Teens Fashion Awards

TEEN DESIGNS ON FASHION AGENDA

The call is out for budding young designers to grab their needle and thread and get creative as the Gold Coast prepares for the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards (AATFA).

School students are being encouraged to throw their winning designs into the ring for the Awards with judging for the Gold Coast heat taking place at Centre Stage, Pacific Fair on Saturday 14 June from midday till 1pm.

This is the nineteenth AATFA but the first for the Gold Coast with the local heat being held as part of the GC Bazaar festivities at Pacific Fair.

Last year’s Awards event attracted 600 entrants across Australia but organisers are expecting a better response this year after expanding the program to incorporate heats in regional areas across all states.

AATFA provides secondary school students with the opportunity to design, manufacture and model their own fashion garments for the categories of Casual Day Wear, Evening Wear, Wearable Art and My Culture.

Pacific Fair Retail Marketing Manager Kate Cox said the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards provided young fashionistas with a great opportunity to hone their design skills and showcase their talents.

“The Gold Coast and, indeed, Pacific Fair has long been a destination for the fashion set, so it is the perfect fit for the inaugural Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards to be held on Centre Stage,” Ms Cox said.

“Pacific Fair has long been a supporter of fashion events on the Gold Coast from retailer parades and styling workshops to the prestigious Australian Fashion Design Awards Festival.

“It would be fantastic to see some of the amazing talents contending for the local heat go on to the state and national finals to show the rest of Australia what we already know – that the Gold Coast is home to some of Australia’s best up-and-coming designers.”

Setting the standard for the Gold Coast event will be award-winning designer Karen Neilsen of Brothers Neilsen, who will be showcasing fashions from the Brothers Neilsen range during the parades on 14 June.

The first, second and third placegetters in each category will earn a spot in the state finals in Brisbane on 16 August and a voucher from Brothers Neilsen. The state final placegetters will secure entry into the national final to be held at Fox Studios in Sydney in October with first place winners receiving a Bernina sewing machine.

Entries for the Gold Coast heat will close on Thursday 13 June with entries received between 14 and 16 June being transferred to another regional heat scheduled for a later date. To enter contact Apex Queensland event coordinator Jeff Hardie by fax: 07 4951 1800, email: aatfaqld@bigpond.com or log onto www.aatfa.org.au. The cost is $30 per entry.

During GC Bazaar Pacific Fair will also be hosting the Tamblyn Model Discovery on Saturday 7 June and Sunday 8 June, Be A Star At GC Bazaar featuring free makeovers and styling sessions on Thursday 12 June, Pacific Fair Shopping Tours every Saturday through June and basketball clinics with the Gold Coast Blaze on the weekends of 21, 22, 28 and 29 June.