Australian sheepskin boot brand Everau has partnered with the Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia to launch the Everau Design Awards 2025.
This year’s competition invites second-year fashion design students to explore what the ugg boot style could look like through the lens of Gen Z.
The collaboration is embedded within Whitehouse’s wool curriculum module, supported by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), and gives students a real-world brand brief with the potential for commercial exposure.
Second-year fashion design students across Whitehouse’s Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane campuses entered the competition, with each student submitting three footwear concepts.
“At Everau, we see an opportunity to go further: to reposition the ugg as a relevant part of today’s fashion wardrobe,” branding and marketing manager Tina Dong said. “Through this collaboration, we invite young designers to update its meaning — combining timeless silhouettes with bold, fashion-forward thinking.
“This project sits at the intersection of education, innovation, and cultural storytelling. It represents Everau’s broader commitment to not only preserve the legacy of Australian sheepskin craftsmanship but also to renew it for future generations.”
According to the Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia, the competition is aligned with its mission to empower young creatives. Whitehouse founder and executive director Leanne Whitehouse said she is delighted to see strong innovative design presenting youthful comfort for Australian feet.
“Students rarely get to work on real industry briefs with commercial potential,” she said. “Everau is offering that chance — allowing them to turn ideas into tangible outcomes and possibly launch their first commercially licensed design. It’s about equipping them not just with feedback, but with a real foothold in the industry.”
Students Kiera Goerke, Hayley Smyth, and Arianna Hyytinen have been announced as the winners of the 2025 Everau Whitehouse Design Awards. This year’s competition is purely conceptual.
Whitehouse added that Everau has a long-standing tradition of working with Australian local designers. In 2024, the brand partnered with Verner for the local designer label’s feature at Australian Fashion Week, designing three different ugg boots and slippers which were worn by models on the runway. For AFW 2025, the brand collaborated with Alix Higgin and Nagnata.
Everau noted it hopes to grow this initiative into a long-term program.