Teen Stampede

You're never too young to start in the cut-throat business of fashion, so it makes perfect sense that October 14 will see more than 50 contestants descend upon the city of Geelong to compete at the national finals of the Apex Australia Teenage Fashion Awards (AATFA).

Around 600 students from across the country are currently sweating over their entries across the categories of eveningwear, daywear, and fantasy for a coveted spot in the finals; and as AATFA winner 2006 Kate Townsend confirmed, the contest is no mere game. "It has given me the confidence to not only go on to study fashion design at university, but to also start my own fashion label," she said.