NRA Fashion Awards 2009 – Eva Huynh – Student Award Winner

For more details about the NRA Fashion Awards student winner click here

NRA Fashion Awards 2009 – Birikini – Rising Star Award Winner

Read more about the NRA Fashion Rising Star Award here

NRA Fashion Awards 2009 – Supreme Award Winner

Read more on the NRA Fashion Awards here

The fashion stakes are high and the competition fierce as some of Australia’s most talented designers vie for the nation’s top fashion honours in the National Final of the 28th NRA Australian Fashion Design Awards presented by AMP Capital Shopping Centres on Wednesday 8 April.

As Australia’s premier fashion competition, the Awards showcase the best of today’s designers and discover the talent of tomorrow, providing designers with an extraordinary platform to showcase their talents to the shopping public nationally.

27 designer finalist entries were selected from a field of almost 300 entries which all competed in the preliminary judging heats held on the Gold Coast and nationally from 31 March to 3 April 2009.

The most nominated finalists in this year’s Awards include two recent Supreme Award winners:
Lisa Brown (Lisa Brown)
Brad Webb (Darb Bridal Couture)

The finalists are:

Student Designs presented by Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Jessica Chatterton, Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe, Indooroopilly, Queensland
Ben Garrett, Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe, Dutton Park, Queensland
Nomiki Glynatsis, Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe, Brookfield, Queensland
Prudence Grayson, Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe, Boondall, Queensland
Nicola Hall, Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe, Glebe, New South Wales
Ebony Harding, Swan Tafe, Winthrop, West Australia
Eva Huynh, RMIT Brunswick, North Balwyn, Victoria
Rebecca Timson, Curtin University of Technology, Kardinya, West Australia
Laura Zhu, University of Technology Sydney, Roseville, New South Wales

Ready to Wear presented by Conrad Jupiters
Lisa Brown, Lisa Brown, Clear Island Waters, Queensland – 2 finalist entries [LIFESTYLE]
Birikini, Kylie Pizzirani & Chelsea Hillbrick, Mooloolaba, Queensland [KIDS]
eeni meeni miini moh, Elizabeth O’Connor-Cowley, Milton, Queensland [KIDS]
Little Workers, Ivanka Belic, Paddington, Queensland [KIDS]
Tayla-Lu, Nerina Gugliemino, Carindale, Queensland [KIDS]

Daniel Alexander Couture, Daniel Alexander, Fortitude Valley, Queensland [SWIM]
White Sands, Leah Madden, Broadbeach, Queensland [SWIM]
Lisa Blue, Maree Elizabeth Coates, Tweed Heads, New South Wales [SWIM]

SIGNATURE DESIGNS presented by Sony Centre
Brides Desire by Airs & Graces, Wendy Sullivan, West End, Queensland [BRIDAL]
Darb Bridal Couture, Brad Webb, Brisbane, Queensland – 2 finalist entries [BRIDAL]
Lisa Brown, Lisa Brown, Clear Island Waters, Queensland [BRIDAL]
Strictly Bridal, Ann Wilson, Mudgeeraba, Queensland [BRIDAL]

Darb Bridal Couture, Brad Webb, Brisbane, Queensland [COUTURE]
Dimitria Bridal Couture, Dimitria Kal & Christina Kal, Albert Park, Queensland [COUTURE]

Darb Bridal Couture, Brad Webb, Brisbane, Queensland [FASHIONS ON THE FIELD]
Taree Birse, Taree Birse, Southport, Queensland [FASHIONS ON THE FIELD]

VIEWERS CHOICE presented by AMP Capital Shopping Centres

Forever New, Knox Shopping Centre, Victoria
Peter Alexander, Warringah Mall, New South Wales
Sussan, Macquarie Centre, New South Wales
Veronika Maine, Garden City Booragoon, West Australia
Venus and Apollon, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Queensland
Witchery, Karrinyup Shopping Centre, West Australia

Finalists from the Ready to Wear and Signature Designs categories will be competing for the Rising Star Award and the ultimate accolade – the AMP Capital Shopping Centres Supreme Award.

Australia’s best student designer will also be announced on the night, as well as the winner of the NEXT New York National Model Search.

The Supreme Award winner will receive a Sony Centre Entertainment Package valued at $5,000 and the Supreme Award trophy.

FOR PHOTOS AND LATEST RESULTS REGISTER AT http://www.fashionscene.com.au

This evening I spoke to NRA Fashion Design Awards Supreme Award winner Lisa Brown. I was lucky enough to get some of her time for a phone interview, so listen in as Lisa reveals her experience in the Fashion industry. I also got the truth behind Kate Hudson buying some of Lisa’s clothing.

Whilst you’re listening, check out Lisa’s Fashion Design website at http://www.lisa-brown.com.au/

This interview was recorded with my Nokia N95 mobile phone, the quality is a bit lower than my other podcasts because of this reason. You’ll also notice some blips of silence, in particular during a key moment at the end of the interview. I was suppose to say donkey, haha- you’ll just have to listen to it to hear where I was meant to say that.

Dimitria Bridal Couture – Bose Couture Award Winner

Public launch of the NRA Australian Fashion Design Festival presented by Pacific Fair Shopping Centre

Eva Milic hosted the public launch together with NRA Australian Fashion Design Award judges Michael Pherous (Chair), Trelise Cooper and Jonathan Ward, to introduce the Festival to the shopping public.

The inaugural and limited-edition Variety Chari-Tees, designed by some of Australia and New Zealand’s leading fashion designers, will be paraded on the catwalk along with a short parade of Pacific Fair’s chic winter collections.

UPDATE: Brad Webb of Darb Couture took out the Supreme Award for the night as Best Fashion Designer in Australia, the second year runnning. Eeni Meeni Miini Moh won the Kids and Innovation awards. Mark Valenton of Metropolitan Institute of TAFE won the student award and if you remember from my shoot at modaitalia, he was the winner from that event this year.

Today I attended the full dress rehearsal at the NRA Australian Fashion Awards Finals on the Gold Coast. This is the 26th year that the awards have been held and is now known for being the longest-running, continously televised fashion event on Australian television. I had the opportunity to shoot at the dress rehearsal and you can view the Fashion Photography photos I took here.

Moved to the new month of December, the final parade will be broadcast on Channel 9 with hosts Richard Wilkins and Deborah Hutton.

The awards are part of the 2006 NRA Fashion Festival which is held on the Gold Coast, various events have been held such as local performances and opportunities to meet stars like Katie Fischer who is also the face of AMP Capital Shopping Centres. The fashion awards showcases the best student and label designers in Australia. The Queensland Government is the other major sponsor for this event and has been a major part in Fashion development in Australia.

There were some extra highlights to the final parade including dance performances and visual displays such as the one below where the female dancer would appear in a new outfut in a matter of seconds underneath the flicker of a sheet of cloth. Almost a magical act, this would have been a treat for guest during the main event.