The Australian Fashion Foundation has announced the 2017/2018 winners of its annual internship program.
Fashion designers Lucy Dickinson (RMIT) and Mikala Tavener Hanks (UTS) scooped the big win.
The pair were each awarded a financial grant of $20,000 and a six month internship at a global fashion house in the USA or Europe.
Stage at Pier One Sydney, the award ceremony featured a league of notable industry guests.
This included fashion designers Nicky Zimmermann, Dion Lee, Bianca Spender, Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman along with Louise Van de Vorst and Lincoln Pilcher.
Lee praised the winners.
“Both designers had a strong vision with collections feeling very innate and personal,” he said.
Zimmermann singled out Tavener Hanks for her commercial viability.
“Mikala’s collection was so refined and showed such restraint. You can see it on the floor in Barneys.”
Foundation co-founder Malcolm Carfrae said it was a tight competition.
"The quality of entrants was incredibly high this year and determining a winner was very difficult.
"We hope that we can provide a life-changing springboard for these two talented Australians.
"My only wish is that we could award more grants in future years."
The scholarship has transformed careers over the last nine years, with previous winners moving on to high profile positions across the globe.
These include 2009 winner, Georgia Lazzaro who went on to become design director at Protagonist after a placement at Calvin Klein.
Tim Watson (2012) is currently associate designer at Thom Browne.
Winners from 2014, Grace Butterworth and Alexander Oscar Kelvy have also formally joined the design teams for Giles Deacon (Grace) and Louis Vuitton (Alex).
Founded by Carfrae and Julie Anne Quay in 2008, the Australian Fashion Foundation is a New York based global non-profit organisation which supports emerging Australian fashion talent.