWA Riverina Group vice-president Anne Adams and CWA Sturt Group representative Patience McMahon.
"The judges are looking for garments and creations that are wearable, commercially viable and contain a high level of expressed creativity," field days Country Lifestyle co-ordinator Lyn Jacobsen said.
"Quite aside from the $3000 prize money, this award provides an important forum for designers to showcase their skills to the general public and media."
Field days chairman Ross Edwards said the organisers were pleased to sponsor the competition.
"As part of a major wool and fibre producing region, we have a responsibility to promote the use of natural products in what is a highly competitive marketplace," he said.
"If demand for natural fibre increased, it would solve a lot of the land usage and water issues currently facing agriculture."
Entries in the Natural Fibre Fashion Award will be featured a in fashion parade planned for 1pm each day of the field days, with judging to take place next Thursday.
The daily parades feature models from Billabong High School, Culcairn, who are styled and groomed by TAFE students from Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Albury.
