WINNERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN FASHION FOUNDATION AWARDS 2016/17 ANNOUNCED

SYDNEY, December 19, 2016 – The Australian Fashion Foundation tonight announced the 2016/2017 winners of its annual internship program. La Trobe Melbourne graduate and womenswear designer, Deanna Fanning, and UTS Sydney Honours graduate and menswear designer, Hannah Tan were each awarded a financial grant and a six month internship in the USA or Europe to pursue their talent on an international scale. The winners will each receive prizes worth more than AU$20,000. 

"Deanna and Hannah both showed a strong, original point of view, and presented collections that were inspiring and exciting," said AUSFF co-founder Malcolm Carfrae. "They presented and marketed their work with professionalism and a keen sense of innovation." 

At the event it was announced that there would be two exciting new educational grants added to the 2017 AUSFF internship prizes. The two winners will have the opportunity to stop in Hong Kong on the way to their internship in Europe or the USA and meet with industry experts at The Woolmark Company's new Hong Kong Wool Resource Centre. This prize will allow the two emerging designers the chance to discover the latest innovations in wool, followed by a guided tour of China's key manufacturers, spinners and weavers. 

“The Woolmark Company is pleased to continue the successful partnership with AUSFF and in supporting emerging Australian design talent,” explained The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough. "The inclusion of a unique educational experience to meet with industry experts is a welcome addition to the prize and allows the two winners to further develop an understanding of the wool supply chain and its importance to the global fashion industry.” 

Judges present at the award’s announcement included AUSFF co-founder Malcolm Carfrae (Founder, Carfrae Consulting) alongside fashion stylist and icon Brana Wolf; fashion designer Dion Lee; Kellie Hush (Editor-in-Chief, Harper’s BAZAAR); Laura Brown (Editor-In-Chief, InStyle US); fashion consultant and former VOGUE editor Nancy Pilcher, and Kara Hurry (Consultant). 

The cocktail party to announce the winners was held at The Blue Room, Bondi Beach, Sydney, in partnership with The Woolmark Company. Other notable guests included: Christine Centenera, Simone Zimmermann, Jonathan Saunders, Eva Galambos, Carla Zampatti, Bianca Spender, Tanja Gacic, Alexandra Smart, Jessica Dietrich, Lincoln and Morgan Pilcher, Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman. 

The AUSFF Awards are open to designers, photographers, stylists, writers, and art directors - any fashion profession that meets the criteria of eligibility. To make a submission for the 2017/2018 AUSFF grants and for further information, visit www.ausff.org. 

About The Woolmark Company: 

The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through our extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, we highlight Australian wool’s position as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in luxury apparel. 

The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from farm through to finished product. 

The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise owned by more than 24,000 woolgrowers that invests in research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool.