Personal passions fuel winning fashion award entries
02 August, 2024
Ara Bachelor of Design students win with impactful and bold work
Winning entries: Fran Flavel (left) and Mima Lewis Gourdie
Their first foray into avant garde fashion has landed wins for two Ara Bachelor of Art and Design (Fashion) students on the esteemed Hokonui Fashion Design Awards runway.
The event, in its 36th year and held in Gore last weekend, draws entries from budding designers from around the country. Alongside high school categories, tertiary design students and other amateur designers compete in the Open Section.
Students Fran Favel and Mima Lewis Gourdie were category winners, with Favel taking out an additional Highly Commended award. Ara Senior Academic Staff Member and Fashion Co-Team Lead Holly Liberona was runner up in the Open Glamour Section.
Winning designers Fran Favel (left) and Mima Lewis Gourdie
Tutor George Borrie, who facilitated the Avant Garde class for the first time this year, said second year Ara ākonga were encouraged to take part. “Equipped with strong foundational skills from their first year of study, our students are supported to use assessment or self-directed work to enter any category of their choosing,” he said.
Favel’s design motivation centred around the loss of her mum to ovarian cancer in 2022, saying she had a “deep determination to use her skills, talent and platform to bring light to those affected by the disease”.
She entered the Hokonui Heritage Precinct Open Avant Garde Section with a floral dress inspired by hydrangea blooms. Using recycled materials, Favel introduced volume into the work, seeking to make it flattering for the body of a woman impacted by treatment for gynaecological cancers.
Fran Favel’s designs are mindful of how cancer treatment affects body shape
It was paired with a veiled ‘funeral hat’ with more hydrangea blooms, this time in black, hand stitched on the draping to depict the female reproductive organs. The hat was removed on the runway to reveal the beauty of the dress beneath.
“There’s a lot wrapped into this narrative. I wanted it to address the symptoms and experience of ovarian cancer, as well as symbolise the journey of grief and memories for those affected by it,” Favel said.
“It’s telling the story that while you say goodbye at some point, it’s not what you remember your loved one for. Mum didn’t want to be known for her ovarian cancer, and that’s why removing the hat is so symbolic. The blue flowery dress represents who she truly was. Her personality, her soul.”
The two-piece work won Highly Commended in the Avant Garde category and went on to take out the O’Connor Richmond Narrative Award.
Favel said the win affirms her desire to continue on her path. “I’m seeking to make clothes for people like mum whose body was impacted by her treatments. Not everyone has the same body type, so I want to be mindful of that in my design.”
Classmate Mima Lewis Gourdie said she’d also found confidence in her design direction after winning the Open Upcycled Award with a dress made from rescued fabric scraps from an earlier class project, and a jacket made from soft plastics.
Mima Lewis Gourdie’s winning work started with a noodle packet
“I set out to prove I could make something entirely out of rubbish, but it was a complete accident that I turned to the bag of recycling I’d brought to Ara one day, intending to drop it at the supermarket nearby.”
Lewis Gourdie said she took a practice-based research approach, starting with a noodle packet to test her heat press technique to create a strong and malleable jacket textile. The only new materials used were a zip sourced from classroom supplies and the thread.
“I’m strongly sustainability minded and love to seek weird inspiration – even from the trash! I feel that what I’ve come up with is engaging and unique with a post-modern approach.”
Still buzzing from seeing her work on a runway for the first time, she said she was now determined to continue to work in a sustainability minded direction, and convinced that “doing the right thing for the right reasons” will see her best work emerge.
“It’s a challenge because I want to pursue what I love but I also want to be employable and have a wide range in my portfolio. But having got such resounding feedback from this event has validated my faith in myself and where to go.”
Lewis Gourdie and Favel paid tribute to their entire class saying they had worked tirelessly on their projects, putting in countless hours and supporting each other to get their entries over the line. “They’re incredible - from emotionally to technically,” Lewis Gourdie enthused. “The spirit of the class was immense as we worked towards this goal together.”
Borrie, who attended the awards event in Gore, said the students had spent numerous weeks experimenting, developing concepts and constructing their entries.
He was delighted with the recognition for Favel and Lewis Gourdie who he said had “poured a great deal of their own time and passion into their submissions”.
“The calibre of their work is testament to this, and I’m very proud of them both for embracing the topics they chose to explore with such boldness and authenticity.”
Fresh from her own runner up success in the Open Glamour section, Holly Liberona said the awards were an “invaluable platform for our ākonga, offering them a unique opportunity to gain national recognition and showcase their talent.”
“By participating, our learners have the chance to present their designs to esteemed industry leaders, opening doors to future career opportunities. The competitive nature of the awards pushes our students to excel, fostering creativity, innovation, and a deeper understanding of the fashion industry,” she said.