Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design) graduate Cassie Byrnes has won the state prize in the Design Institute of Australia’s Graduate of the Year Awards (GOTYA).
Byrnes, who won in the Textile and Fashion Design category, is now in the running for the national award which will be announced later this month.
GOTYA is an unique awards program created to support designers in the early stages of their career and recognise emerging excellence in various design disciplines.
The nominated 2014 graduates from Victorian and Tasmanian universities were assessed on their design solutions, transferrable workplace skills and predicted impact on the Australian design industry.
Byrnes’ “Rambler” collection last year won the RMIT Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design) final year industry project with Linen House and was placed into commercial production.
“This award really affirms my desire to pursue textile design as well as my capacity to flourish as an independent textile designer,” she said.