Aspiring designers will battle it out at the StyleXpose fashion competition this month, for the opportunity to win three months free publicity and have their collections stocked at a Manly boutique.
StyleXpose, an online shopping and fashion events company founded by former FBI Fashion College student Amy Woodhead, aims to “expose up and coming Australian designers trying to achieve recognition for their label and break into the fashion industry”.
The annual fashion show competition, launched in 2009, will see 12 fledgling designers showcase their creations via three catwalk shows at the Sugar Lounge in Sydney's Manly beach, with the first four designers to present at the venue on August 31.
The following eight designers will unveil their works at shows on September 7 and 14, with the finalists and winning designer to be announced at an event on September 28.
The “heats” will be judged by a selection of fashion industry experts each week, with audiences also able to vote for their favourite designer and model from all three heats online to have their favourite designer and model admitted into the grand final as a wild card.
The winning designer will be granted the opportunity to sell their collection at Mint Shop boutique in Manly for a limited period of time, as well as a three month contract with W Publicity. The winning model will also be awarded a one year modelling contract with W Model Management.
Woodhead said the event works perfectly with the StyleXpose ethos, to “give rising Australian designers a chance to show their collection to the public and to show us what their made of”.
“These upcoming Australian designers really needed some exposure and to get out and about with their designs but there was nowhere to do this. There are absolutely no fashion events on the Northern Beaches, so Manly seemed like the perfect choice,” she said.
“Everybody needs experience at the beginning of their careers (everyone involved in StyleXpose is less than 25 years old) – designers, models, photographers, film crew, DJ, MC, hair and make-up team and web designer. For some of StyleXpose designers it’s the first show they’ve ever done, but after the competition it just keeps on going: they build connections with one another so that one designer will ask the photographer from the show to shoot their look book and the model to be the face of the label, etc.”
Designers involved include Catherine Leon, Sovii, Genevieve Laurent, Sofia Polak, Lauren Damelian, The Last Romantic and Nerdia Bourne from Project Runway Australia 2011.