Fashion Awards Australia is in its 30th year. St Albans Secondary College became involved with the award almost 14 years ago, when we were the first school invited to parade at the Australian Gown of the Year. The parade was for professionals but through our former AP, Ms Meadowcroft, we attended an excursion to the judging of the Australian Gown of the Year.
Guy Barton, the organiser of the event, was delighted to meet our aspiring fashion students and invited them to take to the runway. Little did we know that the parade would be televised nationally and throughout Asia Minor. This resulted in an invitation to participate in a national school’s competition.
In 2012 we took our fashion students to their first ever Fashion Awards Australia competition. Our students took to the stage in some poorly assembled apparel and sadly received an encouragement award. Those awards reserved for those who really try but fall short of the end goal.
Since then, Mr Bowden and Mr D’Aglas have worked tirelessly to procure funding and establish St Albans Secondary College’s reputation as a fashion school. To date we have won 12 ‘Carringbold Cups’ for best school with 9 of those being consecutive titles, a new record for Fashion Awards Australia. Prior to this achievement, Ballarat Grammer had won 4 consecutive competitions. What makes us so successful?
Our success is due largely to the passion of our staff, students and program sponsors, who generously donate funds annually to enable our students to achieve their best.
We do have a secret weapon, the aesthetics that are developed through the blending of varied cultural groups within our school. When young student designers- Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, First Nations, European and Sudanese- critique each other’s designs something truly unique and original emerges.
Mr Nicholas D’Aglas – LAL Arts | Art | Staff Development Leader